2010 – March
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2010 Census –Be Counted in McLennan County!Counting every person in McLennan County is of great value to nonprofit organizations and we need your help! If you need awareness items, Cheryl Allen of the Waco Foundation deliver them to you; just let her know how many of each size. Attached is a census information sheet and poster. Households are beginning to receive the forms in the mail, so if you already have posters, buttons and balloons please make sure they are displayed. We feel it is especially important for your clients to know 1) if they do not return the form, someone will visit their house and 2) it is confidential. For a fact sheet, click here: Fact Sheet. For a poster, click here: Census Poster (English). Other awareness items, including posters in Spanish, buttons, and information about security alerts is available. For more information contact: Cheryl Allen by email at cherylallen@wacofoundation.org.
Friends for Life needs Drivers. Friends for Life has immediate need for drivers to help with the following:
- Deliver items to the elderly in their homes
- Pick up and deliver prescriptions to elderly
- Give ride and accompany elderly to their Doctor visit or grocery store
If you would be able to give one or two hours per week, it would be most helpful and appreciated. Please contact Sandy Christian at Friends forLife at 772-7600 if you can help with these needs.
Mission Waco Mexico City Trip Now Open for Groups. Trip dates: July 13-21. Come go with us! Really. Make this year’s vacation one you will never forget. Jimmy and Janet Dorrell have been taking groups (high school and older) to this city of thirty million inhabitants to help the work of Roberto Mendoza and Sister Inez since 1984. There is no better way to see the “real world” than this mission-exposure trip. Applications and deposits will hold your seats Application available at www.missionwaco.org under “Training”. Contact us at 254.753.4900 or jdorrell@missionwaco.org for more information.
Friday nights – “Jazz at Jubilee” Time: 7:30 pm. Place: The Jubilee Theater, 1321 N. 15th, at the corner of 15th and Colcord. Cost: $5. The old Texas Theatre (1321 N. 15th) was the first movie house for most of Wacoans. But after the neighborhood became more challenged twenty-years ago, it became the scene of XXX movies. When Mission Waco took over the facility in the early 90’s, it was restored into a 243 seat, multi-functional theater that allows for dance, drama, meetings, concerts and even a “climbing wall.” With the success of the World Cup Café and the growing revitalization of the neighborhood, the Jubilee Theatre has a variety of activities, including Friday night music. You are invited to come hear “jazz man“ Richard Thomas, the Turbevilles and MCC Jazz band and others for only $5 most Friday nights.
Family Abuse Center Volunteer Orientation – Will be held EVERY Monday 2-3pm; Tuesday 9-10am; Thursday 5:30-6:30; and EVERY Second Saturday of the month. Exceptions include Monday January 25th, 2010. Fill out an online application by going to www.familyabusecenter.org and clicking on the “How Can I Help?” tab then sign up to come to our one hour orientation to become a volunteer. Potential volunteers must call 254.772.8999 X2232 to sign up for an orientation date or send an email to Raquel.Salinas@familyabusecenter.org. Come be a part of helping survivors of domestic violence!
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:
- Tax Aid Site Schedule
- A.J. Moore Academy Tax Preparation – English
- A.J. Moore Academy Tax Preparation – Spanish
Now thru March 12 – Applications due for Bread For the World Hunger Justice Leader training. Two years ago, 75 young leaders came to the nation’s capital for intensive training in advocacy for hungry and poor people. Since then, they have served as powerful agents of change in their communities. Now Bread for the World is looking for the best and brightest 20- to 30-year-old advocates to join our next class of Hunger Justice Leaders. Do you have what it takes to be Hunger Justice Leader? Or do you know someone who does? Selected participants will attend an advocacy training workshop—all expenses paid—in Washington, D.C., June 12-15, 2010. Then they too will commit to going back to their communities to lead advocacy efforts. To learn more or to apply, click here: Hunger Justice Leaders.
March 2 – 2010 Census Kick Off Breakfast. Time: 8:00 am – 9:00 am. Place: City of Waco Multi-Purpose Facility, Quinn Campus, 1020 Elm Street. Counting every person in McLennan County is of great value to nonprofit organizations and we need your help in accomplishing this! Every person – both citizens and non-citizens – living in the United States must be counted in the 2010 Census. Many clients served by nonprofits are part of the hard-to-reach population and we hope that you will encourage them to return the census form (To see a sample form, click here: Sample Form). At the breakfast, you learn the value of the census to our community from Mayor Virginia DuPuy and how it is conducted from Complete Count Committee Chairman Chris Gutierrez. We will also be distributing awareness materials for use at your facility (posters, balloons, yard signs, fliers, etc). Hope to see you there! For more information contact Cheryl Allen by email at: CherylAllen@wacofoundation.org, or phone at: 254.754.3404.
March 4 – 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.
March 4 – International Women’s Day special viewing of “Half the Sky LIVE” presented by CARE. Time: 7:30 pm, Place: Jewel 16 – Hollywood Theatres 7200 Woodway Drive. Inspired by the bestselling book from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, this will be an exciting night of musical performances, celebrity commentary and uplifting stories about women and girls overcoming tremendous obstacles. The pages of Half the Sky come to life in “Woineshet,” a powerful short film by Academy Award Winner Marisa Tomei and Lisa Leone. With appearances by Nicholas Kristof, Melanne Verveer (U.S. Department of State Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues), Dr. Helene Gayle (CARE), Marisa Tomei, musicians India Arie, Michael Franti and Angelique Kidjo and others, this event will move you to help women around the world turn oppression into opportunity. For a full list of theaters and more information, please go to www.halftheskylive.com.
March 4 – 2010 Annual “Feast of Caring” Fundraiser for Caritas. Time: 6 p.m. Place: McLennan Community College Conference Center, 4601 N. 19th Street in Waco. Join us to celebrate the work of Caritas providing emergency assistance to the disadvantaged in Central Texas. The event features a simple meal of bread and soup to help attendees empathize with the struggles of those affected by poverty or crisis. Coach Grant Teaff will be the featured speaker for the evening. No tickets are required. Participants are invited to make donations in the amount of a meal at a nice restaurant. For more information, contact Buddy Edwards at Caritas at 753-4593. Donations may be mailed to Caritas at 300 South 15th Street, Waco, Texas 76701.
March 4. The Harvest Celebration Planning Meeting. Time: 4:00 pm, Place: Olive Branch, 330 Austin Ave, downtown Waco. Join the Urban Gardening Coalition at the Olive Branch in downtown Waco to plan the Harvest Celebration, an event to recognize students who participate in school garden clubs and to promote the Summer Lunch Program. Event date: June 3. For more information, please contact Bethel Erickson at vista@worldhungerrelief.org .
March 6 & 7 – HIV/AIDS Critical Questions, Critical Answers workshop for the faith community. Time: Workshop – 3/6, 8:30 am to 3:00 pm; Interfaith Candlelight Service – 3/7, 6:00. Place: Wesley UMC church, 125 Turner St, Waco. Cost: Free, lunch provided. This training is interactive and informative. The McLennan County Health Department will provide statistics and trends and free HIV testing. A nurse practitioner from the Baylor University Houston Teen Clinic will present “What Your Kids Aren’t Telling You”, and participants will “teach back” and explore how and why the silence and stigma surrounding HIV can be broken. For the youth, a “Mythbusters” session, education on HIV and STDs by Planned Parenthood of Central Texas, “teach backs” and dialogue on risk factors will be an important part of the program. YouthAlive Drama Team will put a dramatic spin on the epidemic. The worship service will be moving and inspirational, with stories of people living with HIV. A counselor from Central Texas MCC will read a letter written by women with HIV. Clergy and laity from all faith traditions are invited. For a flyer with more information, click here: HIV/AIDS Critical Questions, Critical Answers. For more information or to reserve your space call the Wesley church at 254-752-1822.
March 11 – 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.
March 16 – 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.
March 16 – One Book, One Waco Book Discussion: The Summer Kitchen. Time: 6:30 – 8:30 pm. Place: The Gospel Café, 825 S. 10th Street, Waco. Please join us for a community book discussion on The Summer Kitchen. Experience the book at the location which inspired it- The Gospel Cafe. Space is limited, please RSVP. Admission is free, a canned good is requested.The author will be in attendance at this event. For more information or to RSVP contact Alexis Weaver by email at: aweaver@wacochamber.com, or by phone at: (254)757-5630.
March 17 – Town Hall Meeting to learn about how to get involved with the Texas Hunger Initiative. Time: 6:30 pm, Place: Lake Shore Baptist Church, 5801 Bishop Drive. Jeremy Everett, Director of the Texas Hunger Initiative, will provide a brief background about the Texas Hunger Initiative will then share how you can get involved in this work. He will discuss how we began a Food Planning Association in Dallas county and within that framework he will share how we will be involved with Summer Feeding and SNAP in McLennan County over the course of the next few months. For more information please visit the website at www.texashunger.org or contact Christine Browder by phone at 254-710-2326 or email at Christine_Browder@baylor.edu. Or you can call the church office at 254-772-2910.
March 19 – Heart of Texas Homeless Coalition Meeting. Time: Lunch at 11:45 AM, meeting starts at Noon. Place: Waco Chamber of Commerce. 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.
March 19 – Census Jobs Test Session. Time: 5:30 pm Place: Workforce Solutions, 1416 New Road, Waco. The Census Bureau has jobs! Paying from $8.75 – $13.00 per hour. Jobs are available in the following counties: McLennan, Bell (including Fort Hood), Bosque, Coryell, Erath, Falls, Hamilton, Hood, Lampasas, Somervell. Must be 18 and pass a Basic Skills Test. For reservations and information please call 1-866-861-2010 or 254-523-9830. Walk-ins accepted. Future test dates also available. Identification will be required – please call for details. For a flyer to help publicize, click here: Census Jobs flyer.
March 20 – Mexican Consulate of Austin visits Waco. Free immigration consultation available. Time: 10 am – 4 pm. Place: Primera Iglesia Asamblea de Dios 3301 Clay Ave. Waco. The Mexican Consulate will be visiting Waco to provide a variety of services. The Consulate will only see those with previous appointments. For more information about the Mexican Consulate, including where to call to make an appointment, click here: Mexican Consulate visit flyer (in Spanish). At the same event the law firm of Paul A. Esquivel, P.C. from Dallas will be providing FREE immigration consultations. For a flyer about Free immigration consultations, click here: Immigration Consultation Flyer (in Spanish). For more information contact Pastor Ruben Andrade by phone at: 254.235.4495 or by email at: pastor@familyoffaithwc.org.
March 20 – Teen Book Discussion- Runaway by Wendelin Van Draanen. Time: 2 to 4 p.m., Place: Central Library, 1717 Austin Ave.
March 20 – Come sell your stuff! Come buy some stuff! Raise money for Missions! Meet People! Community Yard Sale at Calvary Baptist Church. Time: 6:00 am to 3:00 pm. Place: Calvary Baptist Church, 1001 North 18th a Street, intersection of North 18th Street, Bosque Boulevard, and Homan Avenue. Folks from Calvary and from the neighborhood are regulars..selling their goods, fellowshipping with one another and buying from one another as well. YOU are welcome to come sell your things as well! We only ask ONE thing…We could use your help setting up tables for our friends in the neighborhood, hauling tables from other places (we usually run out of our own), and taking everything down when the sale is over. We’ll make sure you can sell if you can have at least one or two people ready and able to help us out! Contact Mallory_Homeyer@baylor.edu for more information!
March 20 – World Hunger Relief/MCC Continuing Education “Composting for Beginners” Gardening Workshop – Time: 10 am to noon. Place: World Hunger Farm, 356 Spring Lake Road. Cost; $39. 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.
March 20 – Census Jobs Test Session. Time: 9 am & 1 pm. Place: Workforce Solutions, 1416 New Road, Waco. The Census Bureau has jobs! Paying from $8.75 – $13.00 per hour. Jobs are available in the following counties: McLennan, Bell (including Fort Hood), Bosque, Coryell, Erath, Falls, Hamilton, Hood, Lampasas, Somervell. Must be 18 and pass a Basic Skills Test. For reservations and information please call 1-866-861-2010 or 254-523-9830. Walk-ins accepted. Future test dates also available. Identification will be required – please call for details. For a flyer to help publicize, click here: Census Jobs flyer.
March 23 – 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.
March 23 – 2010 Greater Waco Interfaith Conference Annual Dinner and Humanitarian Awards. Time: 6:30 pm. Place: Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Activity Center, 2710 Speight Avenue, Waco. This years honorees will be Paul Meyer, (Posthumously) as ‘Humanitarian of the Year’ and the Clifton and Betsy Robinson Family as the ‘Family of the Year’.’ This year’s entertainment will be The Waco Children’s Choir. Tickets for the Annual Dinner are $20.00 and can be purchased by calling Buddy Sipe at 881-5784. As seating islimited, you will want to order your tickets as soon as possible. your tickets(s) will be mailed to your address. DEADLINE FOR TICKET ORDERS – MARCH 18. The purpose of the Greater Waco Interfaith Confeence is to bring about understanding, harmony, and tolerance among the faiths of the Waco area. For more information, please contact Kenneth Moerbe, 254-715-0134, or kpmoerbe@grandecom.net.
March 24 – Inspiring one-hour presentation about the work of the “Truth be Told” organization providing creative tools for personal and spiritual growth to incarcerated women. Time: 5:30 to 6:30. Place: Clifton Robinson Tower, corner of IH-35 and University Parks Drive, Room 451. “Truth be Told” which has been working in the State Prison at Lockhart since 2000, is expanding its programs to include the prison at Gatesville. Come hear about these exciting programs that provide transformational tools for women behind bars and beyond. Truth Be Told programs provide respectful listening and creative tools for personal and spiritual growth for incarcerated women. They encourage in them a deeper sense of personal responsibility and help them face the truth of their pasts and embrace the hope of their futures. For more information about Truth be Told, please visit their website at www.truth-be-told.org. For a flyer, click here: Truth Be Told Meeting. For more information about the meeting or to RSVP, contact Ashley Thornton by email at Ashley_Thornton@baylor.edu or by phone at 254-710-6726.
March 25 – Social for African American Educators. Time: 5:00 – 6:30. Place: NeighborWorks Waco 922 Franklin Ave Waco. Cen-Tex African American Chamber of Commerce hosts a networking social for African American Educators. Come be empowered by connecting with other education professionals, gain useful community resources and enjoy complimentary refreshments. Any person investing in the lives of youth throughout the community of Waco is welcomed to attend. For more information call (254) 235-3204 or email Ashley.weaver@hotmail.com .
March 25 – Habitat for Humanity Informational Meeting (English). Time: 7 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.
March 25 – Urban Gardening Coalition monthly meeting. Time: 4pm. Place: the Cooper Foundation , 1801 Austin Ave. Join us to find out about garden projects around the city! For more information, contact Bethel Erickson at vista@worldhungerrelief.org .
March 27 – Beyond the Backyard (Garden Training Series – Part 3). Sustaining the Soil and the Labor. Time: 9:00am – 12:00pm, followed by a potluck and garden Q&A. Place: The World Hunger Farm, 356 Spring Lake Road. Cost: Suggested donation of $10 to cover material costs. Workshop Topics: Composting. Soil structure and amendments. Volunteer management and sustaining labor. 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.
March 27 – Care Net’s 17th annual Walk for Life. Time: 9:30, registration and coffee from 8:00-9:15am. Place: Baylor’s Hart-Patterson track and field complex, located just off Valley Mills Drive, between Dutton and Clay Streets, next door to Floyd Casey Stadium. Money raised through the event will help central Texas women experiencing unplanned pregnancies. Participants will complete a two-mile course, with a celebration and awards ceremony to follow. The festivities will include food, local bands and an inflatable bounce-house for the kids. Last year, Care Net’s Walk for Life had roughly 200 participants and raised approximately $40,000. This spring, the center hopes to have 300 walkers and raise $50,000 through individual pledges and corporate sponsorships. Funds will help keep Care Net’s services free to clients. Walkers are responsible for collecting monetary pledges from friends, family members or business associates. There is no minimum amount that must be collected, but participants receive prizes and recognition for reaching specified levels. For a flyer, click here: Walk for Life flyer. To register for Walk for Life, participants can go online to www.CareNetofCentralTexas.org , or contact Care Net (254-772-8270) to request a registration form.
March 29 – Financial Workshop: Developing a household budget and Using Credit Wisely. Time: 6 – 7:30 pm. Place: Brazos Middle School, 2415 Cumberland Avenue, Waco. The workshop is open to the public and hosted by Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Family of Faith Worship Center, Brazos Middle School and GENCO Federal Credit Union. A complimentary dinner will be served and childcare will be provided. To see a flyer with more information, click here: Financial Workshop Flyer. For more information please contact Pastor Ruben Andrade by phone at: 254.235.4495 or by email at: pastor@familyoffaithwc.org.
March 30 - A Tale of Two Kitchens: The Summer Kitchen Book Talk by Lisa Wingate (One Book, One Waco). Time: 7 to 8:30 p.m., Place: Waco Hall, Baylor University. Cost: Admission is Free, a donation of a canned good is requested. National bestselling author Lisa Wingate, author of The Summer Kitchen and 12 other novels, will speak in conjunction with One Book, One Waco. Wingate will share the touching real-life inspirations for her latest novel from Penguin Putnam, The Summer Kitchen. In this latest offering, Wingate draws heavily on Waco inspirations, including stories from Waco’s own Gospel Cafe, where meals are served up with love in the Kate Ross neighborhood three days a week, regardless of customers’ ability to pay. The Waco community is invited to meet Wingate and hear her speak while she is in town. She will be on KWTX at noon and at Baylor University’s Dr Pepper Hour from 3 to 4 p.m. March 30 at the Bill Daniel Student Center Barfield Drawing Room. For more information about The Summer Kitchen and One Book One Waco, visit www.WacoChamber.com/onebook.php or contact Alexis Weaver, director of Community Affairs for the Greater Waco Chamber by phone at: (254) 757-5630 or by email at: aweaver@wacochamber.com .