Sponsor A Child

There are many organizations through which you can sponsor a child. I am including four in this week's posting. Each of these is a well respected organization that you can feel confident in supporting. The current monthly range for sponsoring a child is $25 - $30. Before you conclude that you don't have 'any' extra money in your budget - please ask yourself these questions: How much is my cable bill? How much is my internet bill? How much is my cell phone bill? My intention is not to browbeat anyone into sponsorship. But truly, the LEAST we each can do is to help one child.

Save the Children
www.savethechildren.org

World Concern
www.worldconcern.org

World Vision
www.worldvision.org

Christian Children's Fund
www.christianchildrensfund.org

Please 'dig around' each of these sites and find the one that you feel most comfortable with. While the main goal of these organizations is to raise money for child sponsorships - many are also looking for volunteers. Who do you think stands at the booths at community events, religious conferences, and even in your church? Usually it's volunteers!

Hospitality House

For over 40 years the Hospitality House has been an organization dedicted to the underpriveledged youth of North Minneapolis. They have maintained a simple Four Point Purpose:

1. Go where the youth are
2. Meet the real needs of youth--a holistic ministry
3. Keep the programs Christ-centered
4. Raise up a new generation of young people who will assume leadership roles in our communities

This is an easy place to get involved with because their are SO MANY different opportunities. If you have any desire to work with youth - boys and girls ages 7 to 18 - there is undoubtedly something for you to do here.

There are four main categories that volunteers fall under: Education, Athletics, Outreach, and Administrative. And there are numerous opportunities within each category. There are also regular special events as well as group opportunities. They operate primarily M-F after school and into the evening as well as occasional Saturdays.

On a side note - a few years back while taking a Media class at Bethel College I had the priveledge of creating a documentary on the Hospitality House and was able to spend some time with the founder Elwood 'Woody' Larson. I also spent quite a bit of time - at Woody's request - simply 'being' with the kids. While my documentary has long since been pulled from the Public Access cable channel on which it aired - there is still a huge need for people to get involved with the kids of our city that have so few of the luxuries that we take for granted. The Hospitality House is a great place to start.

For more information as well as a Volunteer Application:

http://www.hhyd.org/

Bill's Pantry

This week's organization of the week is Bill's Pantry. This wonderful organization delivers groceries to low income people in the Twin Cities living with HIV/Aids. They are a small, all volunteer organization, and a perfect example of what a group of dedicated people with a vision can accomplish.

There are several ways to get involved with Bill's pantry. They need people to help collect groceries - typically on Thursdays. They need help filling orders and bagging groceries - on Saturday mornings. And they need help delivering groceries - on Saturday morning. They also will accept monetary donations.

The people at Bill's are truly dedicated and wonderful to be associated with. And the recipients of the groceries are a varied collection of races, genders, ages, etc. My 'picture of AIDS' has changed dramatically as I have gotten to know the individuals - and their families - that suffer from this painfull illness.


If you like the idea of grocery/food delivery but can't fit Bill's into your schedule, here are two other programs to consider:

Store to Door : http://www.storetodoor.org/ Serving the elderly and disabled - mostly mornings during the week.

Meals on Wheels: http://www.meals-on-wheels.com/ Serving the elderly. This is a great option for an office volunteer program. Meals delivered as lunches 5 days a week.

Ramsey County Corrections

This weeks Organization of the week is the Ramsey Couty Community Corrections department or VIC - Volunteers in Corrections.

It is very easy to forget about those adults in prison and the juveniles in detention centers. But it is very hard for those imprisoned individuals to forget someone who lovingly gives of their time to simply be with them. If you are looking for a very personal and meaningful and long lasting opportunity I would highly reccomend this type of program. (This is the Ramsey County program - the one that I am familiar with - however most counties have similar type programs for you to get involved with)

Due to the nature of the correctional system, there is a little bit of leg work needed in order to get involved. Please don't let that deter you. There is an application process as well as a referrence check. There is also a mandatory 'training' that consists of four weekly meetings, each about 3 hours. Even if you're not comletely sold on Correctional volunteering - I would HIGHLY recommend going through the 12 hour training session. It is a real eye opener.

Dana Race is the volunteer coordinator and she is great to work with. She has a real dedication to this work and will definitely help you identify the best role within the volunteer system.

While there is a Prison Ministry opportunity - the real need that comes up again and again is simply having individuals as friends and mentors to the inmates.

Follow this link: http://www.co.ramsey.mn.us/cc/volunteering.htm to learn more about the program.

"...I was in prison and you came to visit me."

Introduction

Hurricane Katrina has brought out the best in people. As we view the homeless, the hungry, the scared, the sick and the desolate the American people have responded - and Rightfully so. However, before Hurrican Katrina, and no doubt after - there were, are, and will be others: Homeless, hungry, scared, sick, desolate....

This blog is simply a way to help share ideas, programs, organizations, resources, etc with each other so that we may faithfully fulfill Christ's command to love.

My plan is to highlight a different organization each week - one that desperately needs our help in order to fulfill its mission. Some will be Christian organizations but many will not be. Some will be local to the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and others will be National and/or international. Some will need financial assistance - but most will require your time. I welcome ideas, questions, comments, concerns and relish good discussion.

I will also provide links to some of the preachers/speakers/authors that have had a profound effect on my life - and encourage your ideas on others.

Sometimes it takes a true catastrophe to 'wake us up.' In the aftermath of one of the worst catastrophe's our nation has experienced, perhaps we will all wake up to the real needs of our fellow brothers and sisters on this planet. Let us never forget the words of Christ in Matthew Chapter 25:

34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'