Seeds for Thought Friday, August 27, 2010
News ~ We need your help! Using the focus of “Hunger Action Month,” there are a number of ways you can help us fight hunger in the community. 1) Send a tribute card and donation in honor of a loved one. We will make sure the tribute is published in future editions of Seeds for Thought. 2) Celebrate Labor Day with a neighborhood food drive. As friends bring their dish to share at your BBQ, have them bring a few canned goods along to share with us. 3) Ask your co-workers to bring brown bag lunches to work for a week, and donate the money saved to CAC. 4) Observe “United We Serve” Day (September 11), by collecting food in the neighborhood. Send around a flyer the week before, asking your neighbors to participate and telling them when to expect pick up. 5) Stay involved! One person makes a difference! Seeds of Hope ~ We are truly excited to announce the start of a new and much needed transitional housing program for Community Assistance Council. St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, in recognition of 50 years of ministry in the community, has generously provided funds to CAC to purchase a neighborhood home and is providing the manpower and supplies to rehabilitate it. This is a wonderful gift from them! We expect to move our first family in before the holidays. They will receive intensive case management to learn and reinforce new life skills that will assist in future housing stability. Families will live in the house for 6-9 months (on average), while participating in the program and meeting the program’s goals. This program will help address the need for transitional housing in south Kansas City. There are currently no resources in this area for homeless or nearly homeless families. CAC and St. Luke’s UMC are taking the first step to address this issue, continuing to work to prevent homelessness in our community. Mark Your Calendars ~ There are two opportunities to help support the Seeds of Hope transitional housing program. Saturday, September 18, from 8-10am, join St. Luke’s UMC at their “Flapjack Fundraiser” at the Applebee’s at Truman Corners. After breakfast, you can tour the house and visit with CAC representatives to learn more about what we do in the community. On Saturday, October 9, Community Assistance Council, with the help of St. Luke’s UMC, will host a second “Flapjack Fundraiser” at the Applebee’s at Truman Corners, from 8-10am. Both fundraisers will benefit the Seeds of Hope transitional housing program. Enjoy a great meal, visit with friends of CAC and offer your support. Tickets for the September breakfast can be obtained through St. Luke’s UMC, 816-763-8444. Tickets for the October breakfast go on sale September 1 and will be available at the CAC office. The cost is $7/ticket if purchased before the event, or $8/ticket at the door. Early purchase is requested, but not required. Needs ~ “Carol’s Garden” ~ Time commitment is flexible, but the opportunity to work in the garden is Monday-Friday, 8am-3pm. Gardening tools are available. We are also looking for those interested in planning for next year’s garden. A committee of community volunteers is meeting during the fall to discuss what we have learned and what we want to focus on next spring. If you are interested in becoming involved, please contact Pam. Financial Donations ~ Your financial contribution allows us to help families with rent or utility assistance, needed transportation, home maintenance issues and provide for unexpected needs. You can offer financial support through our website or by participating in our monthly pledge program. To offer your time for any of these programs, please call Pam, 816-763-3277, x108, or email pamm@cackc.org If you know of anyone that might like to receive this information, please contact Pam Meek, 816-763-3277, x108, or email pamm@cackc.org. You can also forward this e-newsletter to them!
September is Hunger Action Month! ~ With the economy stalled, more hungry people are seeking assistance from our food pantry. Jobless rates remain high and our neighbors continue to have to choose between paying rent and buying food. The need has become so great that we are now assisting 75% more people with food than we were last year. Our food pantry has appointments booked into mid-September. In the past, appointments are set about 4-5 days in advance. Because of the length of time it now takes for families to receive food from us, we are seeing more emergency food requests as well.
Food Pantry ~ As we mentioned above, we are seeing an increased need and our shelves are pretty bare! We are especially in need of soup and canned green beans. Other needs include paper products and personal hygiene items! Currently, all types of food are needed, and are much appreciated!