The groups’ first collaborative food distribution effort, which took place in late March, was very successful. More than 150 cars filed through the United Church of Christ parking lot, and volunteers handed each one a shopping bag packed with all the fixings for an Easter dinner. (Click here to read the blog I wrote about the event.)
On the heels of that success, the three agencies are collaborating again to host a Summer Food Distribution event, their goal this time to distribute 175 bags of food worth about $20-$25 each.
Some of the 150 bags of food distributed in March
But they can’t do it without community support.
Organizers are asking community members to contribute food items to help fill the bags. The specific items being requested can be found on this list. Individuals can certainly choose something from the list to provide all by themselves. But businesses, organizations, families and neighborhoods can also work together and pledge to purchase all of one of the requested items (like 175 cans of baked beans) or just a portion (25 cans). Cash donations will also be gratefully accepted, as a straight-up donation or to sponsor one of the food items.
This is especially a great opportunity for businesses; your pledge/donation will be mentioned on the groups’ Facebook pages and website, along with any photos you’d like to provide of your employees with the collected food items.
Your donations can be dropped off between June 24 and July 9 at Gathering Place Webster, located at the United Church of Christ, 570 Klem Rd. (west entrance). Please DO NOT DROP OFF YOUR ITEMS OUTSIDE. Instead, email Wendy Lesko at gatheringplacewebster@gmail.com, or call her at (585) 746-1965 to arrange a time.
The goal is to hold a food distribution event four times a year: Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and sometime during the summer. With the community’s help, these regular distributions will really help our Webster neighbors who face food insecurity every day.
* * *
email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)
You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).
Earlier this month I posted a blog spotlighting the many organizations in Webster which offer ways for people to give back to their community through volunteering.
I’ve been surprised by how many people commented that they’re looking for something they could do as a family. So I thought I’d highlight a few organizations which really stood out to me as offering volunteer opportunities for both young and old.
The first of those is Gathering Place Webster. Operating out of the community room at the United Church of Christ on Klem Rd., Gathering Place Webster offers a wide variety of easy and accessible community service opportunities, like filling diaper bags for moms in need, making bag lunches for the chronically homeless, and to making “COZY bags” for kids and teens at the homeless shelter. What’s really neat about all these projects, however, is that not only can very young children get involved, but each one is specifically designed so that children of all ages can participate.
Gathering Place director Wendy Lesko explained, “We started this so that young families could get their kids started volunteering early … to show families with children how they can do community service from diapers all the way up; start teaching them when they’re young.”
Even though the organization is located within the United Church of Christ, it’s not officially affiliated with the church, and receives no funding from the UCC. It’s a completely separate 501c3 which rents space from the church.
Basically, Lesko explained, “the church made room for the Gathering Place to exist.”
We call it Gathering Place so that we could try to have nonreligious programming that would be comfortable for non-church people to come and participate in. … We don’t want people to think they can’t do community service because they don’t belong to a church.
Families interested in finding out more Webster are invited to attend the group’s next Community Service Sampler on Saturday Feb. 3 at 10 a.m. at UCC Webster, 570 Klem Rd. Participants can choose among a dozen different projects spread out on large tables set up around the church’s community room. Each table will include the project description, the agency it serves, the agency’s contact information, and step-by-step instructions on how to assemble the project. You can choose which project you’d like to work on, or stop by all the tables to sample the many different ways you can serve your community.
Here’s a quick look at all of the projects:
Bag Lunch Outreach: make 80 bag lunches to feed Rochester’s chronically homeless
Purse Project: fill purses with care items for women in need
Snack Bags for Baber: fill snack bags for the guests of the Baber hot lunch program
Buddy Bags: fill grocery bags with kid-friendly groceries
You for Youth Cozy Bags: fill drawstring bags with items for unhomed kids and teens (like socks, stuffed animals, blankets) to help them create a cozy space
You for Youth Backpacks: fill backpacks with care items for teens like a journal, Chapstick, lotion, socks
Care Kits: fill bags with personal hygiene items for people in need
Care Kits for Women: fill bags with personal hygiene items for women in need
Diaper Bag Project: fill diaper bags with baby items for women in need
Birthday Kits: create birthday kits with items to help struggling families celebrate
Warm Fuzzy Blanket program: make fleece blankets to be given to kids/teens having a hard time
Happy Birthday Cha Cha Cha: wrap birthday gifts to be distributed to kids via the RCSD
The event has plenty of easy ways for very young children to help out, too, like coloring lunch bags or making personalized notes to include in each kit. And if the kids get tired, they can go off in the corner of the room and play while moms and dads continue to work.
“It’s a social thing as well,” Lesko said. “Moms and dads are chatting and connecting with each other in community, while their kids are safely doing a community service project just steps away from them. It’s a dream come true.”
What a great way to get kids involved in our community in a fun way, and get them used to the idea that giving back and helping others is not only the right thing to do, but just feels good. Teaching responsibility and compassion today will go a long way towards raising responsible and compassionate adults. Not to mention we’re helping those in our community who need help the most.
Basically it’s a win/win for everybody.
The Community Service Sampler is this Saturday Feb. 3, beginning at 10 a.m. at United Church of Christ Webster, 570 Klem Rd. To read out more about Gathering Place Webster, visit their website here or Facebook page here.
* * *
email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)
You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).
I feature the people and places and events that make Webster the wonderful community it is — and throw in some totally-not-Webster-related personal ramblings every once in a while as well.
I love it when readers send me news about the great things happening in their schools or the community, so please email me anytime at missyblog@gmail.com
webster on the web 