Category Archives: Service Projects

Charity Review and Service Project: Dress for Success

Charity Review, Service Projects

The answer to long-lasting change in the lives of the world’s poor and hungry is opportunity. If people have the opportunity to get an education, start a business, or get a good-paying job, they can break the cycle of poverty for good. That’s why my favorite non-profits address the vital need for opportunity. That’s why I support fair trade companies, microfinance for access to capital, and non-profits that feed and educate kids around the world.

Recently I learned of another charity focused on opportunity: Dress for Success. The mission of Dress for Success (from their website): “to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.” Not a handout, an opportunity. An opportunity to get a professional job and to break the cycle of poverty for good.

So how do they do it? Dress for Success has local offices in most major cities, including right here in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area (1549 University Avenue West
St. Paul). At the local office, they collect clean, current-season, professional apparel, and distribute it to women entering the job market. They also offer career services like job interview training, career coaching, and mentoring to help clients find and keep jobs.

You can easily see how their work helps women overcome a significant barrier and gain the opportunity for a better future! Charity Navigator has given Dress for Success a perfect 4-star rating, so you can feel good about supporting their work. They accept financial donations, volunteers (working with both the clothing side and the workforce-prep side), and donations of clean, in-season, professional women’s clothing and accessories. You can bring in a small load from your personal collection, or you can host a clothing drive (info on the website under your local chapter). Right now I’m in the process of sorting through my Great Wardrobe Purge collection, and I’ll be taking a load to DFS in the near future. If you’re interested in doing the same, check out this list from their website:

publication1

Four Benefits of Volunteering as a Family

Current Events, Service Projects,

Tomorrow, Saturday October 22, is national Make a Difference Day! Sponsored by Tegna, The Arby’s Foundation, and Points of Light, Make a Difference Day encourages Americans of all ages to find a way to serve their community. They provide a project finder to connect volunteers with needs, and awards to honor people and projects that are making a difference. To find projects near you, visit their website.

Why is practicing regular volunteer work as a family important?

1. Volunteering encourages gratitude and a realistic view of wants vs. needs: All the moms said “amen,” right? It’s hard to teach gratitude to our kids. But “you should be thankful,” and “when I was your age,” don’t speak as loudly as hands-on, face-to-face experience.

2. Volunteering teaches us that we’re not so different after all: Living a sheltered life makes it easy to think that real hunger doesn’t happen in America, or that all poverty is the result of bad personal decisions. But working with people in need, right in our own community, reveals the reality that most people in need are hard-working and want opportunity, not a handout. They have the same hopes, dreams, and concerns for their kids that we all do. You might make some new friends, too.

3. Volunteering makes us sensitive to the needs of others: Kids don’t understand why the elderly and infirm are slow. They don’t get it that others can’t afford to have the things that they have or go to the things they can go to. Volunteering is a great opportunity to talk about how much we have to be thankful for, as well as ways that we can be sensitive, considerate, and make life easier for others.

4. Regular volunteering from a young age teaches kids that this is just what we do: It’s just like dressing up for church. Someone warned me about this when J was a baby, and we stuck with it. Every Sunday we dressed him up for church, and he didn’t question it until he was practically a teenager (and by then no one under 60 was dressing up at church…). At the same time, I had friends tell me that if they tried to “make” their kids get dressed up they would have a mutiny on their hands. J didn’t argue because that was the normal he knew. The same is true of community service. Start the kids as young as you can and they will understand that this is just what we do as Christians and members of our community.

Actions speak louder than words. Model a life of service and include the kids as much as possible. If you’re looking for ideas, search this site for “service projects.” I’ve written blog posts about a number of possibilities. If you have ideas about service projects that families can do together, leave a comment. We’re always looking for more ideas!

Service Project: The Loved Bible Project

Service Projects, Uncategorized, ,

lbp

Recently a couple of friends of mine (Kelli and Tracy of All Your Heart Ministries) told me about a cool new service project. It’s called the Loved Bible Project, and it is right up my alley! Basically you start with a new bible, love on it, and hand it off to someone in need (need is relative: They could be in need financially, or just in need of hope and comfort. I’ll get to that later…). They receive God’s word, pre-highlighted, hand-annotated, and filled with encouraging notes, just as if they had inherited a much-loved bible from a loved one. I love to doodle and write, and I love God’s word, so I knew I wanted to be a part of this.

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Psalm 119:105

No sooner had I decided that this was a service project I wanted to do, then Christian Book Distributors emailed me about a sale event and free shipping promo. I scoured their website and found a number of bibles in various translations for under $5 each. I went with the NIV version, because that’s a common and trusted version, and one I’m familiar with. I got two plain bibles and two with huge pink daisies on their green, faux-leather covers. I don’t know if it’s just because I’m a boy mom or if it was God’s leading, but I was smitten with the idea of using lots of color and pretty doodles and sending it off to a girl or young woman.

2016-09-16-07-11-39_1474028009588

The cool thing about this project (well, one of the cool things) is that God already knows the young woman who will own this bible. He knows her needs now and in the future. He knows what verses she will need to cling to and what encouragement she will need to hear. It is not in my power to minister to this stranger because I know nothing. But God knows. So I started this project by praying for her. I prayed for inspiration and direction as I prepare this bible for this stranger. And I continued to pray as I added to the bible.

2016-09-16-07-12-34_1474028009352

20160916_070918-1

I’m a scrapbooker, so I had lots of fun things to use to decorate the bible! I used stickers, craft tape, markers, metallic gel pens, and more!I found this cool assortment pack of sticky notes at Dollar Tree. I especially love the little flag/arrow notes for pointing out special verses.

2016-09-16-07-10-37_1474028009675

I got this set of special highlighters from my secret sister last year. They don’t bleed through the thin pages of a bible. You can find them on Amazon.

As you can see, I had a lot of fun with this project. I want to add a few more things to it, but when it’s done I’m mailing it to my friend Renee at ReBuild, a ministry to the down and out of the Huntington WV area. Figuring in the cost of the bible, shipping it to Renee, and the few supplies I bought to supplement my scrapbooking stash, I completed this project for about $10. It is my prayer that God would take my little investment of $10 and a couple hours and turn it into something priceless!

If you are interested in more information about the Loved Bible Project, check out the Loved Bible Project website or the All Your Heart Ministries website. There is a ton of inspiration there, pics of projects, etc. You can also search “scripture journaling” or “loved bible” on Pinterest to get some ideas. I did my first bible without a theme, but they can be specific as well. For example, you could love a bible for a single mom friend, someone in cancer treatment, or someone experiencing a loss. You could gather with a group of women, share supplies, and love bibles together as a church or bible study women’s event.

Finished bibles can be sent to the Loved Bible Project (see their website for info), and they will be distributed to the homeless, or you can send them to ReBuild – Renee says they’ll take as many as they can get and will distribute them to the people they work with. Other ministries local to you may be interested in taking loved bibles as well. You just have to ask!

Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4

Family Service Project: Food Shelf Scavenger Hunt

Service Projects, , , ,

Food Shelf Scavenger HuntMy favorite co-server in life is my son, J (his real name is Jacob, but I call him J because he doesn’t like “Jake.” Yes, I am so lazy that I reduced his name to one letter). He’s fifteen years old, and is smart, funny, and a good worker. Though much of his service experience has come during his years as a Boy Scout, he really got his start in our local MOMS Club chapter when he was just a preschooler. We started ‘em young in that group; the kids participated in a lot of tours, supply drives, and service projects. An amazing thing happens when you bring your young kids to service opportunities; they never have to learn to serve. It just comes naturally because it has always been their reality.

20160721_200624
Yesterday, J and I volunteered with Compassion International finding sponsors for kids

But serving alongside a fifteen-year-old is a lot easier than working with a preschooler was! When the kids are young, they need simpler tasks, patient parents, and a lot of information on WHY we’re doing what we’re doing. With that in mind, I have created a Food Drive Scavenger Hunt that you can use to teach your kids, grandkids, or nieces and nephews about helping the hungry. It’s in a printable form right on this page, and I invite you to print and share as much as you like.

The printable lists five of the top needed food shelf staples, gives information about why they matter nutritionally, and educates on specifics to look for, like low sodium and whole-grains. I believe the whole scavenger hunt can be done for under $10 (depending on the choices you allow). Several kids can work together, or each kid can do his or her own list – that’s up to you and your budget. The scavenger hunt could work for kids as young as three if you do the reading, but would be informative and entertaining for kids as old as 12. It teaches best practices while still allowing kids to make choices. You can use the scavenger hunt to distract and entertain the kids during your regular grocery shopping, or you can make a special trip that ends with drop off at the food shelf.

I strongly encourage you to find ways that your young kids can serve their community. I know it can be a challenge for parents, but it’s a lot easier to introduce service when they’re young and want to help than it is when they’re older and would rather watch TV!

What ways have you found to include your children in community service? Share in the comments, and keep an eye out for more family-friendly service opportunities in the future!

Kids food drive scavenger hunt

 

Kids food drive scavenger hunt

 

Preview image is a .jpeg; follow the hyperlink above for the .pdf version to print. Feel free to share!

My Hunger “Bucket List”

inspiration, Karah, Microfinance, Ministry, personal growth, Resources, Service Projects

My Hunger Bucket List

Are you familiar with the concept of a “bucket list?” The idea is just a list of things you really want to accomplish before you “kick the bucket.” Some people have a literal checklist, but most of us just have general ideas. For example, my bucket list includes visiting Paris (I studied French in high school and college), to see the Eiffel Tower and the Mona Lisa in person. Even if you’ve never heard of a bucket list, I’ll bet you’ve dreamed about things you want to do before you die.

I have a Food Shelf Friday bucket list as well – things I want to do or experience as I advocate for the world’s hungry. So today, I’m going to share those dreams with you.

  1. Meet my Compassion child: I’ve told you before about my friend Edouard, whom we sponsor through Compassion International. One of the great things about Compassion is that they can also arrange for you to meet your sponsored child if you visit his or her area. They even plan missions trips a couple times a year and take sponsors to different parts of the world to serve and meet their kids. They just went to Burkina Faso last year, and Edouard is pretty young yet, but I would really love to do this when he’s older and we have more history together.
  2. Build and maintain a revolving portfolio of microfinance loans: Microfinance is another topic I’ve covered previously. At the time when I first shared this revolutionary tool, I also made my first loan through Kiva. Loans pay back in five years, and the money can be reinvested in another loan at that time or cashed out. My plan is to make a new loan twice a year (December and April), until I have ten loans out there. At that point the first one will pay back and will fund the 11th. My investment, built during the first five years, will become a self-feeding revolving portfolio of investments. Of course, not all loans successfully pay back, but the occasional failed loan can be replaced by a new investment on my part. Now, that may sound like a lot of business mumbo jumbo, but it’s not as elaborate and complicated as it seems. Kiva does all the work for me; I just invest about $30 at a time and pick a project that I would like to fund. So far, my first two loans have been agricultural and seem to be loans that will yield long-term opportunity for the lenders.
  3. Transition my wardrobe from “fast fashion” to fair trade: Like microfinance, fair trade is a long-term, sustainable way to provide opportunity, and thus poverty and hunger relief, for people around the world. I am determined to care for my wardrobe, making things last as long as possible, and to replace things (when needed) with items that were made with fair employment practices that empower rather than imprison the workers.
  4. Continue to develop a personal reputation for serving others: When someone has a need for volunteers, I want them to think of me. Not because I want the recognition, but because I want more opportunities to love and serve. I want my life to be an offering to God, and for Him to put me to work loving and serving others the way Jesus did.
  5. Develop Food Shelf Friday’s reputation as a resource: Bloggers try really hard not to get caught up in the numbers, especially faith-based and non-profit blogs. We’re torn between wanting God to build His kingdom as He sees fit, and peeking at the stats to see if we’re doing a good job.
    It’s really not about the numbers, anyway. I would rather have a hundred people know about Food Shelf Friday if it blesses and informs their efforts and service than to have a million followers who don’t read the blog, or only come here for a laugh.
    And yet… I feel that this blog is something God has called me to do, and that the information I offer here is valuable. It does no good if I share it with an empty room, right?
    So as you can see, it’s a back-and-forth debate. In the end, I do care if people read my blog, and I work hard to build a social media following, find opportunities to write for other publications, and provide you with well-researched and interesting content. I really want Food Shelf Friday to succeed, and I want it to be a tool that you use as you make decisions about your lifestyle and plans to serve those in need. I repeat (as I often do) that I will NEVER use guilt and sad pictures to prod you into action. Your motivation should come from your own beliefs and the spirit’s convictions. Food Shelf Friday is just a tool to help you act on those convictions. You should never have cause to fear what you’ll see on this site or on my social media feeds.

 

Obviously I have a ways to go. Hopefully I’ll have many years to reach and refine, and I’m sure I’ll come up with many more dreams as well! Leave a comment with some of your bucket list dreams (personal or service-based), and/or topics you would like to see covered here on Food Shelf Friday. I welcome your feedback!