J5 Challenge Service Ideas
For the Good Samaritan community:
• Do some yardwork or housework for an older parishioner who is having trouble getting things done. Contact Susan Starke (our parish nurse) for names and contact info. (Susans@good-samaritan.org)
• Help print, mount, and put up new photos in the GoodSamYouth rooms
• Help mulch the day school playground (sometime in August) contact Tad@good-samaritan.org
• Visit older parishioners and record their stories of Good Samaritan history
• Organize an lunch or tea for older parishioners, and invite them to talk about their memories of Good Samaritan and the Paoli area
For hungry people in our community:
• Pick fresh vegetables for area food pantries. Contact Carol@good-samaritan. for more info on this.
• Hold a "Food Bowl" for the food closet: invite other groups to join yours , invite friends, and ask friends and neighbors to donate non-perishable food items for points scored
• Make breakfast bags or plan a cooking party and donate meals for Aid for Friends, an organization that provides food to needy shut-ins. www.aidforfriends.org or call WIll Sample 215-464-2224
• Help organize the Salvation Army food warehouse in West Chester - contacts Corps Captains Gerald or Debra Morgan 610-696-8746
Children:
• Collect pre-school books or offer to help with summer programs for the Head Start Project:
paheadstart.org, Deborah H@cciu.org
• Create a flyer or find another way to collect soda tabs, cell phones and ink cartridges for the Ronald McDonald House
www.philarmh.org, Linda Perry - 215-387-8406.
Elderly:
• Visit an older neighbor, invite an older neighbor to join your group for a meal or dessert, offer to help an older neighbor clean out a closet, attic, garage
• Visit an area senior facility and organize a sing-along, trivia or Bingo game
Animal Welfare:
• Help with clean-up or special summer events for children at the Elmwood Park Zoo.
www.elmwoodparkzoo.org, 610-277-3825.
Environment:
• Consider an outdoor project at a local park:
Tredyfferin Parks and Rec - www.park&rec@tredyffrin.org, 610-644-1400
Willistown Parks and Rec - Mary H McLoughlin mhm@willistown.pa.us
Partner up with Good Samaritan partners:
• Spend a day together working with Good Works in Coatesville. Contact Rusty Smith for dates and info. (rustysmith@verizon.net)
• Collect yard-sale items and deliver them to Kensington for the Free Church of St. John's yard sale in August
• Sell necklaces and earrings for our partners in the Diocese of Kitgum, Uganda. Contact carol@good-samaritan.org for details.
Go global:
• Organize a car wash to raise money for clean water in Haiti. Invite some other groups to join you. Donate the money to Watermissions - www.watermission.org or contact Rusty Smith (rustysmith@verizon.net)
• Collect gently worn shoes for Soles4Soles.org and provide shoes for the millions of children and adults who walk miles each day barefoot
• Gather change for the Loose Change to Loosen Change campaign. Loosechange@ijm.org
• Start a bracelet campaign to provide scholarships for children in northern Uganda impacted by years of war and disruption: www.Invisiblechildren.com/themission/bracelet_campaign
Need more ideas? Check these websites:
Remember - events you plan that include, welcome, and build community with other J5 groups can count as acts of service, and it's okay to combine study times, fun, and service in one meeting. Be creative, and have fun.
J5 Challenge Service Ideas
For the Good Samaritan community:
• Do some yardwork or housework for an older parishioner who is having trouble getting things done. Contact Susan Starke (our parish nurse) for names and contact info. (Susans@good-samaritan.org)
• Help print, mount, and put up new photos in the GoodSamYouth rooms
• Help mulch the day school playground (sometime in August) contact Tad@good-samaritan.org
• Visit older parishioners and record their stories of Good Samaritan history
• Organize an lunch or tea for older parishioners, and invite them to talk about their memories of Good Samaritan and the Paoli area
For hungry people in our community:
• Pick fresh vegetables for area food pantries. Contact Carol@good-samaritan. for more info on this.
• Hold a "Food Bowl" for the food closet: invite other groups to join yours , invite friends, and ask friends and neighbors to donate non-perishable food items for points scored
• Make breakfast bags or plan a cooking party and donate meals for Aid for Friends, an organization that provides food to needy shut-ins. www.aidforfriends.org or call WIll Sample 215-464-2224
• Help organize the Salvation Army food warehouse in West Chester - contacts Corps Captains Gerald or Debra Morgan 610-696-8746
Children:
• Collect pre-school books or offer to help with summer programs for the Head Start Project:
paheadstart.org, Deborah H@cciu.org
• Create a flyer or find another way to collect soda tabs, cell phones and ink cartridges for the Ronald McDonald House
www.philarmh.org, Linda Perry - 215-387-8406.
Elderly:
• Visit an older neighbor, invite an older neighbor to join your group for a meal or dessert, offer to help an older neighbor clean out a closet, attic, garage
• Visit an area senior facility and organize a sing-along, trivia or Bingo game
Animal Welfare:
• Help with clean-up or special summer events for children at the Elmwood Park Zoo.
www.elmwoodparkzoo.org, 610-277-3825.
Environment:
• Consider an outdoor project at a local park:
Tredyfferin Parks and Rec - www.park&rec@tredyffrin.org, 610-644-1400
Willistown Parks and Rec - Mary H McLoughlin mhm@willistown.pa.us
Partner up with Good Samaritan partners:
• Spend a day together working with Good Works in Coatesville. Contact Rusty Smith for dates and info. (rustysmith@verizon.net)
• Collect yard-sale items and deliver them to Kensington for the Free Church of St. John's yard sale in August
• Sell necklaces and earrings for our partners in the Diocese of Kitgum, Uganda. Contact carol@good-samaritan.org for details.
Go global:
• Organize a car wash to raise money for clean water in Haiti. Invite some other groups to join you. Donate the money to Watermissions - www.watermission.org or contact Rusty Smith (rustysmith@verizon.net)
• Collect gently worn shoes for Soles4Soles.org and provide shoes for the millions of children and adults who walk miles each day barefoot
• Gather change for the Loose Change to Loosen Change campaign. Loosechange@ijm.org
• Start a bracelet campaign to provide scholarships for children in northern Uganda impacted by years of war and disruption: www.Invisiblechildren.com/themission/bracelet_campaign
Need more ideas? Check these websites:
Remember - events you plan that include, welcome, and build community with other J5 groups can count as acts of service, and it's okay to combine study times, fun, and service in one meeting. Be creative, and have fun.