Category: Volunteer

Support group forming for ex-prisoners

On: By: David Both

Yavneh and St. Mark’s seek to help released women

St. Mark’s and Yavneh plan to form a pilot reentry support circle with Interfaith Prison Ministry for Women.

Many women – particularly those for whom drugs and substance use led to their convictions – risk re-engagement with their previous lifestyles if they return home. Some choose to stay in Raleigh for that reason. However, according to a March 2014 report on the impact of incarceration on families and the women who sustain them, cost and discrimination Interfaith Prison Ministry For Womenare the top barriers to finding housing after release from prison, and in Raleigh, much of the low income and affordable housing that formerly incarcerated women depend on is being sold to private developers.

Interfaith Prison Ministry for Women (IPMW) and Catholic Charities of Raleigh have joined forces to address this important issue. We need eight to ten persons to be in  relationship with a woman for 12 to 18 months. At present we have five people from St. Mark’s and one from Yavneh.

This provides an opportunity for us to practice our faith in a tangible way. Through a Reentry Support Circle we will share ourselves and cooperate with other congregations as a part of an effort to reduce recidivism and assist women, one person at a time, build a new life.

Meeting set for Aug. 23

A first meeting (combined information session, lunch and first training) at St. Mark’s is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 23, from 10am to 3 pm in our Community Life Center.

To become a part of this support group or for additional information, contact Sara Stohler at 919-821-4338 or Stohler00@gmail.com. You may come to this first meeting just to learn more without making a definite commitment.

 

Opportunities to volunteer at upcoming New Hope Road Alliance projects

On: By: David Both

Saturday, May 20: help clean up Wilder’s Grove Youth Center, both indoors and outdoors. Two “shifts” – 9:30 to 12:00 noon and 11:30 to 2:00, with pizza at lunchtime. We’ll be cleaning out buildings, power-washing them, and pruning shrubs and bushes. Contact Jessie Maeck if you can help.

Wilder's Grove Fellowship Cookout May 1, 2017.
Wilder’s Grove Fellowship Cookout April 1, 2017.

June: repairs to Wilder’s Grove Youth Center bathrooms; need help with putting in new stalls and tile floors, and with painting. Exact dates to be determined. Carpentry and tile expertise needed! Contact Jessie Maeck if you can help.

2017-18 School Year: Tutors needed for “Read and Feed” program at Wilburn Elementary. Beginning in late August or early September, the program is held once a week, either Tuesday or Thursday, from 4:30 to 5:30; volunteer tutors need not attend every session, although they will be expected to participate at least three-quarters of the time. Volunteers must undergo a simple background check and will receive a free, 1½ hour advance training from Read and Feed staff.

October Yard and Craft Sale: need help planning the event, contributions for yard sale, and crafts for sale: craftspeople will be able to rent a table or share the proceeds of their sales to support New Hope Road Alliance projects.

The NHRA (New Hope Road Alliance) is an alliance of 6 congregations along New Hope Road which have united together with the common goal of serving our changing neighborhood. Next meeting: Mon May 22, 1:30-2:30 p.m., New Hope Baptist Church. All members of the 6 congregations are welcome!

Wilburn Elementary School is the K-5 school on Marsh Road which serves our neighborhood. Wilder’s Grove is the all-volunteer Youth Center right next door to St. Mark’s.

Center for Volunteer Caregiving needs help delivering produce

On: By: David Both

My agency, The Center for Volunteer Caregiving, has been fortunate to partner with The Produce Box for a summer project. Aimed at serving low-income seniors and adults with disabilities, The Center will receive free produce twice a month for June, July, and August. These Care Receivers have difficulty affording fresh produce, and often cannot get transportation to grocery stores regularly. If you are able to help distribute boxes of produce, please email or call me. I will have more specific delivery dates later in the month.

My email is rpollock@ctrvolcare.org – phone number is (919) 460-0567.

Robin Pollock

Meals on Wheels – Monday, April 24

On: By: David Both
We will be delivering Meals on Wheels again Monday, April 24, 2017.
If any of you are interested in joining us for lunch at Pam’s Farmhouse Restaurant around 12:30 p.m., that would be wonderful. If you are interested, please let me know and I will arrange for a separate room for us to meet. Good food and good fellowship. You can join us even if you are not delivering that day! Just let me know.
Hope to see you there.
Joanne and Carl Bass

Wilder’s Grove ministry takes shape; dates are set

On: By: David Both
Wilder’s Grove provides youth programs at their facility behind St. Mark’s. Part of the land on which this facility is located is provided by St. Mark’s. The New Hope Road Alliance has taken the organization as one of its service projects. (Photo courtesy of Wilder’s Grove)

In support of the new sponsorship of Wilder’s Grove Youth Center as an NHRA initiative, the board of the New Hope Road Alliance has voted to match all donations made by individuals or groups to benefit the center. This means that the $290 raised so far this year has turned into $580. Funds which come in this spring/summer will be used to pay for much-needed renovations in the center’s restrooms.

The New Hope Road Alliance is sponsoring three Wilder’s Grove events this spring:

Fellowship Cookout April 1, 11 am to 2 pm. St. Mar k’s will provide side dishes – sign up in the Concourse.

Campus Clean-up Day is Saturday, May 20.

Bathroom renovations A project manager is needed. For more information or to volunteer, see Jessie Maeck jsmaeck@aol.com, or 617-549-7285.

The NHRA is an alliance of six congregations along New Hope Road which have united together with the common goal of serving our changing neighborhood. Meetings are monthly and are open to all members of the six congregations. Join us!

Monday, Feb. 27, is our day for Meals on Wheels

On: By: David Both

St. Mark’s volunteers will deliver Meals on Wheels this Monday, Feb. 27.

If any of you are interested in joining us for lunch at Pam’s Farmhouse Restaurant around 12:30 p.m., that would be wonderful. If you are interested, please let me know and I will arrange for a separate room for us to meet. Good food and good fellowship. You can join us even if you are not delivering that day! Just let me know.
Joanne Bass

Our deacon, Sallie Simpson, is Volunteer of the Month

On: By: David Both

Sallie Simpson is Volunteer of the Month with the Interfaith Food Shuttle.

Our deacon, Sallie Simpson
Our deacon, Sallie Simpson

Sallie, our deacon, helps with the Farm Stand most Saturdays and serves as culinary instructor for the Cooking Matters classes that are held at Urban Ministries. A retired nurse and hospital administrator from Winston-Salem, Sallie now lives in Raleigh and is a Vocational Deacon in the Episcopal Church. Read why Sallie loves volunteering at IFFS:

Tell us about your first-ever time volunteering with IFFS: It was a cold, sleeting day in February – we were raking rocks out of a newly plowed field and spreading mulch. Everyone was so nice and we laughed so much that I decided to keep coming back!

Describe a volunteer moment that felt very rewarding: Last spring I co-led a Cooking Matters class at Urban Ministries with Ana Cardia, and we had such a motivated class – each participant had been sent to class by their doctor for diet-related conditions. Every person in the class realized tangible improvement by the end of the class and one of the doctors in the Open Door Clinic at Urban Ministries told me that the class would practically dance down the hall as they left the class each day!

What would you say to recruit a friend to volunteer with IFFS? I would tell people that this is a great place to volunteer – the people are wonderful to work with. There is a lot of work, and lots of fun as well!