Seeds Publishers Engaging churches in the healing of poverty and hunger

Act Locally: Waco

**Important Announcement: As of November 1, 2008, Act Locally: Waco is moving to a new address. Please join us in the future at www.actlocallywaco.org . See you there! **

(Do you know of a hunger/poverty related event in the near future that should be on this list? Would you like to receive an e-mail when this list is updated? E-mail: Actlocallywaco@clearwire.net.)

2008

Meals on Wheels needs volunteers ONE hour a month to deliver meals. - Meals on Wheels has 10 different sites in Waco that need extra help so depending on where you live or work, they can plug you in to a neighborhood near you. (We know gas is EXPENSIVE Most meals are picked up around 10:30am and you can be back at work or home within an hour. MOW serves meals five days a week so any weekday that you can help would be great!) Contact Sarah at 254 752 0316 to help!  

Thursdays - Foreclosure Prevention Clinics - 6-7p.m, 922 Franklin (Downtown Waco). NeighborWorks® Waco offers a weekly Foreclosure Prevention Clinic. These services are completely free and confidential for homeowners who are having trouble paying the mortgage on their owner-occupied property. Attendees should bring a copy of their most recent mortgage statement. Call 254-752-1647 for more information. To download a flyer click here: Foreclosure Prevention Clinics.

September -- Hunger Action Month   

September -- Full-time construction positions available with Waco Habitat for Humanity -- Make a difference in the Waco Community building Habitat for Humanity homes! Join the AmeriCorps program and gain rewarding, lifelong experience in the non-profit sector as well as a living stipend, health benefits, and an education award grant. Full-time construction positions available with Waco Habitat for Humanity starting in September. For more information contact the Habitat Office at (254) 756-7575 or volunteer@wacohabitat.org.

Caritas needs food donations during hurricane season -- Please consider taking a bag of canned or fresh vegetables to Caritas, at 15th & Mary downtown, in the next few days. During crises such as hurricanes, Caritas is giving out supplies to the emergency shelters, as well as assisting the folks who were already in crisis and already coming to them for help. The food pantry shelves at Caritas of Waco are starting to look alarmingly bare-especially the vegetable shelf.

Sept 23 - Dec 16 - The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Family-to-Family Education Program. 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm, location to be announced. This free course for intended for family members, partners, and friends of people with severe mental illnesses including major depression, bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia and many other serious mental illnesses. The course discusses the clinical treatment of these illnesses and teaches the knowledge and skills that family members need to cope more effectively. This series of 12 weekly classes, each 2½ hours, is structured to help caregivers understand and support individuals with serious mental illness while maintaining their own well-being. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. For questions or to register contact Cynthia: (254) 848-9641 or Lola: (254) 772-5190. If no answer please leave name, phone number and best time to be contacted. Click here for more information: NAMI course info.  

September 23 or 24 - Management training encounter: Lead Like Jesus sponsored by the Ombudsman program of the Area Agency on Aging/HOTCOG. 8-5, HOTCOG training room 1514 South New Road, in Waco. Free of charge; workshop, materials, lunch and breaks included. This faith based management encounter targets health care professionals in management roles who wish to become better leaders. Participants should expect to " learn how to apply the powerful and practical leadership principles of Jesus to real life challenges". Participants may attend on either the 23rd or the 24th. Please pre-register so we can plan accordingly. To register or for more information contact Ed Jordan. Phone: 254-292-1851 or e-mail ed.jordan@hot.cog.tx.us. 

September 25- Legal Assistance Project Elder Law Forum - Hillsboro Senior Center. (Call center for time: 254-582-9572.)  Health care decisions for the elderly that allow them to maintain their dignity, even when incapacitated, can be of major concern for many families. These free public forums will cover topics such as navigating the Medicare system, Medical and Durable Powers of Attorney, Health Directives, Guardianships, and Wills and the Probate process. All information will be presented in an easily accessible group format designed to help both seniors and their caregivers through the sometimes overwhelming decision-making process involved in long term-care planning. To see press release, click here: Elder Law Forums.  

September 26 -- 14th annual Senior Source Health and Information Fair hosted by the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). 10:00 - 3:00, Richland Fashion Mall. Approximately 75 booths of agencies and health care providers will offer free screenings and information to the public. Many older adults and their caregivers find preventative medical care impossible due to finances, transportation and physical limitations. The fair is designed to bring many resources and basic health screenings to one location for easy access and direct contact. For more information call RSVP at 254-299-8577.  

September 27 -- Family Abuse Center community awareness/volunteer training. 9 am - 4 pm. 4709 Bosque Blvd, in the Onward and Upward Bldg. Free and lunch will be served. For more information contact Dinah Husbands at volunteer@familyabusecenter.org or 254-772-8999.

September 27 - Fit 2 Serve Workshop and Health Expo: Shifting the Paradigm from "Fit to Self" to "Fit to Serve." 8:30 - 11:30, Crestview Church of Christ Community Center, 7129 Delhi Road, Waco. Potter's Vessel Ministries has invited Dr. William "Bill" Duey, professor in the Department of Human Performance at Concordia University-Chicago, to share his strategies that promote wellness and wholeness in our Christian communities. Dr. Duey's vocational mission is to encourage individuals to make a personal behavior change relative to wellness and to cultivate communities of wellness and wholeness that are "Fit-2-Serve." For further information and to reserve your seat, please call Debbie McElveen, 254-757-3633 by Wednesday, September 24th. For a brochure about the event, click here: Fit 2 Serve brochure.

September 27 - Share about your ministry at Fit 2 Serve Health Expo - In conjunction with the Fit 2 Serve Workshop (see above) Potter's Vessel Ministries  is sponsoring a Health Expo. They invite you to share about your church's ministries. They will provide a table and chairs for you to set up information about the various ministry opportunities you would like to showcase- an exercise or walking group, a support group like an Alzheimer's or diabetic support group, a Bible study like the Mind of Christ, and the list can go on. Table "set up" will be on Friday afternoon. For further information and to reserve your table, please contact Debbie McElveen, 254-757-3633 by Wednesday, September 24th.

September 30 -- Neighborhood Agape Meal at First Baptist Church of Waco. Meal is served at 6 p.m. on the last Tuesday of every month in the fellowship hall (Corner of 6th and Clay); optional worship service follows. The Agape Meal is a combination of worship and mission, centering around a delicious family-style meal enjoyed by our homeless/hungry neighbors and our members who volunteer to serve the dinner. Anyone is welcome to come at no cost to the individual/families. For questions contact Nicky Stokes in the church office at 752-3000. 

October 2 - "Sweet Sounds" Meals On Wheels Fundraiser. 7:00 pm, Lee Lockwood Library. Price is $25 per person. The Waco High Show Choir will perform in the Lee Lockwood auditorium for 30-40 minutes and then everyone will adjourn to the atrium for desserts and beverages. Money for reservations may be sent to Central Texas Senior Ministry at PO Box 85, Waco, TX 76703. Tickets may also be purchased that night. For more information or reservations call Wayne Wiese or Julie Oates at 752-0316.  

October 7 - Christian Women's Job Corps (CWJC) "Baskets of Hope" Auction. 6:30 p.m. First Baptist Woodway, 101 Ritchie Rd. Reservations $20. "Baskets of Hope" is the annual fundraiser for Christian Women's Job Corps. It's a fun evening with a meal and beautiful themed baskets donated by businesses and groups throughout McLennan County. Guests will enjoy eating and participating in a silent auction of these baskets. A good time to do some shopping with friends. CWJC graduates serve as hostesses and two will share their stories. For more information, click here: Baskets of Hope or call 254-757-0416.

October 9- Legal Assistance Project Elder Law Forum - 9 to noon. Heart of Texas Area Agency on Aging facility at 1514 S. New Road, Waco.  Health care decisions for the elderly that allow them to maintain their dignity, even when incapacitated, can be of major concern for many families. These free public forums will cover topics such as navigating the Medicare system, Medical and Durable Powers of Attorney, Health Directives, Guardianships, and Wills and the Probate process. All information will be presented in an easily accessible group format designed to help both seniors and their caregivers through the sometimes overwhelming decision-making process involved in long term-care planning. To see press release, click here: Elder Law Forums.  

October 9 -  McLennan County Hunger Coalition (MCHC) meeting - 11:45-1:00, Caritas of Waco Conference Room, 300 S. 15th. A coalition of representatives of food pantries, feeding programs, governmental agencies, faith-based organizations, businesses, and interested individuals committed to solving the problems of food insecurity and hunger in the local area, the MCHC meets monthly, usually on the second Thursday of each month. Visitors are welcome. For more information contact Esther Morales at 753-3545 or foodoutreach@grandecom.net.  

October 11-18 - City of Waco "Raise the Roof" Project - City employees, Waco Habitat for Humanity and other organizations work to build a house in one week. City employees will be allowed 8 hours during that week to work on the house instead of their normal job. Snacks, lunch, drinks and a T-shirt provided. Workers, sponsors for lunch and snacks, and also sponsors to help pay for the house are still needed. For more information contact Dedri Hafer at the City of Waco (254) 750-5656, or Britt Duke at Habitat (254) 756-7575. Mention you are interested in the "Raise the Roof" project.  

October 16 - Fast of Caring

 October 16 - World Food Day

October 16 - Family Abuse Center Day of Remembrance. 11:00 am - 1:30 pm at the Suspension Bridge in Indian Springs Park. Open to the public. For more information contact Dinah Husbands at 254-772-8999.

Oct 17-18 Walking Alongside Poverty Workshop. Offered by the Center for Family and Community Ministries, Baylor School of Social Work. Designed for churches who want to effectively address poverty in their community ministries. New curriculum series for Understanding Poverty will be presented. Cost is $100 per church, which covers up to 5 individuals from the same church. The conference will be held at Seventh and James Baptist Church (next to Baylor campus). Call Kimberly Schlesinger at 254-710-3854 to register or register online at www.baylor.edu/cfcm. 

October 18 - Fall Farm Day at the World Hunger Farm -- 9 am - 4 pm. Live music, Farm-fresh food, plants, seeds & Grass-Fed Meat Sales. Demonstrations by local artisans. Activities for children: Pony Rides, Hayrides, Animal Petting Area. John Garland, WHRI alum, will speak at 12:30 on "Connecting a School District with Real Food & the Soil: Applying WHRI‘s Training in the Rio Grande Valley." Directions: From Waco, go north on I-35. Take Exit 342-B, turn left under the Interstate, and go right at the first turn (Spring Lake Road). We are 1/3 mile down on the right (356 Spring Lake Road). For questions, call 254-799-5611. For a flyer, click here: Fall Farm Day. 

October 18 - CASA Speak Up for Kids 5 & 10K Race and Fun Fest. On-site registration opens at 6:30 a.m. and line up for the 1st race is 8:00 a.m. Indian Spring Park. This event will support Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of McLennan and Hill Counties. Join us on Race Day and walk/run alongside us as we accompany a child on his or her journey to a safe, permanent home. You may even decide to take a child's hand and walk beside him yourself. Admission to the Fun Fest is free and includes activities of all kinds for children. Volunteer opportunities are always available. Call 254-752-9330, ext. 141 or 117 for volunteer information. For more information, visit this website: www.advocacycntr.org/SavetheDate.asp 

October 19 - Waco CROP walk. Registration begins at 2:00. Step-off is at 3:00. Starting at Bledsoe Miller Park, the 5K walk will take place along the scenic Brazos River. Join us for an afternoon of fun! There will be live music for everyone! Three-fourths of the proceeds from the CROP walk will go to Church World Service (CWS) a world-wide relief, development, and refugee assistance ministry. One-fourth of the proceeds will go to Caritas of Waco. For more information call Charley Garrison at (254)752-5331. To visit the Crop Walk website, click here: Waco CROP walk.  

October 19 -- Bread for the World Sunday

October 20 (Last two weeks of October) - Family Abuse Center Crisis Line Volunteer Training. For more information contact Dinah Husbands at 254-772-8999.

October 20- Legal Assistance Project Elder Law Forum - McGregor Senior Center (Call center for time: 254-840-2255.)  Health care decisions for the elderly that allow them to maintain their dignity, even when incapacitated, can be of major concern for many families. These free public forums will cover topics such as navigating the Medicare system, Medical and Durable Powers of Attorney, Health Directives, Guardianships, and Wills and the Probate process. All information will be presented in an easily accessible group format designed to help both seniors and their caregivers through the sometimes overwhelming decision-making process involved in long term-care planning. To see press release, click here: Elder Law Forums.  

October 22- Legal Assistance Project Elder Law Forum - Rosebud Senior Center (Call center for time: 254-583-4745.)  Health care decisions for the elderly that allow them to maintain their dignity, even when incapacitated, can be of major concern for many families. These free public forums will cover topics such as navigating the Medicare system, Medical and Durable Powers of Attorney, Health Directives, Guardianships, and Wills and the Probate process. All information will be presented in an easily accessible group format designed to help both seniors and their caregivers through the sometimes overwhelming decision-making process involved in long term-care planning. To see press release, click here: Elder Law Forums.  

October 23 -25 - "Bottom up Approaches to Global Poverty: Appropriate Technology, Social Entrepreneurship and the Church." Second Annual Baylor Symposium on Faith and Culture. -- Prompted by God's call to meet the needs of the poor, marginalized, and oppressed, Christians can respond sensitively and productively to poverty though faith-inspired practices of appropriate technology and social entrepreneurship. Regular registration is $150; student registration is $100. Both regular and student registrations permit entry to all sessions and the following meals: dinner Thursday, lunch and dinner Friday, and lunch Saturday. Current Baylor faculty, staff and students may attend all conference activities except the meals free of charge. For more information, click here: Bottom up Approaches website, or contact the Baylor Institute for Faith and Learning. Phone: 254-710-4805 or email: IFL@baylor.edu.

October 27 - Social Justice Movie Night at the World Hunger Farm. 7:00 pm. We'll be watching "The Corporation." Directions from Waco on I-35: Exit 339 (Lakeshore Dr/Loop 340), turn left under interstate, turn right at the first traffic light (Bus. 77 N), pass Connally High School, turn Left onto Spring Lake Rd., We are 1/3 mile down on the right. For more information call 254-799-5611 or e-mail Matt Hess: matt@worldhungerrelief.org.   

October 28 -- Neighborhood Agape Meal at First Baptist Church of Waco. Meal is served at 6 p.m. on the last Tuesday of every month in the fellowship hall (Corner of 6th and Clay); optional worship service follows. The Agape Meal is a combination of worship and mission, centering around a delicious family-style meal enjoyed by our homeless/hungry neighbors and our members who volunteer to serve the dinner. Anyone is welcome to come at no cost to the individual/families. For questions contact Nicky Stokes in the church office at 752-3000.

November 5 - NeighborWorks® Waco Annual Breakfast Banquet and Tour of Home Sites. 7:30 am Ridgewood Country Club, 7301 Fish Pond Road. No cost to attend the breakfast or tour; table sponsorships are available (8 seats) for $100 each. This year's keynote speaker is Dr. Jon Singletary of Baylor's School of Social Work, who will be speaking on "The Role of Homeownership in Ending Poverty." Reservations are required - please call 752-1647 or email cklawetter@nw-waco.org. For more information, click here: Breakfast and Tour of Home Sites flyer.

November 8 - V.I.E.W. benefitting the Family Abuse Center. 5-10 pm at Local Starbucks, The Grape at 2006 N. Valley Mills Dr., and Uncorked at 1201 Hewitt Drive. V.I.E.W. stands for Virtual Internet Event in Waco. The on-line auction is at biddingforgood.com. You can bid on items from home or stop by one of the locations and bid on items such as a quilt, Leather jackets, trips, etc. We are currently accepting donated items - $150 or more - to be included in the auction. For more information contact Becky Ellison at the Family Abuse Center. Phone 254-772-8999 ext. 2226 or e-mail: director@familyabusecenter.org .

November 13 -- McLennan County Hunger Coalition (MCHC) meeting - 11:45-1:00, Caritas of Waco Conference Room, 300 S. 15th. A coalition of representatives of food pantries, feeding programs, governmental agencies, faith-based organizations, businesses, and interested individuals committed to solving the problems of food insecurity and hunger in the local area, the MCHC meets monthly, usually on the second Thursday of each month. Visitors are welcome. For more information contact Esther Morales at 753-3545 or foodoutreach@grandecom.net.  

November 17-24 -- National Collection Week for Operation Christmas Child. Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan's Purse. Shoeboxes filled with items for children are delivered around the world. It is estimated that each box affects 10 people. The boxes are delivered to areas where there is a pastor or a missionary, so there is always follow-up for all children that receive boxes. Many churches in town will be collecting shoe boxes including Lake Shore Baptist, Columbus Avenue Baptist. The official Waco collection point is Highland Baptist Church. For more information including tips about how to pack a box and what to include, click here: Pack a Shoe Box.

November 21 -- Food for Families Food Drive

November 25 -- CROP walk steering committee meeting

More Dates

(Do you know of a hunger/poverty related event in the near future that should be on this list? Would you like to receive an e-mail when this list is updated? E-mail: Actlocallywaco@clearwire.net.)

Notes and Resources from Past Events:

Bread for the World Offering of Letters Workshop 2008 -- A group of church and organization representatives met for three hours on Saturday, February 16,2008, at Austin Avenue Methodist Church to learn about Bread for the World in general and this year's offering of letters in particular.