Due to the resurgence of COVID the usual program at St. Paul's Baptist Church in West Chester will not be held this year. I am in touch with them as they try to encourage people in the community to find other worthy causes to support in honor of the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service on January 17, 2022. The theme for this year is "Combating Racism and Building Community."
I have looked for projects that members of our congregation could do at home or as a group, on January 17 or at another time. Here are a few that I have found. Please contact me directly if you are interested in one or more of these projects. I am still searching for others that may be of interest. Please let me know which you are interested in. Hopefully we could participate in one or more ahead of time and another one on the day of the MLK holiday. Thank you, Carol Swingle
- Project #1: Chester County Hospital is working with RISE Against Hunger Project to package food for needy people worldwide. I am still gathering information on this project but this will be on January 17th only.
- Project #2: Cornerstone Christian Fellowship Church is planning a Random Acts of Kindness project where they will be painting and distributing Kindness Rocks. I am still gathering information on this project but this will be on January 17th only.
- Project #3: From Glad Dogs Nation/Foundation
"We are looking for people interested in completing toys for animals in shelters. We take donations of kid toys that we sanitize and upcycle to be safe for pets. Volunteers would complete the upcycling process by inserting a squeaker into a spot we create for you and then hand stitching it up. The stitch we use is super easy -- and really you can sew it any way you want as long as the squeaker stays inside!"
I will be the contact person for anyone who wants to participate in this easy project. We could work together as a group or you can do this project at home. The organization provides 6-8 toys per person, the same number of squeakers, and needles and thread. We will receive a link to view a video of the easy stitch they use. And on MLK Day, they will host a virtual stitching event via zoom or google for those who want to work on the project together with others. When finished, I will collect the toys and get them back to the organization that is based in Langhorne PA. They will then donate them to shelters in need across the country. If you would like to see how easy the stitch is, view this video.
- Project #4: From Beth Am Israel
ECYCLE -recycle anything with a cord! E-CYCLE your old, obsolete electronics (or anything with a plug) at Beth Am Israel.
"We look forward to partnering with PAR-Recycle Works for the 6th year in a row to keep your electronics out of landfill and support a great cause. We'll be E-cycling anything with a cord! Drop off your old electronics to be safely reused and repurposed!
Recycling service is provided by PAR RECYCLE WORKS – a local nonprofit that sells reusable materials collected from electronic devices to help pay for salaries and job skill development for returning citizens, to support their productive re-entry back into society. For more information on PAR, please see par-recycleworks.org."
They are collecting from 9:00-1:00 on January 17. An adult has to accompany anyone under 18. I am hoping that we could ask for donations from church members and a small group could drive to this location (it is about 40 minutes away, near Bala Cynwyd). I know that we already have quite a few items to donate! Some items require a disposal fee (TV sets, dehumidifiers, etc.) and we would not accept these items.
- Project #5: From Jarrettown United Methodist Church
(Remote) Snack Bags for the Homeless
To make up your own individual snack bags – in a Ziploc bag, five items total and should have a mix of sugary and savory items. Such as: fruit snacks, mini chocolates, raisins, chewy granola bars, cookies, potato chips, peanut butter crackers, cheese crackers, mini Slim Jims.
If several people were interested they could prepare these at home and someone could deliver them on Monday or Tuesday. They are about 35 minutes away, near Ambler. I am in contact with their coordinator and would arrange for delivery.
