2008 – November
November – December - January – February
Tuesdays and Thursdays – “Donor Clinic” Open to Uninsured - Meyer Center, 1226 Washington. If you are one of the 46 million uninsured poor in America, the choices for healthcare is very limited…especially in a compassionate atmosphere where each patient knows God’s love is there! Patients with acute needs and who have no insurance (including no Medicaid or Medicare) are welcome to show up just before 5:00 on any Tuesday or Thursday for help. A small donation of any kind is requested, but no one will be turned away. Health care providers are also welcome to volunteer. Call 254.753.4900 for more info.
Now through December 12 – Donate toys or gift wrapping supplies for Mission Waco Christmas Toy Store ‘08 - Drop donations by the Mission Waco Office , 1315 North 15th Street. Low-income families will be able to purchase items for their children at an 80% discount . Mission Waco’s philosophy is that providing discounted items (instead of free items) allows the poor to participate in providing for their families and to shop with dignity. The income from the Toy Store is used for purchasing more toys and gift items for the store. Volunteers are needed for advance shopping, re-pricing, and store operations the days the store is open. If you want a collection box at your site, let us know (254-753-4900). A local Christian biker group, “Riders of the Son,” will pick up toys at several churches on Sunday morning, November 30. For questions or more information call (254) 753-4900. For a flyer with more information, click here: Mission Waco Christmas Toy Store ‘08.
Tuesday evenings –”Outpatient” Alcohol/Drug Treatment at the Meyer Center. Men’s Group is 6:00-7:00p.m.; Women’s Group is 7:15-8:15p.m. Both are at the Meyer Center, 1226 Washington. Need help and want a Christian atmosphere? Because everyone struggling with addiction cannot enter a residential treatment program, Mission Waco has expanded its’ Recovery Program to now include weekly treatment on Tuesday evenings for those struggling. Application is required. Application and screening are done there with Kelvin Gilmore. Trained professionals lead the program. For more information call the Meyer Center at 254-296-9866.
Saturdays through Christmas – Pre-Holiday Fair Trade Bazaars at the World Cup Café. 1321 N. 15th. Tired of giving traditional gifts to those who really don’t need more “stuff?” Why not purchase quality world crafts made the world’s poor and help them survive economic difficulty? Almost every Saturday between now and Christmas, new inventory will be displayed outside the World Cup Café, Several women are also hosting “trunk shows” to bring their friends together to understand Fair Trade and buy items in local homes and venues. Want more details? Contact Kathy Allison at 254.753.4900.
Thursdays – Foreclosure Prevention Clinics – 6-7p.m, 922 Franklin (Downtown Waco). NeighborWorks® Waco offers a weekly Foreclosure Prevention Clinic. These services are completely free and confidential for homeowners who are having trouble paying the mortgage on their owner-occupied property. Attendees should bring a copy of their most recent mortgage statement. Call 254-752-1647 for more information. To download a flyer click here: Foreclosure Prevention Clinics.
November 1 – Christians for Peace Film Night: “The Mission.” 6:45 pm at the Hope Fellowship Meeting House, 1721 Sanger, Waco. Call 254-754-5942 for information.
November 3-7, 10-14 and Dec. 1-5 – Salvation Army/Marine Corps Toys for Tots Christmas Toy Registration. 9-3:00 at Salvation Army Corps building 1225 S. Jack Kultgen Expressway. Families who would like to receive Toys for Tots for their children are welcome to come by on these days to register. For more information call Christie Harper 254-756-7271. For more information about how to donate toys or to request a donation box at your business please visit the Toys for Tots website: http://www.toysfortotswaco.org/.
November 5 – NeighborWorks® Waco Annual Breakfast Banquet and Tour of Home Sites. 7:30 am Ridgewood Country Club, 7301 Fish Pond Road. No cost to attend the breakfast or tour; table sponsorships are available (8 seats) for $100 each. This year’s keynote speaker is Dr. Jon Singletary of Baylor’s School of Social Work, who will be speaking on “The Role of Homeownership in Ending Poverty.” Reservations are required – please call 752-1647 or email cklawetter@nw-waco.org . For more information, click here: Breakfast and Tour of Home Sites flyer.
November 5 – First day to get tickets for Mission Waco “Thanksgiving Day Lunch for the Homeless. People who are currently in Shelter or on the streets can pick up their tickets at the Meyer Center for Urban Ministries, 1226 Washington. The actual lunch will be held on November 27 at noon at Meyer Center. Volunteers and donors throughout the community are invited to participate in this day of celebrating God’s generous blessings. Due to limited space, the meal is only for those who are currently in a shelter or on the streets. For questions contact: jimmy_dorrell@baylor.edu.
November 6- Christian Women’s Job Corps (CWJC) Volunteer Training – 6:00 – 8:30 pm, CWJC Center located on the campus of the Methodist Children’s Home at 1111 Herring Avenue in Waco. Come learn about the volunteer opportunities. Contact Jennifer: 757-0416; jennifer@cwjcwaco.org .
November 6 – Habitat for Humanity Harvest Dinner. 6:30 – 8:00 p.m., Lee Lockwood Library corner of Waco Drive and 29th street. No charge, donations accepted at the door. Join us as we celebrate the year’s work and recognize our supporters.
November 7 – Application deadline to be a volunteer Crisis Intervention Advocate for the Advocacy Center. Volunteer training starts November 13. Volunteers carry a cell phone to answer a 24/7 crisis hotline and are on-call to provide comfort, support and information to sexual assault survivors at Waco hospitals. Advocates act as liaisons between survivors, law enforcement and medical personnel. Download an application packet from the website www.advocacycnter.org or call 254-752-9330, ext. 141.
November 8 – Calvary Baptist Church Neighborhood Yard Sale- 6am-2pm, Calvary Baptist Church, 1001 N. 18th in Waco. Anyone is invited to come and set up a table for free to sell their wares! We would also like to invite Nonprofits and church ministries to bring their own tables and set up to make their services and ministries known to the community! No need to confirm a spot ahead of time, just feel free to show up on that day and find a place to set up! If you would like more information please contact Sam Oakley at soakley@cbcwaco.com.
November 8 – V.I.E.W. benefitting the Family Abuse Center. 5-10 pm at Local Starbucks, The Grape at 2006 N. Valley Mills Dr., and Uncorked at 1201 Hewitt Drive. V.I.E.W. stands for Virtual Internet Event in Waco. The on-line auction is at biddingforgood.com. You can bid on items from home or stop by one of the locations and bid on items such as a quilt, Leather jackets, trips, etc. We are currently accepting donated items - $150 or more – to be included in the auction. For more information contact Becky Ellison at the Family Abuse Center. Phone 254-772-8999 ext. 2226 or e-mail: director@familyabusecenter.org .
November 8 – Community Race Relations Coalition (CRRC) 2nd Annual Silent Auction fund raiser and “Red, White & Blues” concert, Honoring our Veterans. 7-10 pm, City of Waco Multipurpose Center on Quinn Campus, 1020 Elm Street. Musical entertainment provided by Classie Ballou & Family Band with opening music by Easy Marshall. Emcees: Max & Tamme, KBGO Radio. Cash bar; heavy hors d’oeuvres; casual attire–red, white, & blue (optional). Great auction items! Bring items for soldiers in Iraq. See www.crrcwaco.org for more information including a list of items to bring. The mission of the CRRC is to promote racial and cultural awareness and acceptance through dynamic outreach to strengthen our community.
November 8 & 15 – Gardening Workshop Series at the World Hunger Farm. - 8:00 am-12:00 pm – This workshop will take place at the farm on two consecutive Saturday mornings. The topics include gardening basics, soil science, compost, and pest management. The workshop covers helpful information connecting gardening with curriculum objectives. Continuing education credit through TSTC is available with this workshop. If you have any questions or would like to schedule a tour at the farm, feel free to contact the Education Coordinator, Melyssa Cunningham Phone: 254.799.5611
November 9 – Talitha Koum Institute: Gospel Brunch. 12 – 2 p.m. at the Palladium in downtown Waco, 729 Austin Ave. Join us as we listen to performers such as The Tuckers, Keron Jackson, Greater New Light Baptist Church Choir and Baylor’s Heavenly Voices Gospel Choir and the Live Oak Classical School Choir. Sponsorships, reserved tables for $300 and individual tickets $25 per person are available. Brunch included. Tickets on-sale starting Oct. 6 at www.TalithaKoum.org/GB . For more information, contact Nan Holmes at 254-753-1144 or nan@talithakoum.org.
November 11 – Caritas day at Fuddruckers in Waco. Caritas will receive a portion of the proceeds from sales made that day. In order for Caritas to receive donations, customers must show this flyer: Caritas flyer or tell the cashier that they are there for the Caritas Benefit Day. Otherwise, Fuddruckers will not know, and Caritas will not get the credit for the sales. We are encouraging “Friends of Caritas” to eat at Fuddruckers on the 11th and let the staff know they are there for that purpose. So please spread the word!!!
November 11,12 and 13 – Volunteer Training for CareNet Pregnancy Center - 5:30 – 8:30. We are currently seeking volunteers who have a heart to minister to those in our community that are facing an unplanned pregnancy. Please RSVP to Stella at 772-6175 or e-mail her at stella@carenetofcentraltexas.org, if you would like to become a part of our team!
November 12 – “The BUCK Starts Here”: Baylor Campus Kitchen Kick-off Event. 5-7pm at the Bobo Spiritual Life Center, corner of 5th and Speight on Baylor Campus. 1 in 3 people in Waco go to bed hungry every night, but you can be part of a movement to change that. The Campus Kitchen Project at Baylor University is a newly chartered organization that uses rescued food from campus cafeterias and area restaurants to provide healthy meals to hungry individuals in Waco. Come find out more at our kick-off event – “The BUCK Starts Here.” For more information about the event or about volunteering for Campus Kitchens email Kristen_Nielsen@baylor.edu or find us on Facebook!
November 13 – McLennan County Hunger Coalition (MCHC) meeting - 11:45-1:00, Caritas of Waco Conference Room, 300 S. 15th. A coalition of representatives of food pantries, feeding programs, governmental agencies, faith-based organizations, businesses, and interested individuals committed to solving the problems of food insecurity and hunger in the local area, the MCHC meets monthly, usually on the second Thursday of each month. Visitors are welcome. For more information contact Esther Morales at 753-3545 or foodoutreach@grandecom.net.
November 14 – Helping Network Meeting - 12:00 – 1:00, Austin Avenue Methodist Church, 1300 Austin Avenue. Helping Network meets monthly (the second Friday of the month) to give representatives of local ministries an opportunity to share information and ideas. For more information e-mail: rheyduck@austinavenueumc.org
November 16 – “Giving Thanks; Giving Hope” Banquet benefitting Compassion Ministries of Waco. 6:00 pm Lions Den, 1716 N. 42nd. The event will feature a silent auction, dinner provided by Outback, and live entertainment. Tickets are $50 per person. For more information, contact 755-7640.
November 17-December 24, 2008 – Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign at area store locations. Individuals, families, church groups, work groups, school groups – all are welcome to participate. Many volunteers are needed to man kettles. Also, ask about the new “adopt-a- kettle” program; businesses, churches or other groups are invited to sponsor a kettle for as little as $250 dollars. Sponsor names will be displayed on a sign on the kettle. For more information about volunteering or adopting a kettle, call Christie Harper at 254-756-7271.
November 17-24 — National Collection Week for Operation Christmas Child. Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse. Shoeboxes filled with items for children are delivered around the world. It is estimated that each box affects 10 people. The boxes are delivered to areas where there is a pastor or a missionary, so there is always follow-up for all children that receive boxes. Many churches in town will be collecting shoe boxes including Lake Shore Baptist, Columbus Avenue Baptist. The official Waco collection point is Highland Baptist Church. For more information including tips about how to pack a box and what to include, click here: Pack a Shoe Box.
November 19-21 - The Greater Waco Community Education Summit at the Waco Convention Center. Admission is free, there is an option charge for meals: Wed. night – $20, Thurs. Lunch – $10, Thurs. box dinner – $5. The Greater Waco Community Education Summit is an outgrowth of Community Visioning Project, the Mayor’s Education Initiative and the Greater Waco Chamber Education/Workforce Initiative. Its mission is developing a community expectation of higher education for all students that will maximize our quality of life and enhance our economic future. For more information and to register, click here www.educatewaco.com. For additional information or questions, contact Brandon Moseley, brandon@dupuyoxygen.com .
November 20 – Poverty Summit - 4:00-9:00 p.m. The Poverty Summit aims to stimulate academic thought about poverty issues in Waco, the United States, and the international community. Through ongoing and open dialogue, the Summit aims to raise awareness, engage students in meaningful thought about the issues surrounding poverty, and encourage action. We hope to convene faculty, representatives from the community, and students for a keynote address, panel discussion and five interdisciplinary breakout sessions concerning various issues related to poverty studies. For more information contact Emily Hinkle (e_hinkle@baylor.edu ) or Marianne Magjuka (marianne_magjuka@baylor.edu ), or click here: Poverty Summit.
November 21- Heart of Texas Homeless Coalition Meeting. 11:45 AM Mission Waco’s Meyer Center, 1225 Washington. No cost to attend. Join us to stay involved with what is going on in Central Texas to serve the homeless. Lunch will be provided. Reservations are required – please call 722-7644 or email jenny.clines@gmail.com. For more information, click here: www.hothomeless.org
November 21 – Deadline for Tribune-Herald Holiday Wish list. Area nonprofit groups and charitable institutions are invited to submit their Holiday Wish List for publication in the Tribune-Herald. The wish list will be published in early December. Each agency’s top five material needs (not a call for volunteers, for example) must be submitted in writing no later than Nov. 21 to: staff writer Terri Jo Ryan, tjryan@wacotrib.com, or delivered in person or mailed to 900 Franklin Ave., Waco TX 76701. The spirit of the wish list is to help the entities themselves, who do so much to help the less fortunate of the area.
November 21 — Food for Families Food Drive - 6 am to 8 pm KWTX-TV, 6700 American Plaza, Waco. Food For Families is a coalition of food pantries across Central Texas who have banded together to collect non-perishable food in a one-day coordinated drive on the Friday before Thanksgiving. All food donated stays in the county in which it was collected to serve the people in need in that county. Food For Families is operated by four partner organizations, Longhorn Council of Boy Scouts of America, H.E.B. Grocery Company, Texas Army National Guard and KWTX Media. For driving directions to KWTX-TV, click here: Directions.
November 22 – Tellebration 2008 sponsored by the Heart of Texas Storytelling Guild. 6:30 pm, Austin Avenue United Methodist Church, 1300 Austin Ave, Waco. Tickets are $5 each for adults, $3 per child, with a maximum cost of $10 per family. This affordable family event supports literacy. Headliner will be “Urban Griot” De Cee Cornish of Fort Worth. Cornish, a master storyteller raised in the gritty “Fifth Ward” of Houston, is a former military man who has traveled the globe collecting multi-cultural stories and generating memories for his repertoire of fabulous fables from far and near. For more information, call 366-2442 or send an e-mail to annabelltoo@yahoo.com.
November 22 – Steppin’ Out - Once each semester the Baylor Office of Service Learning coordinates a massive volunteer service day. Baylor students, staff, and faculty make up the bulk of our volunteers for the days of service, but for recent events, they’ve also worked to involve Waco community members and groups to work alongside Baylor volunteers. Whether you are in need of service or would like to volunteer, for more information, click here: Steppin’ Out Forms and Registration.
November 25 – CROP walk steering committee meeting
November 27 – Salvation Army Thanksgiving Meal. 11:00 at Salvation Army Corps building, 1225 S. Jack Kultgen Expressway. All are welcome. Volunteers welcome to work as well as to donate various food items especially pies and other desserts. For more information call Christie Harper at 254-756-7271.
November 27 – Mission Waco “Thanksgiving Day Lunch for the Homeless.” 11:45-1:30, Meyer Center for Urban Ministries, 1226 Washington. Volunteers and donors throughout the community are invited to participate in this day of celebrating God’s generous blessings. Tickets for the free meal will be handed out at the Meyer Center, beginning November 5. Due to limited space (96 spaces), the meal is only for those who are currently in a shelter or on the streets. Please help us get the word out to all our friends who want a great traditional Thanksgiving Day meal and a place to be welcomed and appreciated on this holiday. For questions contact: jimmy_dorrell@baylor.edu or jdorrell@missionwaco.org.
November 27 – Friends for Thanksgiving sponsored by Friends for Life. 8:00 – 12:00. 5000 Lakewood, Waco. Volunteers pack Thanksgiving Meals to-go and deliver them to seniors and disabled adults who cannot get out of their home or wouldn’t have a Thanksgiving meal otherwise. A wonderful activity for the whole family. Begin packing lunches at 8 am. Deliveries start around 9. Come for either or both. You will be done before noon. Any questions, please call Sandy at 772-7600 or email her sandy@friendsforlife.org.