Letter From Wellspring House Regarding Volunteer Needs

Just got this December letter from Sarah Grow, my contact at Wellspring House. It provides a great picture of the good work they are doing, the serious needs that exist and opportunities to help:         

December, 2009

Hello Wellspring Volunteers! 

The Holiday Season is upon us, and I just wanted to give thanks to you all that give your time to Wellspring. It’s a busy, busy time of year with not only our education programs and shelter going full-throttle, but also our holiday programs. Everything you do has an impact on our families, and every hour you give helps families move out of poverty. Last year over 400 volunteers donated well over 5,000 hours of volunteer time. We at Wellspring are most thankful and humbled by your dedication.

 Currently, there are over 3000 homeless families in Massachusetts with 1000 families living in motels, so we are doing all we can to place our current shelter guests in permanent shelter so that these motel families can move into shelter. Our education programs are also on-going with some amazing tutors. Thanks to you all, our students are well on their way through their educational journey.

At this time of year, there are many ways to get involved. Our Holiday Meal program is hoping for donors to be matched to recipients (we also accept money donations for this program) and our Holiday Store, where families in need shop for their children is a week away! Monday Dec 7^th from 8:30a-4:30p (we are not open during the weekend) is the last day to drop off gifts/donations or gift cards for this worthwhile program. Last year over 430 children in need received gifts thanks to this program. See below for more details.

 Special Volunteer Requests:

 Holiday Meal Programs: Volunteers will be needed to provide a meal for a family in need. You may also donate $25 per meal so that a food card can be provided. (Many of our families prefer this option so they can choose their own food.) In December, we will be accepting donations/volunteers from Dec 1 through Dec 12.

Holiday Store: We do have enough volunteers for the Holiday Store on Dec 12^th and 13^th (Thank you all for volunteering!!) but we do need some volunteers for the clean up on Monday morning Dec 14^th. It starts early at 9a at Wellspring Cape Ann Families, so do email Sarah Grow if interested. The last day to drop gifts is Dec 7^th (this Monday.) What’s unusual about this program is that ALL children are provided for, from birth to 18.  If you are considering helping with gifts during the holidays, please give a special thought to the many teens that are often forgotten during the holidays.

Office Organizer: If you love to organizer other people’s stuff, then this is the volunteer opportunity for you! Wellspring Cape Ann Families is looking for someone who can donate some time to help reorganize their space. Hours are flexible and Stacy Randell looks forward to working with you at your own pace. Contact Sarah Grow if interested.

Legislative Breakfast Event Coordinator: Volunteer will coordinate the details of the Legislative Breakfast that happens during April. Looking for a volunteer who sees the big-picture but also able to deal with the details. There will be clerical and administrative support available. Contact Sarah Grow if interested.

 As usual, please contact me if you are interested in any of the above (or have another idea) and feel free to give my contact information to anyone that maybe interested in getting involved in Wellspring.

 Special thanks to all of you that are having holiday celebrations (and birthday parties) in honor of Wellspring, or collecting for our holiday store at your work/business.

 May all your holidays be filled with joy! Looking forward to seeing you all in the New Year!

 Warmest wishes to you and your families,

 Sarah

 Sarah Grow

Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator

Wellspring House, Inc.

302 Essex Ave.

Gloucester, MA 01930

(978) 281 3558 Ext. 303

Fax (978) 281 6092

Wellspring House is a nonprofit organization that is committed to ending family homelessness. We provide education and job training, affordable housing, emergency shelter and family support programs on the North Shore. Wellspring’s mission is rooted in the vision of a just society in which people live interdependently and all have access to homes, education, jobs and basic needs.

“Oh, there’s no place like shopping close to home for the holidays…”

It’s good for so many reasons, including:

• One-of-a-kind finds for those on your list.
• A nice way to get into the holiday spirit. It’s just not the same doing all your shopping online.
• A great way to support local businesses, artists and artisans.
• It’s green, green, green. No shipping, less travel, smaller carbon footprint – especially when you are buying repurposed and cutting edge true green products.

So, in the interest of time, I’m going to get right to the list of shop local opportunities: 

Downtown Ipswich Holiday Kick-Off Day, All Day Saturday, 12/5

Starting with Santa’s arrival – by boat – at the Town Wharf (hey, it’s Ipswich!)…

Click Here  for all the details including a BOLO (be on the look out!)  for a green gremlin (the Grinch!)

Me! I’m going to have plenty of eco-bling and OOAK coat racks and key holders for sale at the Ascension Memorial Church’s Holiday Sale and Fundraiser on Saturday night, from 6-9. There will be wine and appetizers if you need more incentive to attend!

Here are just a couple of samples of the repurposed, functional items I am selling:

I’m also selling my eco-items at my prelaunch office on Tuesday, December 8th from 5:30-8:30 and Saturday, December 12th from 10am-4pm in conjunction with wrapping up DeClutter For Good drop off days for books and women’s business attire. 

Newburyport’s Fall Farmers’ Market from 10-1 each Sunday through Dec. 20. That’s right! The Newburyport market was such a success that it’s been extended Sundays through Christmas. Go to their site to see all the great vendors.

S.A.F.E STUDIO ~ POTTERY SALE

December 4-5, 2009

12-4 pm

18 D Mitchell Rd. Ipswich

(978) 356-1141

S.A.F.E Studio helps clients heal by providing educational and therapeutic art programs to treat child and adult survivors and those at risk of abuse and trauma. All Proceeds benefit S.A.F.E. Studio Programs.

I’m sure  there are many more opportunities to SHOP LOCAL this holiday season.  I’ll add any I learn about along the way. Know of one I missed? Just add your comment to this post and include as much date, time and contact info as possible.

I see that a lot of folks are posting on Craig’s List under events with a keyword search of holiday, so check out postings there and add ‘em if you got ‘em…

VolunteerMatch.org ~ A fabulous resource for those needing volunteers and those wanting to volunteer – Original post from 6/2008

Reposting some oldies but goodies, how’s that for “Time Well Spent?”… This prompted by a post on MA Conference for Women’s facebook fan page:

Oh My Goodness… I have found a gem of a website that provides listings of volunteer opportunities that can be searched by zipcode, interest area, volunteer age group, and the like, and then sorted by distance…  The website is VolunteerMatch.org. Go to their site and enter your zipcode and remember to SORT BY DISTANCE. You can add your area of interest as well…Here’s the link to their Getting Started Page for Volunteers.

And, that’s just the beginning, they have great information about volunteering including success stories that start with a photo and summary, followed by a wonderful write-up about the volunteer’s experience and about the organization where the individual volunteered. Here’s one summary:

Volunteer Spotlight

Amanda McGlothlin, Heart House Austin

For advertising major Amanda McGlothlin, volunteering for a photography project at Heart House, a free after-school program, has been good for her future and good for the community. “I like teaching the kids new things, and learning things from them that I didn’t know,” she said. “I always forget how smart children are!”

Here’s the link to the Spotlight page where you can read the rest of Amanda’s story as well as those of many other happy volunteers.

Here’s the link to the VolunteerMatch’s main page for Nonprofit Organizations  with all the information you need to best use VolunteerMatch.org to help meet your volunteer needs. In addition, there is plenty of other worthwhile information for nonprofits including shared success stories, resources and a learning center.

This is a fabulous tool and could really be meaningful to the degree that a community is made aware of it – both local non-profits and individuals who are interested in volunteering in some way. For example, Danvers and Gloucester have many, many volunteer opportunities listed, including ongoing and date specific needs.

The list that comes up is so user-friendly and informative – providing the most relevant facts right there on your search results page, minimizing the need to click through and read more on possibilities that don’t suit you, the potential volunteer, personally.

Here’s a search page link   where you can see all the great advanced search options.

Try it out for your zipcode and see not only what volunteer opportunities are listed but also whether non-profits that you know and care about in your local community are represented. Don’t see them? Send them an email or make a friendly phone call telling them about VolunteerMath.org.

 

Back to work moving my clutter to the new office space! Have a Great Day! N.

(Now I’m looking for a new space so I can really have a working prototype of the space… Interesting to read this post from June 2008… I guess I have stick-to-it-ive-ness!)

Back in June of 2008, I received a reply to the post. I was SO excited because of the kind words shared by the Communications Director of VolunteerMatch.org. Here’s the reply:

Nancy,

What a great way to let your readers know about VolunteerMatch!

And thanks so much for pointing out something that we are always, always trying to emphasize — that people who care about a cause can help make sure non-profits they “know and care about” are represented at VolunteerMatch.org.

Today we have over 58,000 participating nonprofits — and we really are the biggest network of active recruiting organizations and volunteers. But you know what? With over 1.5 million different nonprofits in the U.S., we know this is just a drop in bucket.

So you’re helping us reach local folks, and that’s going to make a difference.

See you all online at http://www.volunteermatch.org!

Robert J. Rosenthal
VolunteerMatch Team

PS – One of the coolest things you can do on our site now is recommend your favorite organizations to other volunteers. When you see an organization you’ve volunteered with, look for the yellow button at the bottom of the page!

The Board Room/Party Place ~ Fun for All Ages at Time Well Spent

While the majority of the physical space at Time Well Spent will reflect an open concept, with partial walls separating the key work spaces, the Board Room will provide a space for those times when it is preferable to be able to meet behind closed doors, adding functionality to the overall center. Like the other work areas, multiple uses of the Board Room will make sense from both an environmental and a business perspective.

Featuring a classic conference table, made from sustainable materials, and infused with personality that supports the Time Well Spent image, the space will be highly functional and versatile. For example, non-profits and triple-bottom-line businesses will be invited to use the space for board meetings. The space will also be available for use as a small workroom or as a classroom setting. Reflecting concepts key to the coworking community business model, the Board Room will provide artist and professional members alike with a setting for business meetings that is far more professional than that which is available at the corner coffee shop, consequently raising the perception of professionalism of the individual hosting the meeting.

Finally, mixing fun with purpose-driven intent, the space will be available for birthday parties, scout meetings and such. This will be important on many levels. It will serve as an important revenue stream as it fulfills a need that parents have to provide a positive birthday celebration for their children. In addition, it will help to increase interest and exposure to the Time Well Spent concept as parents of children attending parties will be invited to check out the membership opportunities. Most importantly, the parties will serve the mission in terms of educating, inspiring and empowering children to live with mindful awareness of the importance of their choices and the impact on quality of life for self, those in need and the environment. The dual use of the space as a board room and party place is, in itself, environmentally sound as an efficient use of space.

Shop Local This Weekend on Boston’s North Shore – Good for the Environment, the Local Economy and those on your Holiday Shopping List

“Oh, there’s no place like shopping close to home for the holidays…”

It’s good for so many reasons, including:

• One-of-a-kind finds for those on your list.
• A nice way to get into the holiday spirit. It’s just not the same doing all your shopping online.
• A great way to support local businesses, artists and artisans.
• It’s green, green, green. No shipping, less travel, smaller carbon footprint – especially when you are buying repurposed and cutting edge true green products.

So, in the interest of time, I’m going to get right to the list…

Me! I’m going to have plenty of eco-bling and OOAK coat racks and key holders on display at my DeClutter For Good drop off day this Saturday. Click here to go to the blog post with all the details of this month’s DeClutter Your Books For Good donation drive.

Here are just a couple of samples of the repurposed, functional items I am selling:

From game pieces turned eco-bling to upcycled vintage buttons to architectural salvage given a new life as a coat rack, I've been making some repurposed products in my down time, a necessity as I bootstrap my way along...

 

Marianne Alberigi, entrepreneur and Jack Jill of all Trades will be selling adorable gingerbread houses at Newburyport’s Fall Farmers’ Market this Sunday, Nov. 22 from 10-1. That’s right! The Newburyport market was such a success that it’s been extended Sundays through Dec. 20.

Holiday Open House at Salem’s Arabella Gallery on Sat Nov 21 from 11am-8pm. Check out the website for some great examples of the work of local artists and some fun shots of their inaugural open house from this past summer. The evening hours will include wine, cheese, music and the chance to meet the artists. Sounds like an early Christmas present to me!

Essex Churches have a Holiday Shopping Day on Saturday, Nov. 21st, the same day of my DeClutter For Good dropoff – so plan your shopping and errands in a loop that includes both Essex and Ipswich – organizing your errands is green, too!

Holiday Shopping Ipswich is being planned for the evening of Saturday, November 28th. It’s an annual event. I’ll add more details once I track them down!

S.A.F.E STUDIO ~ POTTERY SALE

December 4-5, 2009

12-4 pm

18 D Mitchell Rd. Ipswich

(978) 356-1141

S.A.F.E Studio helps clients heal by providing educational and therapeutic art programs to treat child and adult survivors and those at risk of abuse and trauma. All Proceeds benefit S.A.F.E. Studio Programs.

 

I’m sure I missed more opportunities to SHOP LOCAL this holiday season. I’ll add any I learn about along the way. Know of one I missed? Just add your comment to this post and include as much date, time and contact info as possible.

If you want to be happy in a million ways, for the holidays you can’t beat home sweet home…

That’s seizing the day – holiday-style!  Enjoy! N.

 

A TREASURE at the Hamilton-Wenham Library Wed Night 11/18 ~ Liesl Clark’s Documentary of the lost treasures of Tibet

Liesl Clark’s Documentary of the lost treasures of Tibet

“Secrets of Shangri-La”.  Join us in watching the debut of Liesl Clark’s film documenting the race to save the surviving sacred masterpieces of an ancient Buddhist kingdom.  Mustang (moo-stahn), one of the last outposts of Tibetan culture, was so isolated and protected, no Westerner set foot inside its borders for centuries. Travel to this remote part of the world for a remarkably rare look at spectacular art and the daunting mission to preserve these treasures.  This National Geographic documentary will be preceeded by the film “The Lost Cave Temples”, narrated by the film maker Leisl Clark and telling the story of the original discovery.  A fascinating evening for history buffs!

Watch the trailer at:  http://www.youtube.come/watch?v=irlyjbt6wvs

Liesl Clark is formerly of Hamilton, MA.   She presented an earlier documentary to a standing room only audience at the library in the spring of 2003.

For more about this wonderful treasure, the gal and the discoveries she brings to light in these wonderful documentaries, read on…

A Guest Post from Christine McCall, an Americorps Worker at Cradles to Crayons

I’ve been fortunate to meet many, many wonderful people along the way in these early days of Time Well Spent. Among them is Christine McCall, my contact at Cradles to Crayons for the past year. Christine is just finishing up her year at C2C as part of the Americorps program. With a passion for helping others, a kind heart and an education in journalism, I look forward to following Christine’s journey as she moves forward.  With my hat off to Christine for a well-spent year at Cradles and expecting great things in her future, I’m happy to share a post written by Christine here and encourage folks to check out Christine’s blog.

Christine helping me unload the car at C2C's Giving Factory after a baby drive in the late spring.

Without any further ado…Here’s Christine’s reflection of a day spent making C2C kidpack deliveries:

Bringing pure joy and a smile that can light up a room to a young child’s face is an empowering and rewarding feeling that Michael A. Nicastro, III, Director of Community Safety Programs and Community Outreach at East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, experiences on a weekly basis when he delivers Cradles to Crayons KidPacks to children in Chelsea, East Boston, Revere and Winthrop.

East Boston Neighborhood Health Center is one of about 400 social service agencies that partner with Cradles to Crayons to provide children in Massachusetts with the basic essentials they need to be safe, warm, ready to learn and feel valued throughout the year.

“I feel like it makes a difference in their lives because they may not have been able to afford it on their own,” Nicastro said.

Cradles to Crayons’ employees do not typically interact directly with the children we serve, but recently I was extended an invitation to join Nicastro on two trips as he delivered Cradles to Crayons KidPacks filled with clothing, coats, shoes, books and toys.

Nicastro has worked with Cradles to Crayons for about four years and in that time he estimates that he’s delivered at least 1,500 KidPacks. A number of families in other towns in the surrounding area pick up their KidPacks at the health center.

Nicastro receives referrals from pediatricians, obstetricians and other medical staff at the health center who request items from Cradles to Crayons on behalf of their patients. Depending on the number of orders ready for pick up, Nicastro typically drives down to Quincy on Friday mornings to load the orders in the van and then goes from house to house delivering the packages.

To ensure the packages are getting to the children, Nicastro calls the parents or caregivers the night before to arrange the drop off and give them an expected time of arrival. On the first visit with Nicastro, we loaded 35 KidPacks into the back of the van and organized them by zip code.

Our first stop was a home in Chelsea. When we arrived at the home, we called to let the mother know we were outside. We had four packages for her children ranging in age from 3-11. The mother came outside to greet us and we helped carry the bags to her front door. She did not converse much, but the simple “thank you” and handshake showed her overwhelming gratitude.

“This is what’s satisfying,” Nicastro said. “You can’t get more grassroots than this…”

As we drove through the neighborhoods in Chelsea and East Boston that day, many of the mothers who came outside their homes to meet us and accept the packages did not speak English very well. But again the expression on their faces spoke more than words ever could and showed their immense appreciation for the products Cradles to Crayons is providing for their children.

Nicastro explained that the KidPacks represent money that parents or caregivers do not have to spend. Instead the money saved on clothing, toys and winter coats goes toward groceries, electric and heating bills and rent.

“C2C provides an option to them [parents] that they otherwise would not have,” Nicastro said. “In many instances, they would not have it [winter items] if it were not for Cradles.”

Many of the children receiving KidPacks are from Central and South America and they are unaccustomed to the New England winters. They are not prepared for the cold temperatures and there are children without coats and boots at school bus stops, Nicastro said.

For Nicastro, it is the direct interaction with patients that makes this part of his job so rewarding. “You can see the need,” Nicastro said. “It helps me to self actualize. I’ve learned to lose my self-importance.”

After a woman in East Boston received KidPacks for her 8-month-old, 2-year-old and 3-year-old, she asked me for my Cradles to Crayons business card because she wanted to send a thank you note to make the staff aware of how much this helps her and her family.

Our last stop during that first trip was a home in East Boston. A little girl dressed in red pants and white shirt with the word “Diva” written across the front in red piping pranced out of the house and greeted me with a big smile.

I will never forget the look on the 3-year-old girl’s face in East Boston when her eyes gazed upon the KidPack. Immediately, she started dancing around the bag and excitedly asked, “Is this for me? Is this for me?”

I crouched down to her level to examine the contents of the bag with her. She looked like a little diva as she danced around the bag and pointed at the new clothes, coat, books and toys in the bag. A birthday gift was included in the package and I told her that there was something extra special in there for her.

Without any hesitation, she wrapped her little arms around me and gave me the biggest bear hug a 3-year-old can give. Then she kissed me on the cheek. Her mother looked on and just smiled. At that moment, there were no words that could express how grateful the mother was for the contents inside the KidPack.

In these few seconds, I was overwhelmed with emotion and my eyes welled up with tears of happiness. Before we said goodbye and made the trip back to Cradles to Crayons, the little girl turned around and gave me a high five. It was her pure innocence and excitement that melted my heart. Days like this leave a lasting impression and give the work we do at Cradles to Crayons new meaning and perspective.

In my two delivery trips with Nicastro, we delivered a total of 74 KidPacks. On the second trip at the end of October, we delivered KidPacks to homes in Chelsea, Orient Heights in East Boston, Everett and the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center. The recipients at each and every home were humbled to receive the KidPacks and gracious in accepting them.
Nicastro will be in tomorrow morning at his regular time to pick up about 50 orders and plans to spend his Friday delivering all of them.

“This is one of the best things I do,” he said.

To date this year, Cradles to Crayons has provided 18,473 Kid Packs to low-income and homeless children living in Massachusetts, which is an increase of 26 percent over last year’s 14,681 KidPacks.

“It’s been a truly wonderful relationship,” Nicastro said. “Without [Cradles to Crayons], many of these children wouldn’t have winter clothing…that’s a fact.” 

Thanks again, Christine, for sharing your kind and helpful attitude for the last year – and for sharing the blog post. The story of the little girl so excited to receive her Kidpack is fabulous! Just as C2C will continue to do good things for those in need, I know you will, too, wherever the journey takes you! I look forward to following your progress and staying in touch.

Carpe Diem ~ Always! Nancy

October 2009 DeClutter For Good donation drive results and second delivery

For October, as usual, my DeClutter For Good donation drive goal had been in terms of numbers… 200 items… I’ve used that approach before, so why not this time?!

Frankly, counting the donations wouldn’t have been time well spent… And, without question, the goal was easily acheived and surpassed…

My first delivery was made thanks to the generosity of Small Wonders PreSchool in Ipswich… Miss Julie brought over a van of children’s clothing that had been prescreened by the preschool parents as part of their community yard sale. The bags (and bags) were marked for girls and boys and with sizes… So, to take them out and count them all would have been a bit of misguided time.

Here are two photos of the delivery I made with the donations from Small Wonders to Time Well Spent to Cradles to Crayons ~ worth a thousand words… In one sense, no big deal, just a carload of nice donations ~ On the other hand, a very big deal ~ a carload of nice donations~!

  

And, I’m making the second car-filled delivery this week. FYI, I can fit some last minute donations of children’s items “good enough for your own child.” Read the original post with all the details by clicking here. Leave a comment here or otherwise get in touch if you have kids’ stuff to donate.

Massachusetts-born Mike Parziale a GreaseNotGas transplant to the West Coast ~ converting vehicles to run on waste veggie oil, spreading the word about alternative energy and sustainability and driving skiers and boarders in his Grease Bus

I’m so inspired by all the human energy put toward sustainability and conscious capitalism. I particularly love stories of the social and eco-entrepreneurs, rolling up their sleeves and doing the work… Here’s a personal favorite:

Here’s a great blog post from YoBeat (a snowboarding website) including an 11-minute video of Mike Parziale telling his story.

Check out Mike’s latest (ad)venture on his Grease Bus Website including an NPR interview on the grease not gas topic.

Here’s one of my favorite videos of Mike’s. Lots of chuckles and educational, too!

And, a few pics from Mike’s Grease Not Gas website:

And people think I’m crazy with my Time Well Spent concept!

Full disclosure, Mike’s my nephew…

Mike (aka Mighty Mouse) back when I used to babysit for him!

Regardless ~ It’s still all true! Check out the links, all!

And, keep up the great work, Mike!

Carpe Diem ~ Nancy

 

Hamilton Wenham Library Speaker Series FYI ~ “Bias, Imbalance and the Perception Gap in Arab and American Media.”

Passing along info about an interesting local speaker tonight at HW Library from my contact there, Beth Myers who always has her fingers on the pulse of good things that are happening…

 

This presentation by Crocker Snow at the hamilton-Wenham Library tonight has not been well publicized and I thought some of you might be interested in attending if you have a free evening.  Considering Mr Snow’s background and experience on the international scene, this talk should be fascinating.  —Please take a look also at the rest of the new ”Keeping Current” series. 

Beth

Library speaker series (http://www.hwlibrary.org/Images/pdf/KeepingCurrent.pdf). Tuesday November 10th 7:30 pm. Hamilton Wenham Public Library Crocker Snow Jr., an Ipswich journalist, will offer his insights into “Bias, Imbalance and the Perception Gap in Arab and American Media.” This is the latest in our Keeping Current line-up, an informative series of programs with speakers, films, and discussions about important events occurring in our world today. Registration is not required! This program is free and open to the public.