2010 – November
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Now through Christmas - Friends for Life is collecting for our annual Gifts for Grannies and Grandpas Too event. Each year we reach over 2000 seniors and adults with disabilities that have no one else that will remember them during the holiday season. We would love for groups or churches to partner with us this season. Our wish list is on our website: http://friendsforlife.org/events/gifts-for-grannies-grandpas-too. During the month of December, we need lots of volunteers to come by and pick up gifts and deliver them to these folks. This is a great family activity for all ages. Bring joy to someone this Christmas by giving or delivering a gift to those who are usually forgotten this season. Call 772-7600 for more information.
Now - Volunteers needed for AARP TAXAIDE tax preparer program. Volunteers provide free income tax preparation services to older (60+) low and moderate income residents using IRS-provided tax software. Dates of service: late January-April 15, 2011. Training is required. Interested? For more information click here: TAXAIDE information, or contact Jonathan Lindsey, by phone at 254-776-7752 or 254-717-6145or by email at Jal637@sbcglobal.net.
Now through January 18, 2011 – Help plan for the 2011 MLK Day of Service with the Urban Gardening Coalition. We will be organizing garden events, reflection time and community meals for January 18, 2011. To find out more about how you can help, contact Bethel Erickson – HOT Urban Gardening Coalition at vista@worldhungerrelief.org or cell: 773-494-3613. Or visit the website: http://hotugc.org .
Now until January 30, 2011 - Help Waco Habitat raise money by voting for our project on the American Home Shield Challenge website. The American Home Shield has initiated a Challenge for Change which will award three Habitat affiliates with generous donations. The winner is the affiliate with the most votes on this website http://www.ahschallenge.com/Participants.aspx, and the winning affiliate receives $25,000 for their Neighborhood Revitalization projects. Please encourage your friends to vote for Waco Habitat’s Ramps and Rails and Critical Repairs programs. You can vote once a day until January 30th, 2011. With just a few clicks, you can help our community raise funds for critical neighborhood programs. Pass the word along.
November 1 – Candelight Vigil in Support of the DREAM act. Time: 7:00 – 8:30pm. Place: Heritage Square in Downtown Waco (3rd Street & Austin Ave.)The Waco DREAM Act Alliance will hold a candlelight vigil to urge Senator Hutchinson and Cornyn and Representative Edwards to vote for the Development Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, or DREAM Act. The DREAM Act is a piece of bipartisan legislation that would create a path to legal residency for undocumented youth brought to the United States before the age of 16, that complete high school and two years of college education and / or military service. The vigil will involve local speakers, students and community members coming together to demonstrate strong support for the DREAM Act. Community members are urged to come out and show their support. For a flyer click here: DREAM act vigil. For more information contact Sara Beth Stoltzfus by phone at 717-519-9324 or by email at stoltzfus22@gmail.com.
November 2 – Election day, don’t forget to vote! To find your polling place enter your address here: http://pol.moveon.org/votinginfo2010.html .
November 2 – Christmas in November Jewelry party benefiting Christian Women’s Job Corps. Time: 6 pm. Place: Keller Williams Realty Office, 3701 W. Waco Drive. – Are you ready to do some Christmas shopping for those special ladies in your life? We will make it fun and easy for you to do your shopping early! Cherri Karr, Premier Designs Ind. Distributor and High Fashion Jewelry Consultant, is working with us on a fundraiser. Cherri will donate 25% of all sales to CWJC as well as the jewelry that we will receive which will be determined based on the amount that is purchased. Contact Pam at 757-0416 or pam@cwjcwaco.org for additional information.
November 4 thru 7 – Friends of the Library Book Sale. Free books for non-profits on Sunday, November 7 from 5:00 – 6:00. Bring Letterhead, business card or something indicating that you are with a non-profit. Book Sale will take place at the Heart of Texas Fine Arts and General Exhibits Building. It is one of the largest Book Sales in the Southwest. Money is donated throughout the year to support the Waco-McLennan County Libraries which include Central Library, South Waco Library, East Waco Library and our new West Waco Library and Genealogy Center. For more information about the book sale including hours for each day and admission fees, if any, click here: Book sale details. For more information contact paula_moerbe@jrbt.com; direct phone is 761-1688.
November 4 – Urban Gardening Coalition Crop Mob at Calvary Baptist Community Garden – 19th & Homan St. Starting at 9:00am. Call Ray Small if you want to help! Cell (847) 687-0148.
November 4 – Waco Habitat Harvest Dinner . Time:6:00-8:00 p.m. Place: Lee Lockwood Texas Scottish Rite Library & Museum, 2801 West Waco Drive. All are invited to this annual “friend-raising” event. For more information or to RSVP contact Emily Fau, by phone at (254) 756-7575 or email at Emily@wacohabitat.org .
November 5 – Benefit Dance for Sul Ross Senior Center, featured band: Texas Heartbeat. Time:7-10pm. Place: Sul Ross Senior center at 141 Jefferson Ave in Waco. The dance will raise funds for the Seniors Count program of Lutheran Ministries and Social Services of Waco (LMSS-Waco.) There will be refreshments and door prizes. Donations will be taken at the door. For more information, contact Francine Lumbard at 254-757-3401, or by email at flumbard@lmss-waco.org.
November 6 – Farm Day at World Hunger Relief. (www.worldhungerrelief.org ) Time: 9am-4pm. We will offer farm-fresh food, tours of the farm, hayrides, and demonstrations. Plants, grass-fed meat & seeds will be for sale. Live music will be played throughout the day. Our featured speaker at 12:30 is Neil Miller, Executive Director of World Hunger Relief, Inc. He will be speaking on the topic of “Growing Hope in Haiti.” The Village Store will be open all day, and will offer fairly-traded food, art and crafts from around the world. Educational and informational booths will also be featured. World Hunger Relief is a non-profit Christian organization dedicated to the alleviation of hunger throughout the world through training in sustainable agriculture techniques, local education for those with an abundance and support of international development projects. Directions: From Waco—Go north on I-35. Take Exit 342B and follow the signs to the World Hunger Relief Farm. World Hunger Relief, Inc. is located at 356 Spring Lake Road. For more information call 254-799-5611 or email info@worldhungerrelief.org .
November 6 – Habitat for Humanity Restore 50% OFF sale. For more information visit the website: www.wacohabitat.org/restore.
November 6 – Urban Gardening Coalition Crop Mob at Calvary Baptist Community Garden – 19th & Homan St. Starting at 9:00am. Call Ray Small if you want to help! Cell (847) 687-0148.
November 6 – Belk’s Charity Day Sale. Caritas will be selling $5 off coupons for the upcoming Belk’s Charity Day which will take place Saturday, Nov 6th 6am-10am at Belk’s located at the TX Central Market Place. All money raised from purchasing a coupon from Caritas will benefit the emergency assistance services of Caritas of Waco. For more information, call Caritas at 753-4593.
November 6 & 13 – 3rd Annual Fil-A-Box with Love event for Operation Christmas Child. Come by Chick-fil-A on Franklin Ave. Saturday, Nov. 6 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and pick up an empty shoe box. Return the gift-filled shoe box to Chick-fil-A on Saturday, Nov. 13 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and receive a coupon for a spicy Chick-fil-A sandwich. For more information visit www.cfawaco.com or contact Debbie Quarles by email at emaildq@hotmail.com.
November 7 – Salvation Army Family fun Fest. Indian Springs Park from 11am -1pm. This is the 1st day that parents can sign up for Toys for Tots and there will also be games, food and drinks, and music to be enjoyed by all. For an announcement with more information click here: Salvation Army Fun Fest. For more information contact Rosa Burks, by email at Rosa_Burks@uss.salvationarmy.org or by phone at 254-756-7271.
November 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. (No date change after all!)
November 11 – Philanthropy Day Luncheon sponsored by the Central Texas Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professional. Location: Lee Lockwood Texas Scottish Rite Library and Museum. Time: 11:30a-1p. Honorees include: Carol Treese (Philanthropist of the Year), Cindy Brown and Jeannette Kelley (Outstanding Volunteer Fundraisers), Alec Sanchez (Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy), Alcoa Fastening Systems & the Alcoa Foundation (Outstanding Philanthropic Business), and Dave E. Guyer, CFRE (Outstanding Fundraising Professional). Attendance is $35 per person and reservations with payment are requested before November 4. Checks payable to the Association of Fundraising Professionals may be mailed to P.O. Box 8061, Waco, TX 76714. For more information, contact Emily Fau at 254-756-7575 or visit www.tinyurl.com/NPDreservations . The Association also invites Central Texas nonprofit organizations to honor their exceptional fundraising volunteers by submitting their names for group recognition and inclusion in the printed program. Honored volunteers’ names must be received no later than October 29th to be included in the printed program at the luncheon.
November 11 – Food Planning Task Force of McLennan County public informational meeting. Time: 6 PM. Place: The Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, 101 S. 3rd Street. The Food Planning Task Force of McLennan County, still in the forming stages, has a goal of ensuring that all citizens in McLennan County have access to 3 nutritious meals a day, 7 days a week, by 2015. We are developing a strategic plan that will achieve this goal. This plan requires wide citizen participation and strong leadership from leaders throughout our county. We would like you to attend a meeting on November 11 to learn more about our process to develop this plan and how you can engage your constituents to ensure the success of this plan throughout McLennan County. While you may not be directly involved in hunger outreach, the Executive Committee of the Task Force believes that you have access to key constituents in the food system- whether children or the elderly & disabled, your services are used by those who live with hunger. Hunger in our community is both a social and an economic issue, but one that can be solved. Please RSVP by November 8 to Alexis Weaver- aweaver@wacochamber.com or (254)757-5630.
November 13 – Return day for 3rd Annual Fil-A-Box with Love event for Operation Christmas Child. Return your gift-filled Operation Christmas Child shoe box to Chick-fil-A on Franklin Ave. on Saturday, Nov. 13 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and receive a coupon for a spicy Chick-fil-A sandwich. For more information visit www.cfawaco.com or contact Debbie Quarles by email at emaildq@hotmail.com.
November 14 thru 20 – National Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week in Waco – sponsored by the McLennan County Hunger Coalition and the Heart of Texas Homeless Coalition. Events every night of the week including “A night without a home,” an opportunity to experience what it is like to be homeless for one night. For a flyer with all the details, click here: National Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week in Waco. For more information Email Ellie Lewis at vista@mclennanhunger.org or contact Kenneth Moerbe at kpmoerbe@grandecom.net or 254-715-0134.
November 16 – 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.
November 18 – Urban Gardening Coalition Monthly Meeting. Time: 6pm. Location TBA. For more info about the Urban Gardening Coalition, contact Bethel Erickson at vista@worldhungerrelief.org or cell: 773-494-3613. Or visit the website: http://hotugc.org.
November 18 – Waco Habitat for Humanity Information Meeting (Spanish) – Waco Habitat for Humanity is holding application information meetings for those interested in learning more about owning a Habitat home. Habitat for Humanity makes homeownership possible for low and very low-income persons. Meetings are held at the Waco Habitat for Humanity Office at the corner of 11th and Columbus downtown Waco, 220 N. 11th St. at 7 p.m. You must attend an informational meeting as the first step in applying for the program. For more information please contact us at 254-756-7575, info@wacohabitat.org or visit us online at www.wacohabitat.org. Habitat for Humanity is an Equal Housing Opportunity Lender.
November 17 thru 19 – Third Annual Greater Waco Community Education Alliance Summit. Place: Waco Convention Center. Program information available at : www.educatewaco.com .
November 18 – 16th Annual Compassion Ministries’ Banquet - 6 p.m., The Phoenix Ballroom. There is an opportuity for a $1,000 Event Sponsor or a $500 Table Sponsor. Both sponsorships entitle you to a table for eight as well as being included in any advertising for the banquet. Special recognition for the event Sponsors will be given the night of the banquet. Individual tickets are $50 per person. To receive an invitation, please call 755-7640 X101. Compassion Ministries depends on the support of the community in order to carry out our mission. If you are interested in a sponsorship, please contact Catherine Campbell, 399-0522 or Abigail Horner, 715-0106.
November 19 – Heart of Texas Homeless Coalition Meeting. Time: Lunch at 11:45 AM, meeting starts at Noon. Place: TBD. 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 Kevin Allen at 254-750-5967 or send an email to kallen@ci.waco.tx.us.
November 19 – Food for Families City Wide Food Drive. Each year, Caritas takes part in the KWTX Channel 10 Food for Families drive – a coalition of food pantries across Central Texas banding together to collect non-perishable food in a one-day coordinated event on the Friday before Thanksgiving.All donated food items stay in the county in which it was collected. All pantries participating in Food For Families are members in good standing of Feeding America, the largest network of food banks and food pantries in the United States. Many volunteers are needed the day of the event to help distribute FFF informational sheets to customers and collect donations at various stores in the Waco area and also to assist in receiving donations at KWTX studios. Contact Khalilah Warren (753-4593), Volunteer Coordinator at Caritas, for further details about volunteer opportunities. If you or your organization would like to participate in Food for Families, please contact Buddy Edwards at Caritas at 753-4593 for more information.
November 19 & 20 – 30th Annual Apple Tree Bazaar benefitting Meals & Wheels. Friday from 1:00 – 5:00; Saturday 9:00 – 4:00. General Exhibits Building at the Extraco Events Center (H.O.T fairgrounds).
November 20 – Harvest for Hunger at Gardens throughout the City of Waco. Service event as part of the National Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week in Waco. For more info about the Urban Gardening Coalition, contact Bethel Erickson at vista@worldhungerrelief.org or cell: 773-494-3613. Or visit the website: http://hotugc.org.
November 25 –Deliver Meals to Homebound Seniors. On Thanksgiving morning volunteers gather at Friends for Life, 5000 Lakewood, to pack and deliver meals to over 400 homebound seniors who are alone that day. Volunteers begin packing to-go boxes around 7:30 am. Deliveries start as meals become ready. This is a great family activity. Come for any part of the morning. Deliveries are usually all out the door before 10 am and folks are home before noon. Hope you can join us. Call 772-7600 for more information.
November 25 – Thanksgiving Day Lunch for the Homeless. Over 100 homeless men and women will gather with volunteers and the community at 11:00 upstairs in the Meyer Center to celebrate God and his blessings. At noon, the annual lunch will “all the fixin’s” will be served. This year, volunteers are asked to agree to do at least one other activity with or for the homeless besides the Thanksgiving Day lunch. Food and cash donations for the meal are being accepted. Call 753.4900 for details.
November 30 – Truth Be Told Graduation at Gatesville’s Hilltop Prison. Time: 4:15 – 7:30pm. Place: Hilltop Prison (a minimum security TDCJ women’s prison), Gatesville, TX. Truth Be Told provides transformational tools to women behind and beyond bars. Please join us in the powerful experience of a Truth Be Told Graduation. Your presence will help heal the hearts of an invisible group of women behind bars in Gatesville, Texas. At this graduation, you will hear every participant’s voice as the women perform or share in some creative way what they have discovered about themselves as they’ve faced the trauma and secrets of their past, and moved into a safe community for truth telling and character building. For inmates, the experience of being listened to by respectful and compassionate witnesses is rare. TBT graduation witnesses are typically deeply moved by the courage and honesty of these women. We especially need guests from Waco, Temple, and Gatesville to witness this journey with us. For more information, click here: Invitation to Truth Be Told graduation. For questions or to RSVP please send an email to office@truth-be-told.org.