2023 Summer Mission Project: Willing hands & loving hearts

The summer of 2023 finds PCWS reaching near and far with willing hands and loving hearts!!  We’ll be focusing our work in and around the Chicagoland area, so find dates that work with your calendar to join in the fun and fellowship!  Invite family and friends to join in any of these events.  All are welcome!

We kicked off the season, heading southeast to Margaret’s Village on Saturday, May 20.   Our work day, under the leadership of Lance Smith and Brian Sullivan, helped make this transitional shelter for women and children experiencing homelessness 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 Shelter and Believe Family Shelter.  
 

Saturday, June 10 from 10am until 12noon, we’ll gather a group of bodacious volunteers in our own Jones Room.  PCWS is partnering with Rise Against Hunger to help in the fight against global hunger!  We are going to pack 10,000 fortified, dehydrated, shelf-stable meals to be sent to the area of most need around the world.  Want to join this enjoyable, impactful meal-packing event?  Use this link to register for the event.   We look forward to gathering with members, friends & family members for this awesome event.  Children under 5 are welcome to volunteer during the event with a designated adult helper.

In July we head north to Lake Bluff to volunteer at the Bernie’s Book Bank depository. Bernie’s is Chicago’s leading provider of free quality books to under-served infants thru grade 6 youth.  Our group will join other volunteers to sticker, sort or pack books on Saturday, July 22 from 9am to 11am.  Use this link to register for this family friendly event for all ages!.  Children under age 5 are welcome to volunteer with a designated adult helper.  Carpooling from PCWS is available. The Silo, a family friendly restaurant (close to Bernie’s) provides a post-volunteer option for lunch together.

Watch the Weekly Connection for added details as each event date draws nearer.  We hope you’ll be able to join in our summer outreach!

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!