Congregation Liaisons: Outreach and Servant Ministries Committee
The vision of Hopelink is a community free of poverty, and it strives to accomplish this by promoting self-sufficiency for all members of our community, providing stability and helping people gain the skills and knowledge they need to exit poverty for good.
Hopelink’s programs and services focus on nine categories of assistance: adult education, emergency financial help, employment services, energy assistance, family development, financial literacy, food assistance, housing, and transportation. The agency’s service centers, housing and transportation programs help more than 60,000 people every year.
Saint Andrew’s supports Hopelink with budgeted funds, volunteering at Hopelink, monetary donations from congregation members, and through donations of food in the Corner of Blessing, the SOUPer Bowl of Caring, and the Mayors’ Day of Concern for the Hungry.
Corner of Blessing
All donations help support those in our community who are in need. Bring donations to the Corner of Blessing in the Narthex.
Always Welcome and Needed: Paper Grocery Bags
December Collection: Diapers and Baby Wipes
First, Thank You to everyone who has donated food, during October and November, to go into the emergency bags. We have finished that collection so that we are ready to pack the bags at the Advent Fair this Sunday, November 24th. We will start our December collection a week early on November 24th.
The Hopelink Food Bank tries hard to provide the items needed and desired by the 1700 households they support. As we partner with them, they have come to ask us for items that they don’t usually get donated. For December, they have asked us to collect baby diapers in the larger sizes – size 3-7, as well as pull-ups and baby wipes. We were in the Hopelink market a little over a week ago and they had no diapers in these sizes.
So, for December (11/24 to 12/29) we will be collecting:
- Baby diapers in sizes 3 to 7 *
- Baby pull-ups *
- Baby wipes
* Any size packages – Hopelink volunteers can repackage
Ongoing:
Other ways to support Hopelink include:
1) write a check to Saint Andrew’s with Hopelink on the memo line;
2) make a donation through Tithe.ly, Saint Andrew’s online giving platform and choose Hopelink Food Bank from the drop-down menu; or
3) go to Hopelink’s Amazon Wish List page and purchase one or more of the items for their Pre-Packed Food Boxes and at checkout select Hopelink as the delivery address.
Volunteer Events
Congregation Volunteer Day for Hopelink Food Bank
We schedule periodic volunteer days at Hopelink’s Bellevue food bank. The food bank has limited space, so we are limited to 10 people for these events.
We often sort food, stock shelves and repackage bulk items, but could be asked to do other tasks.
For more information contact Dick Szabo.
Mayors' Day of Concern for the Hungry
Mayors’ Day of Concern for the Hungry
Date to be announced
10:00 am – 4:00 pm; 1 ½ hour shifts
The Mayors’ Day of Concern for the Hungry is the most important and largest food drive of the year for many of the organizations fighting hunger.
Saint Andrew’s puts together teams of volunteers to be at a local grocery store from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm to collect nonperishable food items from shoppers. We collect food for the Hopelink Food Bank.
Volunteering consists of handing out a “shopping list” flyer and thanking people for their donations. This is a fun event and it is inspiring to see the generosity of the people coming to do their grocery shopping.
Shifts are 1 ½ hours long, and at least 4 volunteers are needed per shift (we can use up to 6). All ages can participate and it is a wonderful family activity! Together we can turn just a few hours of time into tons of food for hungry local families.
One day. One day to help ensure that no one in our community goes hungry. One shift can make a big difference. Please consider volunteering!