Keeping People Warm This Winter

Hat Donations from Volunteers

Our volunteers do more than just answer phones, serve and sort food. We had a wonderful donation of 30+ hats last week from volunteers. These hats were handmade, knitted caps for men, women and children. They were beautifully crafted using various colors of yarn. Each hat had it own design and were original in nature.

The hats were distributed to those in need and are currently keeping many heads warm. The IFC community welcomed the donation. Staff members sorted through the beautiful hats and distributed them with the same love and care in which they were designed.

Many thanks to the gracious donors and to all our volunteers. Thank you!!!

December Birthdays

To all our volunteers that are celebrating birthdays during the month of December:

May your day be filled with family, friends and many wonderful memories. We appreciate your dedication to the Inter-Faith Council and thank you for your many hours of service. Have a great birthday month.

Best Wishes.....

Perks for IFC Volunteers

Did you know that if you are an active volunteer at the IFC you qualify for tickets at Playmakers Repertory Company? According to American Theatre Magazine, Playmakers is “One of America’s leading theatre companies.” This theatre is in our own backyard and the talent is amazing. There are various performances and show times to view this outstanding talent.

We recently took advantage of seeing The Life & Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby by David Edgar from the novel by Charles Dickens. This play is a two-part, rotating performance that has been playing from November 11 and continues through December 20, 2009.

Other upcoming Playmaker performances include: All My Sons playing January 27-February 14, 2010 and The Importance of Being Earnest playing March 3- March 21, 2010. You may want to check out the website to get specifics about each of these upcoming plays: http://www.playmakersrep.org/

All current/active volunteers that are interested in getting more information about tickets to the above Playmaker performances can e-mail me at volunteer@ifcmailbox.org. You will be notified via e-mail when tickets become available. There are limited dates and times that are offered to volunteers, so hopefully one of the designated performances will fit into your schedule.

As always, thank you for your service and Happy Holidays. Until next time….Peace,

Karen

Being Thankful

Forever Thankful

We Are Thankful..

for volunteers that spend countless hours sorting food, stocking shelves and preparing a meal……

for volunteers with open ears while conversing with our clients.…..

for volunteers that scrub a soiled pan and then smile as another is added to the stack…

for volunteers that help our residents polish a resume, assist in mock interviews and search the web for potential jobs…

for volunteers that answer the phone, guide guests through the dining room and pick up food from late evening donations…..

for volunteers that work behind the scenes in data entry, golf tournament promotion and crop walk coordination…..

for volunteers that extend kindness, honor and respect to all peoples…..

for volunteers that support the mission and goals of the agency……

for all past, present and future volunteers…….

for the unwavering dedication of volunteers at all levels in this agency…..

Forever thankful…have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving.

Until next time…Peace,

Karen

Volunteer Statistics

Our Volunteers Count

Have you ever wondered how many people call the volunteer office each month to inquire about volunteer opportunities? Or how many people attend orientation each month? Or perhaps how many people are placed into volunteer positions in a given month? Here are some interesting statistics from the month of October:

New Volunteer Inquiries (phone, e-mail, drop in) - 58 people
Number of People attending Orientation - 30 people
Number of People placed in volunteer positions - 15 people

Although keeping up with inquiries and placement of people is at times a challenge, it’s also very rewarding to know that people in our community are seeking to help. We do our best to answer all calls, encourage individuals to attend orientation and attempt to place people in positions that best suit the individual needs and the needs of the agency.

Over the past year, the agency has taken a more focused step at matching needs and making sure that volunteers are trained and placed in positions that can really make a difference. We depend on our volunteers to help the staff in day-to-day services. Examples include: interviewing clients, answering phones, cooking meals, picking up food, sorting food, etc. Our attempts to better train and educate our volunteers have increased continuity, created a clearer understanding of roles and responsibilities and opened volunteer communications.

Our goal is to be able to help all volunteers find their niche in the agency, whether it’s working directly with clients or behind the scenes. In any event, we thank you, all our volunteers, for your dedication and support. Due to the large number of inquiries and attendance at recent orientations, we are filling many positions at record levels. We are thankful for this blessing. There are always positions that become vacant or new positions that are created.

If you are interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities at the IFC, please email me at volunteer@ifcmailbox.org. Thank you, again, for your support.

Until next time…Peace,

Karen

Orientation for New Volunteers

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer or just interested in gaining information about the IFC, please come to one of the scheduled new volunteer orientations. The orientations are held on the second Tuesday of each month. The next orientation is this coming Tuesday, November 10th. It will be held at 110 W. Main Street in Carrboro from 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. in the second floor conference room. If you are coming by car, there will be parking available in the back of the building.


Chris Moran, IFC Executive Director will offer information about the IFC and answer your questions. Volunteer applications can be completed on line and forwarded to volunteer@ifcmailbox.org. Applications will also be available the evening of orientation. As always, thank you for your interest; and we look forward to meeting you at orientation.

Justice United

Who Is Justice United?

Justice United is a broad-based, non-partisan group of individuals from various organizations, faith-based communities and non-profit groups that have come together to address social justice issues. Understanding social justice issues and how they impact our community is the key to initiating change. Justice United supporters are dedicated individuals that agree to address the following issues: education, affordable housing, healthcare, living wages/jobs, immigrant families, environmental justice and the equity/quality of life for rural Orange County.

On October 26, 2009, Orange County Justice United held a ceremony and public action meeting at the United Church of Chapel Hill. This ceremony was an opportunity for organizations to accept an active role in becoming aware of and addressing the issues that affect the low- and middle-income families in Orange County.

Inter-Faith Council for Social Service accepted the invitation to be a member of Justice United. Staff and volunteers from the IFC were present at the meeting. It was wonderful to see a large number of IFC volunteers taking an active role in addressing these issues. Volunteers stood not only with their faith-based communities, but with other community organizations as well. As the name of each organization was announced, individuals from that group stood (literally) in solidarity to accept an active role in Justice United.

It was a powerful evening with witness stories on children’s safety issues, education, neighborhood development and living wages. Stories were told by Juan Carlos Nunes, Habitat for Humanity, Kevin Nicks, Parents Advocating for Children Together, Lisa Williams, Pine Knolls Neighborhood Association and Kelly Dunlop, Catholic Newman Student Center & Parish. The focus of the evening was to educate people and have a call to action. The call to action included written action items for each of the social justice concerns outlined above. With the help of team members, the group will continue to explore these issues in the coming years and make a call for change. If you have a passion to learn more about the social justice issues that face our community, you can get involved. To learn more about Justice United, go to the website: http://sites.google.com/site/ocociaf/home

The time for change is now. You can be part of this change in Orange County. As always, you can email me at volunteer@ifcmailbox.org or call for more information on volunteer opportunities. Until next time…Peace.

Karen

Project Homeless Connect

The Third Annual Project Homeless Connect (PHC) was held on Thursday, October 8th. The event was sponsored by the 10-year Plan to End Homelessness with funding from The United Way and many private donations. The event ran from 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. and was held in the Hargraves Center and St. Joseph’s Church in Chapel Hill. Services included: medical, dental, housing, food, coats, mental health services, foot care, haircuts, child care, etc. There were 50+ providers that volunteered their time and talent to help homeless individuals and those at risk of homelessness. There were 235 homeless individuals that were helped that day.

The IFC has participated in this event for the past three years. There were several staff members and IFC volunteers that spent the majority of their day serving a community in need. The Inter-Faith Council was represented by Chris Moran, Kristin Lavergne, Laurie Tucker and Angela MacDonald. The IFC table had a steady stream of guests inquiring about available services and how to get support and information. Clothing vouchers, emergency services, food pantry information, cell phones and many various services were offered to people needing assistance.

Many hours of preparation and planning went into this huge project. Laurie Tucker, IFC Residential Director and I have served on the steering committee for PHC for the past three years. Planning for this event starts in January and continues until the day of the event. Food, personal care kits, coats, printing, supplies, etc. are donated by businesses, faith-based communities and individuals. It is truly a group effort that helps make this event successful year after year.

One of the best things about the culture of the IFC is that staff and volunteers see a need by individuals in the community and work as a collective group to meet that need. This event is another example of a community coming together, addressing a need or problem and striving to find a solution. Thank you to all our IFC volunteers that help make this event successful. If you are interested in learning more about this event or how to volunteer at the IFC, please email me at volunteer@ifcmailbox.org.

Immediate Needs

FOOD PICK UP/DELIVERY

One volunteer is needed immediately for food pick up and delivery on Fridays from 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm. You can ride with another volunteer to Ram's Head on UNC Campus, pick up the food items and return to Community Kitchen. There is help unloading the items when you return to the kitchen. If interested, please contact volunteer@ifcmailbox.org or call 929.6380 ext. 30

RECEPTIONISTS

Afternoon receptionists at Community House are needed. Duties include: answering the phone, directing people, offering assistance to guests, etc. Three-hour shifts are available. If you are interested in learning more about these positions, please contact volunteer@ifcmailbox.org or call 929.6380 ext. 30

Thank you for considering volunteering at the Inter-Faith Council for Social Service.

Compassion

Compassion is having an emotional connection for the suffering of others. Our volunteers try to take away or alleviate that painful suffering by preparing a simple meal, stocking pantry shelves or listening intently to someone in need.

We cannot take away the suffering or completely solve the problem, but we can be present and active for others. By being present, we acknowledge a person's life. As volunteers in a growing and ever-changing community, we see the face of fear, the face of helplessness and the face of rejection when we look into the eyes of those we serve. The pain of the poor can mirror our own pain if we allow ourselves to connect and see the similarities in our own lives. We recognize how easy our own circumstances can change by the loss of a job, the death of a family member or the unfortunate chain reaction of a poor economy.

We push forward, connect with others, volunteer our time and financially support agencies that offer help. That's what our volunteers do at the Inter-Faith Council. Our volunteers strive to do their best by committing to a specific area of service, sharing conversation with our clients and embracing compassion and hope in daily service. At the Inter-Faith Council for Social Service, we connect volunteers' needs with those needs of the agency. We continue to use our volunteers as catalysts to change the face of homelessness in Orange County.

If you have a story you would like to share about your experience as a volunteer or if you would like to begin your service as a volunteer, please forward your thoughts to volunteer@ifcmailbox.org. Thank you for all that you do as volunteers at the IFC. Until next time...Peace.

Volunteers

This is the first of many blogs that will help us stay connected. The Inter-Faith Council for Social Service is an agency that depends on so many wonderful volunteers. As many of you already know, your time is the essence of our success.

What is time?

Time (tim) n. 1. A nonspatial continuum in which events occur in apparently irreversible succession from the past through the present to the future. 2. One of several instances. 3. A suitable or opportune moment or season. *

*American Heritage Dictionary. Second College Edition. Houghton Miffline Company. Boston

Our volunteers help with the day-to-day operations of this agency. To all our volunteers that give countless hours of sorting food, stacking shelves, cooking meals, picking-up/delivering food, cleaning the kitchen, answering telephones, filing records, monitoring meals, listening to those in need, assisting in the food pantry, mentoring, etc. we say, "Thank you for a job well done".

You are one of several individuals throughout the day that make serving others so rewarding. You are the past, present and the future of this organization. You are appreciated and needed. Thank you, friend, for sharing your time with the larger community. Until next time...

Peace