February Service Project: Volunteer

Go to a nursing home and read to residents. Sign up and help serve a meal to guests at a local shelter or soup kitchen. Make handmade Valentine cards for guests at a residential treatment program. Reach out to your local museums and inquire about volunteer opportunities, there are plenty! Park and Rec departments also have multiple volunteer needs. The possibilities are endless! Pick an organization and/or group of people and dedicate your time to help others in need. Share pictures with us (13Days4Love@gmail.com) with a brief description of how you are helping others and we will post on our page.

Volunteers Needed to Help the Homeless in Charlotte

This January, our community is mobilizing a major effort to identify all individuals experiencing street homelessness and long-term homelessness. We need 100+ volunteers in order to make the effort a success.  Volunteers will conduct a brief questionnaire with individuals on the street, in a camp, or at a service provider location.  Please consider volunteering your time for this important effort.  You can sign-up here.

A few details:

·         The effort will take place Thursday, January 29 – Saturday, January 31^st. While we recognize everyone’s lives are busy, we are hopeful volunteers can commit for all three days of the effort.  

·         There are a variety of times you can sign-up for, though the majority of volunteers are needed for early morning hours.

·         We want volunteers to be as well-equipped as possible, so we are asking all volunteers to participate in a 2-hour training offered on Sunday, January 25th from 2pm - 4pm or Tuesday, January 27th from 7pm - 9pm.   

·         All volunteers will be placed on a small team with a team leader, to guide you through this effort.  We recognize this might feel like a stretch outside your comfort zone, so we want to ensure you are well-supported. 

Thank you for considering giving our time to this effort.  If you have questions, you can contact Liz Clasen-Kelly at lclasen-kelly@urbanministrycenter.org.

November Service Project: Desserts 4 Thanksgiving

The Charlotte Rescue Mission needs homemade desserts for their Thanksgiving meal (The preference is homemade [just like we all prefer] so please make the effort, but I doubt they will turn away store bought desserts). 1000 people will be served and what Thanksgiving meal is complete without dessert?!?! Spend some family time in the kitchen cooking up family recipes, rolling out dough, cutting out shapes or pressing pie crust into a pan. Make a special treat or two and deliver them to the Charlotte Rescue Mission on Tuesday, November 25 or Wednesday, November 26 from 6 am - 6 pm. Take pictures and email them to 13Days4Love@gmail.com and or share them on your FB page.

If you have children, use this opportunity to talk about your blessings and spend some time discussing the many that you and your family have. You can also make this a great educational activity and focus on the mathematical aspects of baking. ;-)

March Service Project Announcement: Community Celebration

I decided to try something different to announce part of the service project for March.  I clearly don't have much experience recording videos, but what's most important is the message.  After watching this video, do me a favor and share with at least four people you know.  March is all about the number 4.