One Common Thread: Lots of Love to Give

Preparing the farm for winter

Outdoors and indoors, volunteers worked hard to serve agencies on Women’s Service Day, October 3. They were at places like 8th Day Farm, where a little rain didn’t impede the spreading of compost and winterizing the farm. Or Renew Therapeutic Riding Center, which is moving to its new location and needed new fence posts cleaned for installation. And Hope Pkgs, where they first shopped for, then filled “first-night” backpacks for kids going to foster homes. It was obvious–but not surprising–that Women’s Service Day participants have full hearts and plenty of love to offer their community.

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One common theme we heard throughout the day was growth: Renew Therapeutic Riding Center is moving to a new location, where they’re building an arena and learning center. Camp Sunshine has outgrown its current location, so WSD volunteers helped pack boxes for their move. Nestlings volunteers were surrounded by cases of diapers that had recently been delivered with no place to store them but in stacks.

We also heard stories of engagement: One woman signed up for the Day Center at Evergreen Commons to try it out as a possible volunteer opportunity for her in the future. Another who had worked at 8th Day Farm on October 3 returned the next day to volunteer for harvest day. She was so glad to step away from her office day job that she’s looking forward to helping the farm and get outside more often.

Altogether, volunteers contributed $3,000 to our auction raffle fundraiser for Hope Pkgs, which was generously matched by Herman Miller Cares with another $2,000. We collected donations for Community Action House, including toothbrushes and toothpaste, toilet paper, shampoo, deodorant, soap, and feminine hygiene supplies, to help restock their shelves for people in need.

Nearly 180 people participated to make the event a success. We are grateful for the continued enthusiasm shown in our community to support women and children!

Thank You, Volunteers!

Even after 18 years, we are amazed at the generosity and hard work demonstrated by Women’s Service Day volunteers!

In one day,180 volunteers registered to serve 16 agencies. Many of them joined us for lunch where we held a fundraiser for Hope Pkgs and raised over $3,000. And, volunteers donated a number of items to Community Action House:

• 44 toothpaste tubes
• 17 toothbrushes
• 130 rolls of toilet paper
• 6 rolls of paper towels
• 71 shampoo bottles
• 43 deodorant containers
• 60 body wash/lotion bottles
• 2 shaving creams/1 razor
• 75 bars of soap
• 116 panty liners
• 180 tampons
• 303 maxi pads

Stay tuned for the full story–with photos–to see all we accomplished in just one day!

For now, we just want to say thank you for opening your hearts, pulling on your work clothes (and mud boots), and sharing your love!

Too Busy to Volunteer? Join Us for Lunch!

We’re looking forward to Women’s Service Day on October 3—and we hope you are, too!

Already Registered? You’ve likely received a confirmation from Sign Up Genius with your crew information—where to go and at what time. Read about what to expect for details on our donation drive and fundraiser luncheon. And, there’s still time to invite your friends. Just send them a link to this blog post or to Sign Up Genius.

Haven’t Yet Registered? You still can! We still have openings for October 3. Again, just go to Sign Up Genius and see what opportunities appeal to you. (Click here if you’d like detailed instructions on how to register.)

Other Ways to Contribute: If you can’t volunteer on a crew, but you’re still interested in supporting Women’s Service Day, join us for lunch! RSVP for lunch only here. Plan to arrive at 11:45 or noon, and bring a donation for Community Action House (toilet paper, deodorant, shampoo, body soap, toothpaste, and/or feminine hygiene products), plus $5 to cover your lunch.

Don’t forget your wallet or checkbook to participate in our raffle/auction fundraiser. Proceeds will support Hope Pkgs, which provides “first night bags” of essential items like pajamas and a toothbrush for kids entering foster care.

 

Lunch will be held at Hope Church, 77 West 11th Street, Holland.

 

Even if You’re Out of Town on October 3…. You can still contribute to the donation drive or make a financial contribution for Hope Pkgs. Contact us at womensserviceday@gmail.com to coordinate.

Questions? Use the contact form on this website, visit our Facebook page, or email the planning team at womensserviceday@gmail.com for more information.

WSD 2019: It’s Time to Sign Up!

Join us as we celebrate our eighteenth year! Women’s Service Day 2019 is planned for Thursday, October 3, and it’s time to sign up! To be a part of this day of volunteering and networking, please register by September 25.

How to Register

We’re again using online registration by Sign Up Genius, which allows you to choose specifically where and when you’d like to volunteer on Women’s Service Day. Volunteer opportunities are limited; they’ll be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Please keep two things in mind: Most agencies require that volunteers be 18 or older; look for notes on the few that are available to younger volunteers. And because some of our volunteers have physical limitations, please choose options that align with your capabilities.

If you’re not familiar with Sign Up Genius, just follow these four easy steps:

1. GO TO THE FORM: Click here to go to the WSD 2019 Registration Form on Sign Up Genius.

2. CHOOSE YOUR ASSIGNMENT: Click on the green “Sign Up” button next to a volunteer opportunity you’d like to do. To volunteer all day, choose both a morning and an afternoon assignment.

• If you have a physical limitation and don’t see an appropriate task for your abilities on the list, please contact us at womensserviceday@gmail.com. We definitely have a place for you!
• Got leadership skills? Consider signing up to be the leader of a volunteer crew. Read more about crew leader expectation and responsibilities.
• Once you’ve picked your assignment(s), click on the big purple “Submit and Sign Up” button.

3. SET UP YOUR ACCOUNT: Create a Sign Up Genius account (or log in if you already have one). This will allow you to get email reminders and other important messages about the event.

• Complete the remaining questions on the form and click the big green “SIGN UP NOW” button.

4. MARK YOUR CALENDAR: You’re now all set for WSD on October 3! We’re counting on you, so make sure you add your assignment(s) to your calendar.

• And by all means, please invite your friends to sign up — the more the merrier!

Please note that we may add more volunteer activities in the next few weeks, so feel free to check back and see what’s new.

What to Expect on October 3

We are so excited for your enthusiastic participation on Women’s Service Day this year. Here’s what to expect….

For a morning or all-day session, plan to arrive at your worksite in Holland promptly by 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 be holding a raffle/auction to help support Hope Pkgs, which provides “first night bags” of essential items like pajamas and a toothbrush for kids entering foster care. Bring your wallet!

We’ll also collect items to donate to Community Action House, which provides area families and individuals with food, clothing, shelter, and skill-building opportunities to achieve stable and prosperous lives. We’ll gather donations of toilet paper, deodorant, shampoo, body soap, toothpaste, and feminine hygiene products.

And, we’re bringing back the WSD T-shirt fundraiser sale! Choose from five styles to celebrate your participation in Women’s Service Day and the investment of thousands of hours by hundreds of women in the Holland/Zeeland community! Prices vary by item, but all funds raised will support Hope Pkgs.

Go to Custom Ink to order your shirt by Friday, September 13. Choose to have your shirt shipped to you directly (shipping charges apply) or pick it up at Hope Church on October 3.

Hope Church has a parking lot, but if it is full, you may also park across the street to the north at First United Methodist (57 W. 10th Street, between Pine and River).

Questions?

E-mail the Women’s Service Day Planning Committee or visit our 2018 Event page.

What to Expect on October 3

We are so excited for your enthusiastic participation on Women’s Service Day this year. Here’s what to expect on October 3.

For a morning or all-day session, plan to arrive at your worksite in Holland promptly by 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 be holding a raffle/auction to help support Hope Pkgs, which provides “first night bags” of essential items like pajamas and a toothbrush for kids entering foster care. Bring your wallet!

We’ll also collect items to donate to Community Action House, which provides area families and individuals with food, clothing, shelter, and skill-building opportunities to achieve stable and prosperous lives. We’ll gather donations of toilet paper, deodorant, shampoo, body soap, toothpaste, and feminine hygiene products.

And, we’re bringing back the WSD t-shirt fundraiser sale! Choose from five styles to celebrate your participation in Women’s Service Day and the investment of thousands of hours by hundreds of women in the Holland/Zeeland community! Prices vary by item, but all funds raised will support Hope Pkgs.

Go to Custom Ink to order your shirt by Friday, September 13. Choose to have your shirt shipped to you directly (shipping charges apply) or pick it up at Hope Church on October 3.

Hope Church has a parking lot, but if it is full, you may also park across the street to the north at First United Methodist (57 W. 10th Street, between Pine and River).

Questions?

E-mail the Women’s Service Day Planning Committee or visit our 2019 Event page.

2019 Women’s Service Day T-Shirts: On Sale Now!

A few years ago we celebrated our 15th anniversary with a t-shirt fundraiser sale. This year we’re bringing it back!

Gear up for WSD 2019 with a shirt to wear on October 3 while you volunteer. Celebrate your participation in Women’s Service Day–an investment of thousands of hours by hundreds of women in the Holland/Zeeland community!

Choose from five styles. Prices vary by item, but all funds raised will support Hope Pkgs, which provides first night necessities to children entering the foster care system.

Go to Custom Ink to order your shirt by Friday, September 13,  then pick up your shirt during lunch at Hope Church on October 3. If you miss this deadline, you can still order a shirt, but you’ll pay direct shipping and receive the shirt two weeks later.

Show your WSD spirit while helping a good cause, too!

Where We’ll Serve on October 3

Sign-up is targeted for early September (look for our registration email shortly after Labor Day), but we wanted to drum up some excitement as we look forward to Women’s Service Day on October 3.

Here are 17 agencies where volunteers will be serving so you can start thinking about your choices when you register. The list isn’t final, but gives you an idea of what we’ll be doing. Don’t forget to recruit your friends, family, and coworkers!

• ACTS builds meaningful relationships with young people in the city of Holland to embrace, equip, and empower them. This ministry strives to make a lasting impact on their lives.
• Arbor Circle provides responsive and compassionate services to individuals, families, and communities, including counseling, early childhood programs, Great Start Western Regional Resource Center, parent and family support and education, foster care, and adoption. Volunteers will prepare for a fundraising event, making nametags, organizing silent auction items, and more.
• Benjamin’s Hope is a “live, work, play, worship” organization addressing the multifaceted needs of adult individuals and families affected by autism and other intellectual and developmental differences. Volunteers will do outdoor maintenance (or deep cleaning houses if weather is inclement).
• Camp Sunshine provides summer camp experiences for adults with developmental disabilities, which also supplies respite for their caretakers. Volunteers will do a variety of office tasks.
• Children’s Advocacy Center does abuse prevention and intervention using a coordinated and multidisciplinary approach. Volunteers will wash windows!
• Community Action House provides area families and individuals with food, clothing, shelter, and opportunities to build necessary skills to achieve a stable and prosperous life. Volunteers will sort clothes and donations.
• Day Center of Evergreen is a state-of-the-art adult day health center offering nursing care, social services, nutritious meals, and therapeutic activities for adults requiring assistance. Volunteers may help with crafts, visit one-on-one, and/or lead Bingo.
• Eighth Day Farm is a not-for-profit farm that provides education regarding healthy food and improving access to fresh food for low-income families.
• Holland Area Arts Council educates, engages, and challenges the community through the arts. Volunteers will organize the basement and/or kitchen.
• Holland Rescue Mission develops and delivers programs for the homeless and less fortunate. Volunteers will clean, paint, do yard work, sort donation items, and organize displays.
• Hope Pkgs provides “first night bags” of essential items (e.g., pajamas, socks, underwear, toothbrush and toothpaste) for kids entering foster care. Volunteers will help shop for items for the backpacks for the children. (There is no cost to the volunteers.)
• Kids Food Basket provides kids in need with well-balanced nutritious meals, filling the gap schools and parents often can’t afford.
• Lakeshore Habitat for Humanity builds housing with partner-owners based on the principle that everyone deserves a decent place to live and that our community is a better place when that occurs. Volunteers will do construction.
• Nestlings Diaper Bank serves as a central location to collect, store, and distribute diapers that have been donated by the local community or purchased through fundraising efforts. Volunteers will wrap diapers for distribution through area nonprofit organizations to mothers in need, organize, and stuff envelopes.
• Resilience (formerly Center for Women in Transition) is dedicated to ending domestic and sexual violence. It provides programs to engage and educate community members to help end the cycle of abuse before it begins. Volunteers will prepare materials for the Girls on the Run program.
• Renew Therapeutic Riding Center provides equine assisted activities and therapies to children and adults with physical, cognitive and emotional disabilities.

Do you work with or volunteer for another agency that serves women or children in Holland and Zeeland? It’s possible that we’ll be able to add to our list, since our volunteers are many and enthusiastic. If you’re aware of an agency or nonprofit project you think may be a good candidate, use our contact form to let us know, providing contact information for our follow-up. Agencies must provide supervision, supplies, and equipment (beyond readily available items women are likely to have on hand), and because Women’s Service Day is a one-day event with volunteer organizers, a requirement for background checks is difficult to accommodate.

Donation Drive Shopping List

This year on Women’s Service Day we’ll be collecting items to donate to Community Action House, which provides area families and individuals with food, clothing, shelter, and skill-building opportunities to achieve stable and prosperous lives.

As you’re catching summer sales, we thought a heads-up on their needs would help you find the best prices. Here’s a specific list of what we’re collecting:

• Toilet paper
• Deodorant
• Shampoo
• Body soap
• Toothpaste
• Feminine hygiene products

Looking forward to seeing you on October 3. But if you can’t make it and want to contribute to our donation drive, contact us and we’ll work out a way to connect with you!

Invite Your Friends, Coworkers, and Family Members!

If you want to make a difference in your community, we’re guessing you probably hang out with like-minded women. Why not ask your friends, work team, sister, mother, or daughter to participate in Women’s Service Day? Perhaps your book club or walking partner?

Ask them at your next meeting, send them an email, or share information about the event via Facebook and Twitter. You can also send their email addresses to the Women’s Service Day Planning Committee and we’ll add them to our mailing list. If you’d like other information to help spread the word, such as newsletter announcements, and posters, let us know!

In addition to volunteering at a number of nonprofit agencies in Holland during our event (here’s a list of places we’ve volunteered in the past), we’ll be holding a raffle to help support Hope Pkgs, which provides “first night bags” of essential items like pajamas and a toothbrush for kids entering foster care. Many of our volunteers have assembled those bags during Women’s Service Day in the past.

In addition, we’ll collect items to donate to Community Action House, which provides area families and individuals with food, clothing, shelter, and skill-building opportunities to achieve stable and prosperous lives. We’ll gather donations of toilet paper, deodorant, shampoo, body soap, toothpaste, and feminine hygiene products–so keep your eye out for sales to shop ahead!

Women’s Service Day originated from the spirit of giving among a group of women who recruited their friends and colleagues to help build a home for a single mom. We’d love to engage more women from our community to offer their time and talents, working side-by-side with women who want to make a difference.

Look for sign-up information shortly after Labor Day. We hope to see you–and your friends–at Women’s Service Day on Thursday, October 3!

Save the Date! Women’s Service Day is October 3

Think about the number 18. If you’re a parent, it’s the age your children become adults. If you’re a Women’s Service Day planning team member or volunteer, it’s 18 years of serving women and children in West Michigan.

Where did the time go?

Join us as we celebrate our eighteenth year and mark your calendars for October 3. That’s the day we’ll be helping agencies in the Holland/Zeeland area. We’ll also hold an auction and raffle for Hope Packages, which provides “first night bags” of essential items like pajamas and a toothbrush for kids entering foster care. A number of you have assembled those bags during Women’s Service Day.

And, as in past years, we’ll lead a donation drive. This year we’ll support Community Action House, which provides area families and individuals with food, clothing, shelter, and skill-building opportunities to achieve stable and prosperous lives. We’ll gather donations of toilet paper, deodorant, shampoo, body soap, toothpaste, and feminine hygiene products. While you’re out and about this summer, it’s the perfect time to look for bargains on items for the donation drive and shop ahead!

Registration will open right after Labor Day. You can share information about the event via Facebook and Twitter. You can also send their email addresses to the Women’s Service Day Planning Committee; we’ll add them to our mailing list. If you’d like other information to help spread the word, such as newsletter announcements and posters, let us know. And if it turns out that the group you have in mind can’t volunteer on the day of the event, think about organizing a group donation of the things listed above. Every little bit helps!

We hope to see you—and your friends—at Women’s Service Day on Thursday, October 3!