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2010 – April

Now till Tax time – Free help with taxes! - For more information about free tax help and other financial education opportunities please visit: www.abcwaco.org. Click on the links below for tax help schedules:

April 1 – Census 2010 Count Day. More details coming soon. For more information contact Cheryl Allen by phone at 254.754.3404 or email at CherylAllen@wacofoundation.org.

April 1 thru May 1 - 10% of all Waco Habitat ReStore sales will be donated to Haiti to help build 50,000 Habitat houses there. Location: Habitat ReStore, 1224 Franklin Ave. For more information 254-756-0131 or visit the ReStore website at: www.wacorestore.org . The next ReStore 50% off sale will be on Saturday, May 1.

April 1 thru15 - Vote for the Urban Gardening Coalition on the Brighter Planet. UGC’s Beyond the Backyard training series has been chosen for funding – but we need your vote to see the funding come to Waco and get more gardens growing across the Heart of Texas. You can vote here: http://brighterplanet.com/project_fund_projects/110.

April 1 thru 30 – Know a Young Gardener? Nominate a student for the George E. Wolfe Jr. Urban Gardening Memorial Scholarship. High School seniors and current college students are eligible to apply to receive $1000 towards higher education for their work in the garden. Applications are due April 30. For more information, contact Bethel Erickson at vista@worldhungerrelief.org.

April 3 – Family of Faith Worship Center Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt – Time: 11am – 1pm. Place: Brazos Middle School Soccer Field, 2415 Cumberland, Waco. You and your family are invited to join us for our Annual Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt. Come enjoy free food, drinks, and games compliments of your neighborhood church, Family of Faith Worship Center! For more information call 235-4495. For a flyer, click here: Easter Egg Hunt.

April 3 – Easter Egg Hunt at South Terrace Youth Center. Time: 12 pm – 3 pm. Place: South Terrace Youth Center, 100 Lyndon Circle. Mighty Wind Worship Center is hosting a Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt: moon walk, games, food and fun for the whole family. For more information, contact Janie Martinez by phone at 405-2470. For a flyer, click here: Mighty Wind Easter Egg Hunt.

April 3 – Bledsoe Miller Recreation Center and Salvation Army Easter Carnival. Time: 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. Place: Bledsoe Miller Park, 300 MLK Blvd. As Easter approaches, The Salvation Army and Bledsoe Miller Park extends a warm welcome to join them in reflection and celebration during their 2nd annual Easter Carnival. The fun-filled day for the entire family will include an egg hunt, carnival-type games, inflatable jumpers, face painting, and of course the Easter Bunny! This FREE event is open to anyone in the community. Toy prizes and refreshments will also be provided. “This is one of my favorite events, Captain Tracey Czajkowski, Area Coordinating Commander, said. “Knowing that you helped young kids have a special Easter celebration, hunting hundreds of eggs and playing fun games,and at the same time celebrating with a broader Christian family the joyful news that Jesus is Risen, proclaiming victory over death for all who believe.” For more information please call Captain Tracey Czajkowski 254-756-7271.

April 4 – Easter Services at The Salvation Army. A special sunrise service will begin at 7:00 a.m. at William and Catherine Booth Apartments at 4200 N. 19th, as well as a special Easter Celebration Service at 11 a.m. located at The Salvation Army 1225 S. Jack Kultgen Expressway. For more information please call Captain Tracey Czajkowski 254-756-7271.

April 7 – Offering Sanctuary: Understanding the Religious Responses of Survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence. Time: 1:30 to 4:30 pm. Place: Truett Seminary, Baylor University, 1311 S. 5th Street, Waco, Room 309. Cost: Free. This workshop will explore the religious responses of survivors of sexual and domestic violence through first-hand narrative and art. Participants will learn what theological themes emerge from this type of crisis, how to respond, both theologically and practically, and how faith organizations and community organizations can work together to help survivors. To register and secure training materials, please call Raquel at Family Abuse Center. (254) 772-8999 ext. 2232.

April 8 - 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 welcome. For more information contact Esther Morales at 753-3545 or foodoutreach@grandecom.net.

April 9 – 14th Annual Central Texas Youth Connection One Day Conference – Moving Forward: Effective Ways to Reach our Youth. Time: 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.Place: McLennan Community College Conference Center, 4601 N. 19th Street, Waco. Cost: $85, $20 with current Student ID – covers conference fee, lunch and program materials. This conference sponsored by the Youth Connection (www.youthconnectionwaco.org) will feature several dynamic, motivating speakers including Dr. Beverly O. Ford who will speak on empowering youth for change and motivating “unmotivated” youth, Jo Ann Jumper who will speak on Empowering Youth to Become Successful at Gaining Independence and Linda Russell who will speak on the topic of Parent Education Unwrapped, and other educational sessions. The conference is designed to provide new insights and skills for professionals working with youth. Individuals serving in education, social studies, health care and related fields will find the topics offered at the conference to be timely and beneficial to them in their work. For a list of sessions, click here: Youth Connection Conference. For registration, click here: Youth Connection Registration. For more information contact Carolyn Nichols by email at cnichols@hillcrest.net or by phone at 254-202-8480.

April 10 – Spring Farm Day at the World Hunger Farm – Time: 9 am – 4 pm. Place: World Hunger Farm, 356 Spring Lake Road. Live music, Farm-fresh food, plants, seeds & Grass-Fed Meat Sales. Demonstrations by local artisans. Activities for children: Pony Rides, Hayrides, Animal Petting Area. Featured speaker at 12:30: Larry Walker of Organics Plus Nursery will speak on the topic of “Soil Building for Beginners.” For a flyer with directions and more information about the event, click here: Spring Farm Day flyer. For questions, call 254-799-5611.

April 15 – Urban Gardening Coalition monthly meeting. Time: 4pm. Place: University Baptist Church, 1701 Dutton Ave. Join us to find out about garden projects around the city! For more information, contact Bethel Erickson at vista@worldhungerrelief.org.

April 15 – Jubilee Theatre… Friday Jazz & Children/Youth Talent Show – Time: 6:30. Place: Jubilee Theatre, 1319 N. 15th. Jazzman Richard Thomas, the Turbeville brothers, Brenda Flores, Dick Gimble, Rob Page, Stewart Kelly and Pat McKee are local artists filling up Mission Waco’s Jubilee Theatre, 1319 N. 15th, this Spring for Friday night performances. “For $5 it is the greatest live entertainment bargain in town!” said Cynthia S, after her first night. “I’ll be back!” The old Texas Theatre, renamed Jubilee Theatre, was the first theater where many of Waco’s residents saw their first movie. After significant blight in the sixties, Mission Waco reclaimed and renovated the shopping center, winning a national award for their community development work. Since then, intentional efforts to bring new programs, housing and economic development have driven Mission Waco’s effort. The Jubilee Theatre has become a local venue for concerts, meetings, and neighborhood events. Mission Waco’s After School Tutoring Program and Urban Youth Program will hold its annual talent show on April 15, 6:30 (free).

April 15 & 16 – Volunteer Training for Care Net Waco. Time: 9 pm – 3 pm, must attend both days. Place: Care Net Administrative Offices, 4700 W. Waco Drive. Care Net is searching for volunteers who have a heart to minister to men and women facing an unplanned pregnancy. They have a wide variety of volunteer opportunities including facilitating classes, event planning, peer counseling, office support and many others. Some volunteer positions require 12-hour Care Net training and a period of in-house training. If you are interested, click here to open and/or download a volunteer application and contact stella@carenetofcentraltexas.org. to make an appointment to bring it in, or call her at 254-772-6175.

April 16 – Heart of Texas Homeless Coalition Meeting. Time: Lunch at 11:45 AM, meeting starts at Noon. Place: TBA. Cost: 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.

April 17 – Come see the Habitat Restore Booth on Earth Day at Cameron Park Zoo.

April 17– Homebuyer Education class at Waco Community Development. Time: 1- 6 pm. Place: CDC Offices, 1624 Colcord (corner of 17th and Colcord). Our homebuyer education classes are a mini-review of our financial literacy classes plus, Mortgages, Insurances, taxes, home maintenance, responsibilities of homeownership, being a responsible neighbor, appraisals, surveys. All classes are free and will be accepted by local down payment assistance programs. For more information please call 235-7358.

April 19 – Community-wide Food Pantry Meeting. Time: Noon – 1pm. Place: Caritas of Waco, 300 South 15th St, Waco. Caritas of Waco invites all local food pantry operators to join them in an open discussion, focusing on food needs within McLennan County. The aim of this even is to open the lines of communication between individual pantries, in hopes to better serve the community. Lunch will be served. Please RSVP. For more information contact September Pinckney by phone at: 254-753-4593 or by email at september.caritas@gmail.com.

April 20 – Free Legal Support Forum for Central Texas Senior Citizens. Time: 9am – Noon. Place: Waco Area Agency on Aging facility located at 1514 S. New Road, Waco (near the VA Hospital.) Topics such as navigating the Medicare system, Medical and Durable Powers of Attorney, Health Directives, Guardianships, Wills and the Probate process, will be covered. All information will be presented in an easily accessible group format designed to help both seniors and their caregivers through the sometimes overwhelming decision-making process involved in long term-care planning. Refreshments will be served at each event. For a press release with more information, including additional dates and times, please click here: Legal Support Forums press release. For more information please contact Francine Lumbard by phone at 254-757-3401, or by email at legalassistanceproject@yahoo.com.

April 20 – Panel Discussion: Ending Hunger in McLennan County. Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m., Place: McLennan Community College, HPE Lecture Hall. Hear from the experts about the issues facing McLennan County, Texas, and the U.S. regarding hunger. Find out about simple actions you can take to end hunger in McLennan County. Admission is free, a canned or non-perishable food item is requested. For more information, contact Alexis Weaver, 757-5630 or aweaver@wacochamber.com.

April 20 – Heart of Texas Crop Walk for Hunger Steering Committee meeting. Time: 5:30 pm. Place: Seeds of Hope office at 7th & James Baptist Church, 602 James (call 755-7745 or email seedseditor@clearwire.net for directions) Join us to help plan the 2010 Waco CROP walk. Three-fourths of the proceeds from the CROP walk will go to Church World Service (CWS) a world-wide relief, development, and refugee assistance ministry. One-fourth of the proceeds will go to a hunger-related charity. For more information call Linda Freeto at Central United Methodist Church: 420-2862 or LFreeto@CentralFaith.com. To visit the Crop Walk website, click here: Waco CROP walk.

April 22 – “Fashion with a Passion” Style Show benefitting Mission Waco children’s ministry at “THE ROCK”. Time: 11:30. Place: Phoenix Ballroom, 401 S. Third Street, Waco. – With a growing cast of models and retail fashion stores, this year’s event will also include three of our “After School Tutoring” children and a makeover for some local Mission Waco participants. The “Fashion With a Passion” Style Show brings together caring women (and a few men!) to check out fashionable clothing from various stores, including our own “The Clothesline” Resale Store at 1817 Franklin. Over 30 “clothespin prizes” will be given out. Tables of eight (8) are quickly selling out, so don’t wait to get yours. Call Joyce at 25.4753.4900 for more information.

April 24 – Habitat ReStore 50% off sale. Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Place: Habitat Restore, 1224 Franklin Ave, Waco. Lots of items 50% off. For more information, visit www.wacorestore.org.

April 24 – Beyond the Backyard (Garden Training Series – Part 4) the Garden as Classroom. Time: 9:00am – 12:00pm, followed by a potluck and garden Q&A. Place: Rapoport Academy. Cost: Suggested donation of $10 to cover material costs. Workshop Topics: Working with schools and using the garden as an educational tool. Interested in learning more about growing a garden and building community? Join the HOT Urban Gardening Coalition for our first garden training series – in 6 parts. For more information, see UGC’s website: http://hotugc.wordpress.com. To register, contact Bethel Erickson at vista@worldhungerrelief.org .

April 24 & May 1 – World Hunger Relief/MCC Continuing Education “Vegetable Gardening Naturally” Gardening Workshops – Time: 8 am to noon. Place: World Hunger Farm, 356 Spring Lake Road. Cost: $79. The World Hunger Farm and MCC are teaming up to teach you how to garden more successfully. For a flyer, click here: Gardening Workshops. For more information or to register call MCC at 254-299-8888.

April 25 – Habitat for Humanity Informational Meeting (English). Time: 3 p.m. Place: Habitat Office, 220 N. 11th Street. Looking for an affordable opportunity to buy a safe, decent home? Wait no more! Attend one of our informational meetings (required to apply for a home through Waco Habitat’s partnership housing program). For more information, including a list of dates for information meetings in English and Spanish, visit this website: http://www.wacohabitat.org/apply. Contact Habitat for Humanity Waco by phone at 254-756-7575 or email at info@wacohabitat.org.

April 29 - Urban Gardening Coalition’s Harvest Celebration planning meeting. Time: 4pm. Place: Lake Shore Baptist Church, 5801 Bishop Drive. Help plan the 1st Annual Harvest Celebration, to recognize students across the city who’ve grown gardens in after-school garden clubs and promote the summer lunch program. Folks interested in coordinating food, music and activities are welcome to attend. For more information, contact Bethel Erickson at vista@worldhungerrelief.org.

April 29 – Start of a new series of Financial Literacy Classes at Waco Community Development. Time: 6-8 pm, Thursdays. Place: CDC Offices, 1624 Colcord (corner of 17th and Colcord). Our Financial Literacy classes meet 6 times to complete the series. They cover budgeting, managing credit, identity theft, credit reports, Owning vs. renting, credit cards, mortgages. All classes are free and will be accepted by local down payment assistance programs. For more information please call 235-7358.

Act Locally: Waco

2010 – April