Preview This Year’s Raffle Items!

Our annual raffle is one of the highlights of lunch (along with the food, of course). Once again this year it features a variety of items, including some beautiful, handcrafted items. Proceeds will help support continuing renovation work at Pathways MI, with some portion covering minor event costs.

We have two raffles, featuring fabulous donations from local artisans and businesses, and designated by white and red tickets:

• Red Raffle Tickets are $5 each or 3 for $12
• White Raffle Tickets are $10 each or 3 for $25

The slideshow below gives you a sneak peek of a few of the items you can win. Bring your checkbook and your generosity!

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What? You’re volunteering but want to do even more?

That’s awesome! Consider holding a donation drive within your network for the Nestlings Diaper Bank, a clearinghouse that provides low-income families and babies in need with diapers and wipes, for the following items: Disposable diapers (especially sizes 4, 5, and 6) and wipes. They also accept open packages of diapers. We’d be happy to add your contribution to ours on October 6! Or—easiest of all!—you can donate directly to Nestlings online.

We’d also love your financial support for our continuing renovation work at Pathways MI, where many of you worked hard over the last two years. Donations fund the paint, carpet, and furniture that makes the facility welcoming and healing for the children and families who receive services there.

• We’ll also be hand-crafting delicious pigs-in-blankets during our Women’s Service Day event on the 6th, with, again, proceeds going to the renovation fund for Pathways. Pigs are $12 for a dozen, and orders must be received by October 1. Order yours via this online form.

• Monetary donations may be made directly to Pathways through their website. All gifts are tax-deductible. To support Women’s Service Day projects there, choose the Building Renovation Fund option when you click “donate.” (Note that Pathways becomes a program of Arbor Circle Corporation on October 1, so you may receive a receipt from that organization.)

• To complete the project at the Pathways MI facility, we’re on the lookout for furniture, equipment, and supplies, as well as skilled trades and crews willing to volunteer throughout the year. Please contact us to discuss our needs.

Thank you! Every little bit helps!

 

Order Your Pigs-in-Blankets by October 1!

The pigs are back in town! We’ll be making Dutch pigs-in-the-blankets* on Women’s Service Day again this year. Cost is $12 per dozen, and all proceeds will support our continuing renovation work at Pathways. Volunteers will be preparing your orders in the Hope Church kitchen on October 6.

Using our online form, please enter the required fields and submit the form no later than October 1.

Your purchase of pigs must be picked up on October 6 between 3 and 6 p.m. at Hope Church, 77 West 11th Street, Holland. Payment is accepted by cash, credit card, or checks written to Arbor Circle Corporation, with “Women’s Service Day” in the memo line.

And, if you’re interested in selling to your church or book club, let’s talk! Please e-mail us at womensserviceday@gmail.com.

Bon appétit!

*For dietary concerns, pigs-in-the-blankets contain: all-purpose flour, margarine, salt, eggs, milk, and spiced pork sausage.

Last Chance to Order T-shirts!

Show some heart! Thursday, September 15, is the deadline for ordering commemorative T-shirts. We’re offering long-sleeved, short-sleeved, v-neck, and crew-neck shirts and even a hoodie! Proceeds benefit our renovation project at Pathways, which works to improve life for children and families by providing services like counseling, foster care, and education. Don’t delay just a few more days! Visit https://www.booster.com/wsd-2016 for full details and to place your order.

Not Able to Volunteer? You Can Still Help!

If you have a passion for helping women and children and building community here in West Michigan, but can’t join us on October 6, there are other ways you can be involved. We’d love your financial support for our networking lunch or to support continuing renovation work at Pathways MI where many of you worked hard last year. Donations fund the paint, carpet, and furniture that makes the facility welcoming and healing for the children and families who receive services there.

• FINANCIAL: Monetary donations may be made two ways: By writing a check to Pathways, MI and putting “Building Renovation Fund Donation” in the memo line, then sending it to: Pathways, MI 412 Century Lane Holland MI 49423 Or, through the Pathways MI website. All gifts are tax-deductible. To support Women’s Service Day projects there, choose the Building Renovation Fund option when you click “donate.”Proceeds from our commemorative shirts also benefit Pathways. Go to https://www.booster.com/wsd-2016 for full details and to place your order.

• IN-KIND GOODS: To complete the project at the Pathways MI facility, we’re on the lookout for specific furniture, equipment, and supplies, as well as skilled trades. Please contact us to discuss our needs.

Or, consider holding a donation drive within your network for the Nestlings Diaper Bank, a clearinghouse that provides low-income families and babies in need with diapers and wipes, for the following items: Disposable diapers (especially sizes 4, 5, and 6) and wipes. They also accept open packages of diapers. We’d be happy to add your contribution to ours on October 6! Or—easiest of all!—you can donate directly to Nestlings online.

Thank you! Every little bit helps!

Women’s Service Day 2016: It’s Time to Sign Up!

Are you ready to register for Women’s Service Day 2016?

You and your fellow volunteers are making a huge difference in the lives of women and children in our community. Since WSD began in 2001, we’ve put in nearly 10,000 cumulative volunteer hours—the equivalent of four full-time people volunteering for a year! And we’ve raised and donated more than $100,000 to various nonprofit organizations.

This year, in honor of our 15th anniversary, we hope to make a bigger impact than usual. In order to do that, we need not just you, but also your colleagues, friends, and family—any woman who wants to make the world a better place. When you register, please invite them to register, too! The date of the event is Thursday, October 6.

In addition to volunteering at a number of nonprofit agencies in Holland (here’s a list of places we’ve volunteered in the past), we’ll be holding a raffle to help support continuing renovation work at Pathways MI where we’ll be working on the break room, kitchen, and hallways. And we’ll be collecting disposable diapers for Nestlings Diaper Bank, which is a clearinghouse for many service agencies in our area. If you’re interested in being a part of this day of volunteering and networking, it’s time to sign up!

In special celebration of our 15-year anniversary, we’re offering special commemorative clothing items through Booster.com. Prices vary by item, but proceeds will go to the renovation fund for the Pathways MI facility, to continue to buy the paint, carpet, and furniture that makes the facility welcoming and healing for the children and families who receive services there. Go to Booster.com/wsd-2016 for full details and to place your order.

How to Register

Capacity is limited and you must register (first-registered, first-served) before the event to participate. Complete this online form by September 6 to sign up for a morning session, afternoon session, or both shifts. You’ll receive confirmation that we’ve received your information, and you’ll be on an email distribution list for future event communications. Remember, we’re counting on you! We plan our agency projects based on the number of registrants, so please be sure it’s on your calendar.

What to Expect on October 6

For a morning or all-day session, plan to arrive at a worksite in Holland (we’ll let you know where) at 8:30 a.m. For an afternoon session, plan to arrive at Hope Church by noon, where we’ll gather for a celebration lunch (for which we ask a $5 donation). We’ll hold a raffle for this year’s recipient, Pathways MI, so bring your checkbook!

Bring your contribution of unused disposable diapers and pull-ups (open packages are okay, and larger sizes are often in shorter supply) and new, unopened baby wipes for Nestlings Diaper Bank.

Watch for additional details about our event in future communications and here on our website. Thank you for your willingness to help!

Questions? E-mail the Women’s Service Day Planning Committee. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Google+.

Help Us Make the 15th the Biggest Women’s Service Day Yet

This year Women’s Service Day is celebrating 15 years of making our community a better place to live, and we’d like to make our biggest impact yet. For that, we need more volunteers, and a good way to recruit more volunteers is for us (you!) to share our WSD experiences with others.

So, in honor of National Volunteer Week (April 10 – 16), we’re inviting you to create a 30-second video. Answer the question: What do you love about WSD? Or: Why do you participate in WSD? Or you can wing it. Or you can do the video with a friend—maybe the person who first told you about WSD. Be creative! Have fun with it!

Then post it to Facebook and tag Women’s Service Day (Women’s Service Day, Holland/Zeeland). And/or you can post it to Twitter (@womenserviceday) or even Google+. We’ll repost your video as part of the build-up to our 15th annual event on October 6, for which we hope you’ve marked your calendar.

Looking for inspiration? We’ve linked to a few examples, below.

What Christine Loves About Women’s Service Day
What Kallie Loves About Women’s Service Day
What Carrie Loves About Women’s Service Day
What Marcia Loves About Women’s Service Day

While we usually ask you to lend a hand, rather than your voice, we appreciate your willingness to give back in a different way. Thank you!