Pat Pope gathered the children at ESHC to paint pumpkins!
Packing Fresh Produce, Break, Milk and Cereal for St. John's Seniors
On Thursday, February 24th and Wednesday, March 2nd, several of our MCWA Ladies met at Pie In the Sky to pack bags of milk and cereal, then fresh produce to go into 15 or so vehicles to be delivered by volunteers to the home of 457 seniors who rely on these food packages.
Our Giving Circle Efforts for Pie In the Sky included accepting $15 donations to purchase shelf stable milk and halo oranges to be included in the packages. In total we collected over $700 from membership and Painting for a Cause.
Volunteers meet every week to pack food and prepare for delivery to 40 routes in St. John’s County.
Volunteers are always welcome at the the warehouse, please call 904.217.4863
MCWA Outreach Committee Announces the Charities to Support this Season
Each year the MCWA Outreach Committee invites local charities to submit applications for consideration for funding and support. This year we received 11 applications. Nina Pitkin and Helen Boxer reviewed and prepared summaries for each organization.
At our September Committee Meeting we discussed the key selection criteria for selecting 6 charities to support through our Giving Circle.
The committee wanted to reach kids and youth, families, and the elderly through their giving.
If a nonprofit was very well funded by many other funding sources, it would not be a priority.
The committee wanted to fund specific projects that were well thought out and very tangible (ie.playground equipment last year).
The committee wanted to fund successful nonprofits that we had supported in the past, and also include new charities.
Some nonprofits would be supported as volunteer opportunities for our members.
After a long and deep discussion, agreement was reached on our 2021-2022 Nonprofits we would support. We are please to announce that MCWA will support the following local non=profit organizations this year through financial and volunteer efforts.
Alpha Omega Miracle Home - provides housing, education, and counseling to those who are the most vulnerable: young mothers, their children, and senior women.Pattie Nolton and Ellen Blasi will be co-liaisons
Emergency Services and Homeless Coalition - provides permanent and transitional housing to homeless families and their children; food, clothing, household items; supportive services, after school and summer camp activities; and also provides food and clothing to the larger homeless population.
Melody Ness, Pat Pope & Peggy Cutrino will be co-liaisons.
Food 4 Kids - provide weekend food items in backpacks for selected students at South Woods Elementary School in Elkton, FL and their siblings under the age of 18.
Adrienne Lyons and Nina Pitkin will be co-liaisons.
Pie in the Sky - provides hope by serving with dignity and respect to alleviate hunger and social isolation through the home delivery of fresh healthy produce to as many low-income, hungry senior citizens as is physically and financially possible.
Christine Matthaei and Mimi Ianuzzi will be co-liaisons.
Port in the Storm - place homeless youth in nurturing programs that develop their self esteem, so they become self-sufficient, find stable housing, and change the trajectory of their lives. This is a very underserved population as the children are too old for foster care and considered adults at 18. They serve youths between 18 and 25 years of age.
Lise Murphy and Gayle Dodson will be co-liaisons.
Rodeheaver Boys Ranch - provides a wholesome home environment with an inclusive program implementing social, educational, vocational, and spiritual development for up to 50 boys who, because of parental death, desertion, divorce, disability, or general dysfunction, are at-risk or insecure.
Lise Murphy and Helen Boxer will be co-liaisons.
Shoes and Clothing for the Children of the Emergency Services & Homeless Coalition.
At the MCWA August board meeting, the board approved $1,500 for the purchase of shoes for the children at the Emergency Services and Homeless Coalition. The children were happy to have shoes to wear to school. The MCWA Outreach Committee has been providing new shoes to the children of the ESHC for several years.
A sampling of the shoes and sneakers going to the children at the ESHC