2009 – December
January – February - March – April – May – June – July – August – September - October – November – December-General & On-going
Now till Christmas – Help a CWJC graduate provide Christmas for her Children. Christian Women’s Job Corps knows of several women who aren’t yet able to provide for their children at Christmas. These are all women who have already made many positive changes in their lives and will continue to do so as they go out into the work force. If you would be willing to adopt one of our families, please contact Pam Mohundro at 757-0416 or pam@cwjcwaco.org.
Now through the end of the year – Applications being accepted for Christian Women’s Job Corps spring 2010 class. Call 254-757-0416 to get an application. CWJC can mail it to you or you can go by their office on the Methodist Home Campus to pick it up. For more information about this 14- week training course to help women gain the skills needed for success in life and employment, click here: www.cwjcwaco.org . Women who join us will be 18 years of age or older and are required to be free of drugs and alcohol.
Help a Child learn to Read on Grade Level – Committed volunteers are needed to read in the afternoons, at least 2 times per week. One hour a day between 3-5:30. Tutors may read on consecutive or alternating days of the week. Volunteers will attend a one-time training and receive a background check. Tutors will learn to identify the child’s current reading level and will learn effective techniques for helping children who are below grade level catch up. Children at Doris Miller elementary who have participated in this program have already shown impressive results. Help keep the success going! For more information contact Ashley Weaver by phone at (254)754 – 3404 or email at: Ashley.weaver@hotmail.com. This program was recently featured at the Waco Community Education Summit, for more information about the work of the Waco Education Alliance please visit www.educatewaco.com .
Winter weather sending low-income to find coats, gloves and more – If you have an extra coat, pairs of gloves, knit caps or other warm clothing, please consider sharing those with the poor and homeless. Donations can be brought to our “Voucher Store,” located within “The Clothesline” store at 1817 Franklin, or brought to the Mission Waco office, 1321 N. 15th.
Manna House Match Grant Funds needed – Giving to help the poor and marginalized is reason enough to motivate us! But when our generosity is doubled, now that’s fun! Manna House is Mission Waco’s alcohol/drug rehab home for low-income men. Cost of repairs to the 10-bed home will be around $20,000, but three Christian businessmen who lead weekly Bible studies there are willing to pay half of those costs if others will step up. For more information contact Jimmy Dorrell by phone at 254-753-4900 or by email at jdorrell@missionwaco.org.
November through early December – “Gifts for Grannies and Grandpas Too” gift collection. Look for collection boxes at local businesses and schools or just bring your donations by Friends for Life, 5000 Lakewood. For a flyer with information and gift suggestions, click here: Gifts for Grannies and Grandpas flyer. For information call, Friends for Life, 772-7600 or email claire@friendsforlife.org.
December 1 – 20 – Gifts for Grannies gift deliveries. Please stop by Friends for Life, 5000 Lakewood and take some gift bags to deliver to seniors and people with disabilities in our area. Each Christmas nearly 2000 gift bags are delivered to homes and nursing homes. Saturday mornings in December we meet to wrap small gifts to enclose in the bags. Extra hands are always needed. These are all great activities for the whole family or for your teens. For information call, Friends for Life, 772-7600 or email claire@friendsforlife.org.
December 2 thru 4 – Phi Delta Theta/Kappa Alpha Theta Caroling for Cans. Members of the fraternity and sorority will carol in the Baylor neighborhood in return for canned food items. There will also be donation boxes placed around the Baylor campus as well as local stores and restaurants. Donations will go to local food banks and will also be distributed at Caritas Waco Food Bank. For further information please contact Anthony Ho by email at Anthony_Ho@baylor.edu or by phone at 214.514.3062.
December 3 – HOT Urban Gardening Coalition Meeting – Time: 4:00 p.m. Place: BU Starbucks (in the parking garage at the corner of Dutton and University Parks.) Items discussed will include Garden Reports/Updates, MLK Day planning, Community Garden Training Series, Harvest Celebration/Garden Potluck Party. For more information visit the Urban Gardening blog at http://hotugc.wordpress.com or contact Bethel Erickson – vista@worldhungerrelief.org.
December 3 – Christian Women’s Job Corps Graduation. Time: graduation,6:30 p.m. reception, 7:00. Place: Chapel at Truett Seminary, Baylor campus, 1100 S. Third (Corner of Third and Dutton). Reception following the ceremony. For more information call 254-757-0416.
December 4, 11 & 18 - The Jubilee Theater features Richard Thomas and the Jazz Quartet – Time: 7 to 10:30 pm Place: Jubilee Theatre, 1319 N. 15th. Cost: $5, tickets sold at the door. He’s good. Real good! If you have looked for a place in Waco to enjoy great jazz music, come on over beginning December 4. Richard Thomas is known already in Waco, but now he’ll play and host groups each week, with a short break during the holidays. For a poster, click here: Richard Thomas Jazz at Jubilee. For more information call the Jubilee Theater at 254-753-4900. Or contact Richard Thomas by phone at 254-214-5909 or by email at RichardThomas@Yahoo.com.
December 4 – Santa’s Workshop at Baylor. More details coming soon.
December 8 – Interest meeting for volunteers willing to be trained to provide free income tax assistance. Time: 5:30 to 7:00 pm. Place: Waco Goodwill Learning Center at 1700 South New Road. Help low-income and working families in Waco get the tax credits and refunds they deserve! Heart of Texas Goodwill is currently looking for volunteers for their VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program. This is a unique opportunity for volunteers to provide a valuable service to the community, receive IRS training and certification, and be a part of a national effort to promote volunteerism and financial literacy. Volunteers are needed to help prepare free income tax returns for low-income families during the 2010 tax season. No experience is necessary; all volunteers will be trained and certified using IRS course materials. For a flyer, click here: VITA flyer. For more information, call Shannon, Maggie, Ryan, or Shawn at 254-753-7337 or email Shawn at sgarcia@hotgoodwill.org.
December 10 - 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. Anyone who has an interest is welcom. For more information contact Esther Morales at 753-3545 or foodoutreach@grandecom.net.
December 10 – HEB Feast of Sharing – Time: 4 to 8 p.m., Place: General Exhibits Building at the HOT fairgrounds, 4601 Bosque, Waco. Holiday meal is served for all at no cost to anyone. Each year, volunteers are needed to serve dinner to those in need in Waco and the surrounding areas. To help out with this year’s meal, call 254-662-2595.
Dec 12 & 16 – Mission Waco Christmas Toy Store. Time: 9 a.m. to noon. Place: The Children’s Center, 1525 West Avenue (corner of North 16th and West Avenue). Low-income families are given vouchers to purchase items for their children at an 80% discount. First come, first served. Limit 3 children per family. 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. For questions or more information call (254) 753-4900. Parents can call 753-4900, ext. 269 for a recording with more information.
December 15 thru 20 – Lender Licensing Class hosted by Neighborworks Waco. Residential Mortgage Loan Originator 60-hour Licensing class including preparation for state exam; all books and materials; and lunch, snacks and beverages each day. Cost: $465. Limited space, register today! Mail your fee to Neighborworks Waco, 922 Franklin Ave., Waco, TX 76701. For a flyer with more information, click here: Loan Originator Class Flyer. For more information call Neighborworks at 254-752-1647.
December 17 – Strategies for Employing the Hidden Workforce. Time: 8:00 – noon. Place: Greater Waco Chamber building, 101 S. Third Street, Cooper Room. This presentation will be for employers & HR managers who may be interested in hiring the poor and the homeless, but aren’t sure how do go about doing so. Attendees will receive information on the Work Opportunity Tax Credit- a federal incentive program that provides up to $9,000 per individual depending on how they are classified. Other information on employing ex-offenders, veteran’s, and the disabled will be available, as well as where employers can find trained individuals (specifically Meyer Center M-Powerment Program and Christian Women’s Job Corps). For more information or to RSVP please contact Alexis Weaver by email at: aweaver@wacochamber.com or phone at: 757-5630.
December 16 – Care Net Appreciation Luncheon. Time: Noon. Place: El Tapatio’s, 600 N. New Road, Waco. ‘Tis the season to thank you for all the hard work you do for Care Net! Come be our guests at El Tapatio’s for an appreciation luncheon. The work you do is very important to us, so let us thank you! For more information please call: 254-772-8270.
December 17 – Advent and Accolades. Time: 4:30-6:30. Place: Meyer Center, 1226 Washington Ave. Mission Waco’s annual donor/volunteer appreciation begins with refreshments downstairs, 4:30-5:30, followed by a reflection time and Christmas carols upstairs, 5:30-6:15p.m. This is a very special time for our folks to enjoy each other and remember the birth of Christ. It’s a drop-in event, so come when you can. For more information call 254-753-4900.
December 18 – Heart of Texas Homeless Coalition Meeting. 11:45 AM. Family Abuse Center, call 772-8999 for directions. 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. To RSVP for lunch, please call Chelle Samaniego at 254-750-5967 or send an email to ChelleS@ci.waco.tx.us.