Smorg May 2018

Posted: April 19, 2018

North County Opportunities

HERE ARE SOME CURRENT OUTREACH PROJECTS THAT MAY HAVE YOUR NAME ON THEM!  Contact Info@girlfriends.org for more information or to sign up!

New or Upcoming Opportunities

• Provide needed items for girlfriends to make Hygiene Kits for PATH (People Assisting The Homeless) to distribute to our homeless population in downtown San Diego.  Needed items include Lip Balm or Chapstick with SPF 15 or higher,
  Deodorant Hand Sanitizer, Anti-bacterial Wipes (small packs of 10-20), Toothbrushes – Adult (individually wrapped), 
  Toothpaste (non-whitening), and Dental Floss. Kits will be assembled at our 1st Saturday meeting on May 5th at Serra Mesa-Kearny Mesa Library Community Room. Contact Laurie@girlfriendscare.org for more info.
• Help us collect disposable diapers for our annual Diaper Derby for the mother’s at the Family Recovery Center!   FRC is always in need of all sizes of disposable diapers.  Many Babies and Many Moms!  Bring them to the 2nd Saturday meeting on May 12th or email Passion2Serve@girlfriendscare.org for the drop sites. Deadline is May 12, 2018.  Watch for our communications and Join In!   
• Our Next Gift Bag Building and Distribution will be on May 12th at the Family Recovery Center!  We collect year round for the gift bag outreach.  Please keep this in your heart and join in with contributions for the bags.  Please take a peek at the “GFC Gift Bags for Women in Need” section in our ongoing projects for details of items needed! 
• Boys and Girls Club of Vista – The following opportunities could use some girlfriends love! To volunteer, please contact: ellen@bgcvista.com  or 760-724-6606 ext 12
  • Diamond Gala Preparation: Now-May 11 (Flexible Times)
    • Sort and prepare donations, pick up donations, help to procure, prepare auction materials, etc.
  • Diamond Gala “Work Night”:  Monday, May 7 (6:00pm-9:00pm)
    • Help prepare auction baskets and other items for the event.  Training for registration and check-out volunteers.
  • Diamond Gala “Day Of” Assistance: Saturday, May 12 
    • Help Us Make It Look Amazing!  Set up for silent auction and the wine wall.  Assist with final centerpiece prep and table decoration. (1:00pm-4:00pm) 
    • Event assistance including registration, check out, auction spotters and wine-wall.  Arrive at 4:45pm.  End times vary from 7:00pm-11:00pm depending on area of assignment.

Ongoing Opportunities

• Have a few minutes to pick up and deliver items directly to those we help? Please notify Girlfriends Care at info@girlfriendscare.org that you would like to help when an opportunity comes up!
• Prayer Pillowcases – Girlfriends are needed to help cut, iron and sew our Prayer Pillowcases in preparation for the distribution of more than 700 pillowcases each year to comfort the homeless and those living in transitional housing in both North County and San Diego. Girlfriends are also needed to lead groups of kids decorating and praying for the receiver.  Contact Linda Crawford at pillowcases@girlfriendscare.org for more information and/or to make a project donation.
• GFC Gift Bags for women in need– Supplies are needed to fill GFC Gift Bags. A beautiful gift bag brings a smile to those with very little. Girlfriends Care decorates and puts together gifts bags for women and girls in need, We need new journals, beauty items, jewelry and other “girly” items to fill the bags.  Contact Diana Hanes at Diana@girlfriendscare.org if you would like to donate or bring them to a monthly meeting.  
• Boys & Girls Club of Vista – For more information on the below opportunities, please contact Theresa at: theresa@girlfriendscare.org or Ellen at ellen@bgcvista.com.
  • Love working with kids!  Join Weekday afternoons from 3:00-5:00pm:  Afterschool Activities with the Kids (requires background check); assistance needed in tutoring, coaching, reading, art, athletics, math, science, computer, music, and on the playground.
  • Love kids, but not hands on?  Volunteers needed Weekday mornings, afternoons and occasional weekend dates for help with Administration and Special Events. 
• Homeless Street Teens and Foster Youth Aging out of the system – Donate non-perishable snacks or socks to be handed out to the homeless teens through YMCA Youth & Family Services. Bring to the next Girlfriends Care meeting or drop off at any of our drop off locations or contact MaryAnn at mgraham@ymca.org.
• Milestone House, Support At-Risk Teen Foster Girls!  Milestone House is in need of volunteers who are willing to share their teaching talents in areas needed – such as music, art or cooking.   Contact Beverly Boone at Beverly@milestonehouse.org.  
• Help Women and Children Rebuilding Their Lives After Domestic Violence or Sexual Assault – The moms and children living in transitional housing at the Women’s Resource Center always need basic household supplies and grocery store gift cards.   Drop your donation during regular business hours at their office at 1963 Apple Street, Oceanside 92054 – or bring to a GFC meeting.
• Brother Benno’s– Volunteers are always needed at both the main center and the Thrift Shop. Contact Denise Seymour at denise@artistofyourmind.com.  The Thrift shop is in needed of clothing donations.  Drop off at the Thrift Shop or contact parsons7016@sbcglobal.net.  
• Bread of Life– Serving the homeless in North County.  Volunteers are needed for various projects.  To find out more go to website bolrescue.org or contact bolrescue@gmail.com. Donations of food and paper products are in need!   
• Fill A Belly welcomes families, small groups and individuals to bring, serve and enjoy dinner with guests on Tuesday evenings at Holiday Park in Carlsbad.
• KidzCare– Hands-on kid sized outreach projects for kids age K-8^th grade are great teaching tools!  Contact Sharon at KidzCare@girlfriendscare.org for more information or to sign up.
• Teens Care for ages 13-19 is designed to provide meaningful volunteer opportunities for youth.  Projects can count towards community service hours required by local schools.  For more info or to get on the mailing list, contact Ellen at TeensCare@girlfriendscare.org.
• Have a talent to share? Contact Carol@girlfriendscare.org to add your name to our list of those willing to teach, sing, play an instrument or share your skill at an upcoming event, senior home, or other organization we serve. (Please indicate name, email address, talent and best times available.) 
• “GFC Breakfast Club”: Help feed the poor and homeless at Brother Benno’s on the 3rd Saturday of each month (except December).  Arrive at 9:30 AM and finish by Noon!  The food, which is supplied and prepared by Brother Benno’s, is served from a cafeteria-type line. If you want to serve, or just to put your name on the Serving Roster to be notified for future months, please let us know at Info@girlfriends.org   Ages 17 thru 107 are welcome!
• Amazon-SMILE is a simple and automatic way for you to support Girlfriends Care every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop, AmazonSmile donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible purchases to Girlfriends Care.  Simply choose AmazonSmile and Girlfriends Care, then place your order as usual.   Share this with your friends, relatives, college students ordering their books, etc., so we can “Compound the Caring” for all those we serve!  AmazonSmile: You shop. Amazon gives.  Another Win-Win-Win!