2023 Summer Mission Project: Willing hands & loving hearts
The summer of 2023 found the PCWS Willing Hands and Loving Hearts working in and around the Chicago area.
We kicked off the season, heading southeast to Margaret’s Village in May. Our work day helped make this transitional homeless shelter for women and children feel more welcome and secure. Margaret’s Village has been a PCWS mission partner since the 1970’s. Margaret’s Village does wonderful work helping homeless women, children, and families on Chicago’s south side through the Maria and Believe Family Shelters.
In June, PCWS partnered with Rise Against Hunger in fighting against global hunger! 55 bodacious volunteers enjoyed a family-friendly, impactful meal-packing event. We packed 10,152 fortified, dehydrated, shelf-stable meals. The Loving Hearts and Willing Hands of PCWS members and friends was definitely in full force! Our boxes full of meals were sent to Ukraine, an area of urgent need.
July saw us head north to Lake Bluff to volunteer at Bernie’s Book Bank. Bernie’s is Chicago’s leading provider of free quality books to underserved readers through grade 6. Our group packed hundreds of book bags. Each offers great possibilities for the children receiving these books… gaining knowledge, exploring new ideas, and strengthening reading skills.
In August, PCWS family and friends took our Willing Hands and Loving Hearts westward to Aurora! We joined together with other volunteers at Feed My Starving Children. Our group efforts packed over 56,000 meals for children in need across the globe.
THANK YOU to everyone who supported our Willing Hands and Loving Hearts projects with their encouragement, prayers and participation.
2022 Summer Mission Project: Welcome Home!
The Summer Mission Project built on the work started during the Lenten Challenge. We continued preparation activities to support a refugee family when they arrived in Chicago. We partnered with RefugeeOne, the largest resettlement agency in Chicago. We gathered furniture and the myriad of household items needed for the apartment in anticipation of the family’s arrival. We recruited and trained volunteers for helping the family acclimate to their new city and community.
2021 Summer Mission Project: People’s Resource Center
Our 2021 Summer Mission Project collected school supplies for the People’s Resource Center. PCWS collected over 3,300 school supply items (paper, markers, calculators, backpacks, etc.) which, when combined with others, helped PRC exceed its goal of filling 1,000 backpacks with school supplies. The staff and clients of the People’s Resource Center add their THANKS for your benevolence!!!
2020 & 2019 Summer Mission Projects: Bernie’s Book Bank and Let’s Make A House a Home
Our congregation’s 2020 Summer Mission project supported Bernie’s Book Bank. We started our children’s book drive
during the pandemic “stay-in-place” protocol. Through the combined efforts of our congregation, members of the community, and monetary donations, we achieved an amazing 10,351 new and gently used children’s books for Bernie’s Book Bank in the summer of 2020!!
During the summer of 2019, in partnership with Facing Forward to End Homelessness, we designed a “Welcome Home Basket” for the clients of Facing Forward. We challenged our congregation to collect and donate specific household items over the summer. We’re happy to say that, together, we were able to fill 50 baskets!