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Community Outreach are opportunities for us to get involved in helping those less fortunate than ourselves. Most of us have more free time now, and what better way could we spend that time than by getting involved with our community. At least once a quarter we select a volunteer event that accomodates group participation. We have had a lot of fun working together, and look forward to many more good times. Please plan to join us for our volunteer projects; you'll be glad you did!
Suggestions for future projects are welcome. Please contact Joye at joyful.morey@gmail.net or 303-229-2330.
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Bonfils Blood Center
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Sports ’n Social Connections has set up a group number (6702) for all of our members to use when they go to their local Bonfils Blood Center to donate blood. We will be able to keep track of the amount of blood that has been donated in behalf of our club, and we will send updated reports to everyone periodically. We believe this is a worthwhile project for our club to be involved in, and we hope you will participate.
Check out their website: www.bonfils.org to find the location nearest to you, as well as medical guidelines. SSC will not benefit from this, as far as using the blood for our own personal use, but it will be for the good of the community.
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Children's Hospital and The Ronald McDonald House tours
On December 3, 2008 nine SSC members toured the new Children's Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House in Aurora. We each took gifts from their wish lists to both locations. They are beautiful facilities and it was very interesting and informative. We actually got to meet one very little girl waiting for a heart transplant, and 4 month old premie twins that have had a hard start in their new lives. Ronald McDonald House only charges families $15 per night to stay in one of 45 private rooms provided for families with children being treated at any of the local hospitals. They never turn anyone away if they are unable to pay, and they can stay as long as they need to. We are very fortunate to have such facilities in Denver.
Those attending were Lora, Harvey, Rich, Lynn, Margo, Sam, Chris, Bob and Joye. Not everyone was included in the pictures, so I want to thank everyone who gave their time and gifts for this special occasion. Thank you all!
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Delores Project
"The Delores Project" is one of our favorite volunteer projects. They have a wonderful facility for adult women who are homeless and have limited resources. They have two dorms that accommodate firty women, and have cots they put up if needed. There is no time limit on how long the residents can stay. The women who live there also pitch in with the daily chores, but there are always things that need to be done.
August 19, 2011
Eight members of SSC volunteered at The Delores Project. Some did weeding and mowing on their huge property, while others were in the kitchen cooking a lot of chicken, and then shredding it so they an make barbecue sandwiches and chicken tacos. The shelter is full to capacity right now, which is about 75 women every night, so they go through a lot of food and other supplies. I'm sure you know by now that this is our main charity that we volunteer for. They are in desperate need of towels, new and used. If you would like to donate some towels, please contact Joye Morey at joyful.morey@gmail.net or 303-229-2330. Some of our other charities include the Food Bank of the Rockies. and The Santa Clause Workshop in LIttleton. Please plan to join us at some of these events, it is very rewarding, as well as fun to work together. Thank you to Sam, Phyllis, Bob, Lora, Tony, Lynn, Lois and Joye for giving their time.
June 24, 2011
The Delores Project property did not know what hit them today when twelve members of SSC stormed in with their mowers, trimmers, clippers, shovels, rakes, hoses, watering cans, weed killer, fertilizer, (and a lot of sweat), to transform a very badly neglected property into a beautifully landscaped show piece! Even though we only stayed three hours, and were not able to complete everything that needed to be done, you would not believe what was accomplished! Even the heat did not deter the workers from the task at hand. We will arrange another work day in a month or so to try to keep up with the growth. They also have another group coming in next week, which will really help. One group is not enough for this huge property. Thank you does not begin to say enough for all the volunteer’s hard work. But for now, just a big THANK YOU!! to Harv, Margo, Patricia, Lois, Fred, Mary Lou, Lynn, Lora, Phyllis, Sam, Bob, and Joye.
Novemeber 5th, 2010
Ten hard working members of SSC went to The Delores Project (a homeless shelter for women) and volunteered three hours doing yard work on their large property. They have lots of trees, so lots of leaves to bag, bushes to be trimmed, weeds to be pulled, plants to water, the job was huge,and really needed to be done. They were so happy with the way it looked when we were finished. Thanks to Sam Thiessen, Phyllis Joslin, Nancy Myers, Lily Stone, Lynn Dittbrenner, Bob Reece, Joye Morey, Jan Lorbeer, Jake Flint (with his giant dust pan to pick up leave, yea!), and Lora Mihalic, who organized their food pantry while others worked in the yard.
Note: They are short on food for their pantry, and have asked if we could, once again, work at the Food Bank of the Rockies where we earn credits for each volunteer hour, and with those credits The Delores Project staff can go to the Food Bank and shop for the items they need. I will be scheduling that event soon, and hope you will plan to join us. It is fun to work together, as well as play.
June 4th, 2010
Six members of SSC volunteered their time to do landscaping duties at The Delores Project property. Duties included watering, weeding, mowing, trimming, and Sam brought his tree trimmer and groomed the tree in the front yard. They have a large property and a lot of work needs to be done to keep it looking good. Sam Thiessen, Jean Eddins, Lynn Dittbrenner, Lora Mihalic, Bob Reece, and Joye Morey were very proud of their work at the end of the day. Thanks to all who worked so hard on this rewarding project!
April 8th, 2010
On Thursday evening eight SSC members went to The Delores Project to serve a meal to the women residing there. Volunteers provide the food for the residents every night and different groups come in to help serve. The meal was ham, scalloped potatoes, a delicious tossed salad, and cake and eclairs for dessert. It was good to meet the women for the first time since they are not there during the day when we have been there doing cleaning, mowing, and organizing the facility. The ladies were very polite and told us they really appreciated us being there. Sam and Bob helped to hang a bulletin board and some hanging letter files for them while we served the meal. We brought items from their most needed list, such as toilet paper, cleaning supplies, aluminum foil, trash bags, and sample bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and lotion. They have a great facility and the ladies are very lucky to have such a nice place to stay for as long as they need to. Thanks to the SSC members who volunteered: Margo Goetz, Sam Thiessen, Phyllis Joslin, Bob Reece, Jan Lorbeer, Lora Mihalic, Jean Eddins and Joye Morey.
November 12th, 2009
Eleven members of SSC volunteered their time to help make this project a very successful and rewarding event. The Delores Project currently has about sixty-five women in their shelter, and will have room for about ten more when the weather is bad. This is a project that SSC has adopted as their main priority on the volunteer list. A list of tasks was prepared for us, and we were able to complete all of them. Here are some of the things we accomplished:
Organized the two pantries, and put away donated canned goods. Sorted small bottles of shampoo, conditioners, lotions, etc., and put them in bins. Vacuumed and cleaned the dorms. Washed and dryed blankets. Filled soap containers in the bathrooms. Washed marks on the walls. Raked and sacked leaves outside.
August 7th, 2009
Eight of us went to "The Delores Project" to volunteer our time and talents. It is an overnight homeless shelter for women. This is the second time we have been there and it is such a rewarding project that we will no doubt be going back again. There is always so much work that needs to be done. They house fifty women, and in the winter they can accommodate up to seventy-five.
Sam and Bob worked outside mowing, trimming, and pulling weeds, and watering. Phyllis, Faith, and Joye were inside cleaning both dorm rooms, watering plants, and organizing their "store", where the women can shop with their Delores dollars they earn doing jobs around the house. Jerry Helmke and his team of three were busy painting patio furniture, benches, door frames and touch up inside and out. It is such a rewarding project, and we felt good about leaving the place looking great! Thanks to everyone who came and gave their time, and helped make this homeless women's shelter an even better place to be in times of trouble.
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Food Bank of the Rockies
February 1, 2012
Fourteen members of SSC spent the morning volunteering at the Food Bank of the Rockies. Talk about teamwork! We assembled boxes, then filled them with canned food and other staples to be distributed to various locations. We had so much fun working together that the time just flew by. We estimated that we filled about 350 boxes in the three hours we were there. Another benefit of our efforts is that "The Delores Project" will receive credits for those hours we worked, and they can use those credits to shop at the Food Bank for the items they need at the shelter. Great job guys!
October 21st, 2011
Fourteen members of SSC volunteered to work at The Food Bank of the Rockies. We were assigned to clean donated food items with diluted bleach water that were then sorted into categories and boxed for distribution. Some of the packaging had to be taped, and some items had to be discarded if it was damaged too badly. Although this is not our favorite thing to do, all of our volunteers cheerfully pitched in and we got the job done. At least no heavy lifting was involved, which we were grateful for. Thank you to all who gave their time to this worthy cause: John Campbell, John Glennon, Fred Warren, Jerry Helmke, Lilly Helmke, Kathy Smith, Dick Terry, Nancy Myers, Tony Szymborski, Margo Goetz, Lora Mihalic, Phyllis Joslin, Bob Reece, and Joye Morey.
March 30th, 2011
We had 16 members of SSC and one member from Meet-Up assist at the Food Bank of the Rockies with their sleeves rolled up and ready to go to work. We worked from 9:00 AM to noon filling orders that different agencies had requested, taping up packaging that had been torn, and various other jobs that were assigned to our group. It is always something different, which makes it more interesting. It was a very fun and rewarding experience, and was the definition of teamwork. Thanks to Fred, Bob, Sam, Pyhllis, Vincent, Lynn, Lois,and her friend, Kathy, Gary, Lora, Jan, Harve, Marilyn, Jerry, Joye, and Cheryl from Meet-Up. It was a record turn out for a volunteer event, proving that we like to work together as well as play. Thanks to all of you that contribute to serving our community.
November 19th, 2010
Ten members of SSC went to the Food Bank of the Rockies and worked from 8:30 to 11:30 cleaning and boxing donated food items for distribution to various organizations around Denver. In a thank you note from the Food Bank, they stated that every hour you spend makes a huge difference in the community, with the poor ecomony, and people out of work. Thanks to Phyllis Joslin, Sam Thiessen, Bob Reece, Lora Mihalic, R.D. Ginn, Nancy Myers, Lynn Dittbrenner, Fred Warren, Lily Stone, and Joye Morey. You all made Thanksgiving a time for a lot of families to be thankful that someone cares about them.
August 20th, 2010
Seven members of SSC and three members of Meet-up volunteered at the Food Bank of the Rockies sorting boxes of Little Debbie products, according to content, and putting them on pallets. It was a lot of fun, and hard work too, proving that we not only like to play together, but work together as well. The hours we worked gave credits to The Delores Project, which they can use to shop at the Food Bank for the items they need at the women's shelter.
Thanks to SSC members R.D. Ginn, Jean Eddins, Phyllis Joslin, Sam Thiessen, Bob Reece, Fred Warren, and Joye Morey, and the members from Meet-Up. We really enjoyed having the Meet-Up group join us, and hope to see them again at our events.
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January 15th, 2010
Nine members of SSC volunteered at the Food Bank of the Rockies. We sorted food items and boxed them for distribution to the agencies for delivery. During orientation we were surprised to find out how many people in our community are in need of these services. We not only helped the Food Bank, but each of us earned credits for 20 lbs of food and products for The Delores Project. They can use those credits to shop at the Food Bank for the items they need. It's always fun to work with friends on a worthwhile project. It feels good to give back to the Community, and share our time for those less fortunate. Thanks to Sam Thiessen, Jan Lorbeer, Lois Kahn, Lynn Dittbrenner, R.D. Ginn, Jean Eddins, Marian Sheldrake, Bob Reece, and Joye Morey.
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Habitat For Humanity
On August 23, 2008 SSC organized our second volunteer opportunity with the Habitat For Humanity Home Improvement Outlet store in Wheatridge. The Outlets accept donations of new and used building materials, appliances, fixtures, tools and furniture. They sell these to the public and use the funds to purchase new materials to build new homes for qualified people in the Denver area. The group consisted of Phyllis Joslin, Lynn Dittbrenner, Faith Peters, Lilly Stone, Joye Morey, John Jennings and Barbara Butler. Thanks to all of you who participated.
We were assigned the duties of organizing shelves, cleaning, and putting donated items in their correct locations. They have two locations, one in Denver and one in Wheat Ridge. If you are interested in finding out more about them, their website is http://denver.volunteerhub.com.
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Santa Claus Shop
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November 17th, 2011
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Joye Morey was effective in working with the Santa Claus Shop to publish this article in the Littleton Independent.
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December 3, 2010
Our third annual Santa Claus Shop project was a huge success, thanks to all who volunteered their time for this worthy cause. Thirteen SSC members went on December 3rd, 2010 to clean and sort the many donated toys, new and old, according to ages and categories. Then on December 8th, which was the day before the families came to pick out their toys, eight of us, including two ladies from Meet Up, went back to put on the finishing touches in preparation for the big day on the 9th. We cleaned, decorated, set up chairs, and finalized the sorting and organizing. These families were referred to the Santa Shop by teachers, firemen, policemen, and others. This year they served about 1000 families, which represented 3,051 kids. Each child is given 100 points, so their parents can either pick out something big, like a bike, or several smaller toys. The staff at the Santa Shop expressed how much they appreciate our group, and have requested we come back next year, which we will certainly do. This is one of our favorite events, and we always look forward to it.
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December 9, 2009
Our second annual Santa Claus Volunteer project was a huge success! Fifteen members of SSC gave their time and talents to make sure that about 3000 kids in the area had toys for Christmas. The parents came to pick up the toys for their kids on Thursday, and without all of your efforts this may not have been possible. We will look forward to making this an annual event for years to come. Thanks to everyone who made this project so successful!
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Volunteers pictured, left-to-right: front Sam Thiessen, Phyllis Joslin, Mary Lou Ray, Karen Squires, Nancy Myers; middle Joye Morey, Marilyn Maegley, Bob Reece, Lora Mihalic; back Lynn Dittbrenner, Jan Lorbeer, John Campbell, Mike Cochran, Harve Self, Jerry Helmke; Not pictured: Marian Sheldrake.
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December 9, 2008
Our first annual Santa Claus Shop project! If you don't believe in Santa Claus, you should have been with us. Eleven members of SSC went to the Santa Claus Shop on South Datura Street in Littleton, and helped to clean and organize the many toys and games that had been donated to the shop. The families were to come on the 11th to pick out their gifts. Each child was allotted 100 points, so the toys all had numbers on them. They could either pick out an expensive gift, or choose several smaller ones. The people working there have been doing this for over 20 years and have it very well organized, and they really appreciated our help. It was very rewarding and fun, and really helped us to get in the giving spirit of Christmas. We will definitely do that again next year.
Those attending were: John Campbell, Faith Peters, Nancy Myers, Jean Eddins, RD Ginn, Jerry Helmke, Dee Lannon, Phyllis Joslin, Sam Thiessen, Bob Reece and Joye Morey. Thanks to all of Santa's helpers.
"To the amazing group who helped us at the Arapahoe Santa Shop. I am very sure that if you had not taken that day to come give of your time we would not have been ready the next day to give the toys to 2100 children in Littleton, Englewood, and Sheridan. Thanks for sharing your time!" -- from Shirley Nixon, Santa's Workshop
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Share Colorado
On April 19, 2008, SSC took part in our first volunteer project with SHARE COLORADO. This was a fun, rewarding, and very successful day, thanks to the 13 SSC volunteers that showed up with their sleeves rolled up and ready to work. Those joining in the fun were Faith Peters, Carol Lee, John Jennings, RD Ginn, Jean Eddins, Lily Stone, Jerry Helmke, Lora Mihalic, Lynn Dittbrenner, Phyllis Joslin, Janet Coneys, Bob Reece and Joye Morey.
We formed an assembly line, starting with taping pantry boxes together, then passing them down the line where each person put in canned goods from the table in front of them. It was a real team effort. The hardest part was getting everyone to stop when our time was up!
SHARE COLORADO is a nonprofit food buying club for everyone who wants to save money on groceries. They offer grocery products at a reduced cost through a volunteer-run, community based distribution system. There are no membership fees or eligibility requirements. Members of SHARE can save up to 30-60% on many of the same products you would find at the grocery store because of the volunteers that help sort, package and distribute the food that SHARE buys in bulk. You can go to their website at http://www.sharecolorado.com/ for more information.
Because this was so successful, we will be doing other volunteer projects in the future. If you have any favorite organizations, or charities, that you would like to work with, please let us know.
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Volunteers of America Mission
Thanks to Phyllis Joslin, Sam Thiessen, Lois Kahn, Lynn Dittbrenner, Bob Reece and Joye Morey for all the hard work they put into our volunteer project at the Volunteers of America Mission on Thursday, March 5th. We served a meal to about 100 homeless people, helped clean up afterwards, sorted and hung up donated clothing, which is free to those in need, and we also organized the donated food cupboard.
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