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Special Volunteers Needed
Saturday Service Day
This month our Saturday Service Day will be focusing on preparations for Connections' Gala. On Saturday March 10, come to the third floor of 2010 Dewey Avenue any time between 9:00am to 10:00am to help us make decorations and materials for our biggest fundraiser of the year! You can help for one hour or many hours! Please email ks@cfthinc.org if you are interested in getting involved.
Gala Fundraiser - night of the event volunteers needed Thursday, March 15. Help out AND hear some great music!
Contact Kate at
ks@cfthinc.org
if you want more details. |
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Wishlist
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IPAD - to be used as an auction item at the Spring Gala
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non-perishable food
coffee
dry laundry detergent
20 (or larger) cup coffee maker |
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THANK YOU!
To all the individuals and groups who supported Connections for the Homeless with in-kind donations.
Concerned community groups and businesses who gave in-kind items in February included:
Aeropstale
Campus KitchensComplete Birkenstock
Convent of the Holy SpiritEthical Humanist Society
Harper Elementary School
Houghton Mifflin HarcourtKoller & Associates Lake Street church
The MatherMike & Sons Upholstery, Skokie
Morton Grove Girl Scouts Troop #41781
National Geographic Learning
Oliver W. Holmes Middle School Pret A Manger
St. Joseph Church, Wilmette
St. Catherine Laboure Church St. Luke's Episcopal Church
Starbucks, Dempster Ave.
Ulmer & Berne LLP
Unitarian Church of Evanston |
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In-kind donations can be delivered to 1458 Chicago Ave. in Evanston (the basement entrance at the northwest corner of the Lake Street Church).
Drop off on weekdays between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 pm and any evening between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. or call for an appointment, 847-424-0945 x17.
Important! Please ring the bell and have a staff member receive the donation.
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Volunteer ImpactHere are some of the real numbers about our volunteers (July 2011-Jan 2012):A total of 7,000 volunteer hours! Valued at $108,000 $27,000 in donated food
Volunteers support the program and our staff in numerous ways. Together we address the needs of so many. Last year:
584 people were served in Entry Point Drop-In program,
240 received employment help,
115 people stayed at Hilda's Place Transitional Shelter,
150 people were housed.
Thank you! Your support is the foundation of our success. |
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Greetings!
I often mention to potential donors that the months after the New Year are the "donation desert" for Connections for the Homeless. The collective compassion that swells in December is overwhelmingly positive but then we all seem to settle into the winter doldrums. This past month however, brought several significant new partnerships to Connections. St. Joseph Catholic Church in Wilmette conducted a very successful drive of toiletries and cash donations for CTA passes. They also invited me out to speak to several hundred children in the Sunday School program. On the corporate side, a new restaurant in Evanston, Pret A Manger has offered to donate all of their unsold food to Connections or Campus Kitchens (who also provides us with food) for our bag lunches. Girls Scout Troop 41781 in Morton Grove organized food donation collection sites around their community, helping us receive much needed food during this slow time AND helping us increase our visibility. On an individual level, three separate young people approached us about hosting fundraisers on our behalf as part of their Bar or Bat Mitzvah preparations.
 | | St. Joe families make lunches |
February was also a month of intense planning for our spring fundraiser, "There's No Place Like A Home". My dream of having large numbers of our community supporters and volunteers present is being realized. At this time, we have individuals from Chiaravalle Montessori, St. Athanasius, Harper Elementary, Unitarian Church of Evanston, and St. Luke's Episcopal sponsoring tables for the event. I ask you to encourage your group to join us for the gala. It is sure to be a wonderful evening filled with stellar entertainment, an informative and inspiring program, and the satisfaction that in the midst of our celebration we will be raising money for much needed services. If you absolutely can not make it that evening, consider supporting the fundraising effort anyway by donating tickets, auction items, or placing an ad in the program booklet.
Lastly, in this issue you will notice a new feature, "One Day As A Volunteer". One of our more regular volunteers suggested the idea of writing about his experiences and reflections and I jumped at the offer. His observations bring to light some of the very simple and yet significant things that happen as a result of volunteers. It also hints at the way volunteers are changed by their time at Connections. In the afterglow of our Valentines for Volunteers week we are hosting a special training for volunteers to help them feel even more comfortable in their role. The training will focus on how to interact more effectively with people who have some kind of mental illness. I hope you will be able to sign up for that and attend. As always, thank you for your steadfast support. I may need to stop talking about the "desert months".
Peace to you,
Lisa Todd
Community Relations
847-424-0945 x.11
Connections is ending homelessness by preventing people from losing their homes, housing the homeless and providing supoprt to help people at risk achieve long-term self-sufficiency. |
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Click here to purchase tickets, sponsor the event, place an ad in the program booklet or even to help donate auction items. Maps, contact information and details are also available. |
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ONE DAY AS A VOLUNTEER AT Entry Point
- Doug Philip
I would like to share just a few volunteer experiences that I recently had during just ONE morning at Entry Point Drop-In. These are just random things that I remembered as I drove home one day after a typical volunteer shift.
I bumped into "Will" one morning during Drop-In. I had not seen him for a several months as he had been incarcerated. We chatted for a while and then he asked, "do you think you could get me a jar of peanut butter?". Although I know we, as volunteers, are not supposed to distribute food from the pantry, the request was so basic that I instinctively said "sure" and went and got him a jar of peanut butter - he could not have been more appreciative - for a jar of peanut butter! I am amazed every time that I volunteer at the simplicity of our clients requests.
I observed "Frank" sitting in a chair, keeping to himself, looking very sad and dejected. I have seen him off and on during my time volunteering, but had not seen him for quite some time until that morning. I wondered to myself what sequence of events brought him back to Entry Point. For whatever reason, he and I had never struck up a conversation or had any kind of relationship. I found myself that morning wanting to approach "Frank" and see how he was doing, but I didn't because we did not really know each other and I did not want to invade his personal space or seem disingenuous.
We found a pair of jeans for "Jeff" - he has a very unusual size requirement - he had been looking for weeks!
I spent 15 minutes sharing volunteer experiences and challenges with another volunteer. It was helpful to hear that they shared some of my thoughts and feelings.
"John" was back at Entry Point after having been with his family for a while in the suburbs and trying to find work. I looked at him and he looked at me. He said, "I know, you're wondering what I am doing back here". He went on to tell me that transportation challenges in the suburbs had hindered him in finding a job and felt he would have better luck closer to the city and he was here "temporarily". He assured me he was okay.
"Jane" asked me for a lunch first thing in the morning - she had not eaten since the day before and was hungry. I was happy to give her something to eat. We are not supposed to dispense lunches that early, but I thought it was the right thing to do.
A client I have seen at Drop-in for a very long time - very quiet and withdrawn - finally asked for employment assistance.
As I was passing through the Clothing Room, "Joanne" stopped me and exclaimed, "hugs are better than pills!".
I look forward to my volunteer shift every week. I am constantly amazed and impressed by the positivism, perseverance, and appreciativeness that I feel from our clients in spite of their situations. It gives me pause and helps me reflect upon my own life's priorities. My experiences and interactions with our clients has slowly changed me as a person.. I would not trade the time that I have been fortunate enough to spend with them for anything. I feel lucky to know them. |
| Valentines for Volunteers Week
From February 12th to the 18th we here at Connections celebrated the wonderful work of our volunteers in high style with Valentines for Volunteers week! All of the clients at Chicago Ave. signed a big banner of thanks that hung in the lobby.
On Valentine's Day we held a luncheon to thank you all for your dedication, time, effort, and love. Highlights from the event included some great conversations between volunteers who work in different departments, a song about volunteers written by Connections' case manager Eric Martin, and Joe Moag's lasagna. It was a blast!
On Thursday, February 16 at 7:30am we finished off our breakfast series with a community discussion about how we can end homelessness on the North Shore featuring Connections' own Paul Selden, (name of other person), and Rep. Daniel Biss.
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Serving up breakfast during Volunteer Week |
Thank you all for the amazing work you do at Connections! I hope that you know how much we love and appreciate you. It's no box of chocolates, but I made you this valentine to say thanks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvAjCLP5g2c&feature=related
I hope that you had a happy Valentines for Volunteers week!
Kate Siberine
Volunteer Manager
ks@cfthinc.org |
Volunteering with Mentally Ill Populations - Training Opportunity
On Tuesday, March 20, from 5:30pm to 6:30pm join us at Hilda's Place for a workshop by Mike Hemkendries, a Connections case manager, where we will discuss how volunteers can best support mentally ill clients. This workshop is designed to increase volunteers' knowledge of mental illness and to explore strategies for building positive relationships with clients who may have extra barriers. Please RSVP to ks@cfthinc.org if you are interested in attending. |
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March Volunteer Orientation
If you'd like to learn more about Connections for the Homeless or if you are interested in volunteering in one of our programs please plan to attend an orientation. We will tour our 1458 Chicago Ave. location, home to Hilda's Place Transitional Shelter and Entry Point drop-in program and talk about the agencies' mission and current volunteer needs. Orientations this month will be on:
Saturday, March 10, 11am-noon
Monday, March 26, 1:30-2:30pm
Email Kate at ks@cfthinc.org if you are interested! |
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