Pay It Forward

The holiday season is a perfect time for families to come together to give to those in need.

Wichita is full of opportunities for families and individuals to offer their generosity and share their time and resources. Despite the tough economic times, generosity abounds in Wichita.

 Delane Butler, Vice President of Marketing for United Way of the Plains, says there are 393 nonprofits for the United Way of the Plains Volunteer Center to refer volunteers. 8,124 volunteers were referred out in 2009. There are 1,750 volunteer opportunities currently open. This year United Way has raised $15,050,755 from individuals and companies to benefit nonprofits in the community. Families can call the United Way 2-1-1 call center to find a volunteer program the whole family can participate in.

"Volunteering," says Butler, "helps others stay involved in their community and gives them and those they help an important sense of purpose and value."

A tradition that changes lives

Even families who are struggling themselves or those with busy schedules and varying family dynamics can find ways to give back to others.

Mary and Paul Rohleder and their family of four try to pick a different cause to contribute to every year as part of their Christmas activities. One of their favorite places to help is the St. Anthony Family Shelter. They cook an extra meal from time to time and bring it to the shelter.

St. Anthony’s offers families a temporary place to live and eat while helping them get back on their feet and into a home of their own again.

"I absolutely love when we can stay and serve the food to the families," says Mary Rohleder. "This gives me and the kids a chance to see the families who are staying there face to face and visit with them and get to know them better. It’s been a great thing for our family. It’s helped the kids really appreciate their family and the home we share together."

Jolene and David Mainzer and their three children helped organize a special toy drive in their neighborhood and at their church and children’s school. The toys will be taken to the Catholic Charities Christmas Sharing program that invites pre-qualified families to come and shop for toys, books, clothes, food and other essential items for no cost.

For the Mainzer family, a simple idea turned into something big and the toy drive is now a family tradition that everyone enjoys working on together. Jolene says it has given their children a deeper gratitude for what they already have and a better perspective on what they truly need.

There are many simple ways families can give back and show their thanks and appreciation for those who serve the community.

Rachel Ormiston and her family make holiday treats and bring them to their neighborhood firefighters and emergency workers. This year, they plan on doing the same for some of the staff at one of the Wichita hospitals.

Giving back to the community is something everyone in the family can get involved in. Families can share extra non-perishable food items for the "Stuff the Bus" program or even donate a new or gently-used pair of shoes to Inter-Faith Ministries Operation Holiday shoe drive. They could collect new or gently used coats for a local coat drive or even start one of their own.

Below are a few ideas for other Holiday sharing programs and charities families can participate in this year.

Catholic Charities Christmas Sharing Program

Dec. 6- 13
316.268.8344
www.catholiccharitieswichita.org

The Christmas Sharing program is a collection of winter outerwear, non-perishable food items and toys and stocking stuffers for children birth to age 17. Donation drop-off is through Dec. 8 at 532 N. Broadway and Dec. 9-11 at 3639 Comotara Street, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Volunteers are needed for set up, gift wrapping, distribution to families, and clean-up. Catholic Charities provides critical services to those in need. Their programs aim to provide food and financial assistance to families and individuals in need, keep families together, prevent homelessness, offer assistance to seniors and disabled adults, reunite immigrant and refugee families, prevent domestic violence and provide adoption services and unplanned pregnancy counseling.

Stuff the Bus
Catholic Charities Harbor House and YWCA Women’s Crisis Center

Nov. 30 – Dec. 4

A collection of new toys, non-perishable food, personal grooming products and other useful household goods for the Catholic Charities Harbor House and YWCA Women’s Crisis Center. For a list of locations and a schedule of bus stops, visit www.b98fm.com.

Harbor House Shelter

PO Box 3759, Wichita, KS 67201
316.263.6000 or 866.899.5522
www.catholiccharitieswichita.org/index.php/services/harbor-house/

Harbor House is an outreach and prevention service for victims of domestic violence whose mission is to help break the cycle of violence against women and their children by providing them a safe place to stay and support services, like counseling, education and referrals to community resources. Through outreach advocacy services, staff counsel and guide victims of abuse through the judicial and SRS systems. Harbor House welcomes volunteers and donations.

YWCA Women’s Crisis Center

1111 N. St. Francis
Wichita, KS 67214
316.267.SAFE
http://www.ywcaofwichita.org

The crisis center provides shelter, advocacy, and supportive services for women and children fleeing violent homes. The YWCA shelter houses hundreds of women and children every year and provides safe/confidential housing, basic needs, advocacy, crisis and supportive counseling, domestic violence education, parenting, support groups, agency referrals, and a children’s program. A 24-Hour hotline available every day of the year.

Operation Holiday by Interfaith Ministries

December 9 – 11 Distribution

829 North Market
Wichita, Ks 67214-3519
Phone 316.264.930
http://www.ifmnet.org

Interfaith Ministries Operation Holiday assists thousands of low-income individuals, families and children needing food and other assistance during the holidays. It is a volunteer-based program that serves over 13,000 people per year. Various volunteer and donation opportunities are available. Interfaith Ministries provides emergency shelter for the homeless, permanent affordable housing with case managers for the formerly homeless and disabled and a free after-school mentoring and activities for kids in poverty. For more information call LaVeta, Operation Holiday Coordinator, or Jane, Volunteer Coordinator, at 316-264-9303.

"No Room at the Inn"

St. Anthony Family Shelter’s

256 Ohio Street,
Wichita, KS 67214
316.264.7233
http://www.catholiccharitieswichita.org/index.php/services/saint-anthony-family-shelter

The "No Room at the Inn" program at St. Mary School Gym in Derby is a display of over 350 nativity scenes and items. The event is free to the public and free-will donations will be accepted to benefit Catholic Charities St. Anthony Family Shelter. Tour the display on Saturday Dec. 11 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sun Dec. 12 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a raffle for a nativity set on Sunday at 3 p.m. The Angels for all Seasons program also benefits the families of St. Anthony Family Shelter with a purchase of Carole Ranney’s Angel of Serenity. The shelter provides a clean, safe place where families can stay together, eat together and play together while parents receive training and counseling to help get them back on their feet. In addition to the basic necessities, families at the shelter receive three meals a day plus snacks, toiletries, medical services and referrals, instruction in parenting skills, drug and alcohol counseling classes, screenings and referrals, case management, and follow-up services if they so choose.

Wichita Children’s Home

810 North Holyoke Street,
Wichita, KS 67208-3099
316.684.6581
http://wch.org

The Wichita Children’s Home offers the only emergency, temporary residential shelter for children in our community. The Home is open 24/7 and serves children from birth to 22 years of age. The Wichita Children’s Home provides the Street Outreach Services (SOS). This program focuses on helping runaway and homeless children. The Home also offers BRIDGES, a program providing housing, counseling and education for 16 to 22 year olds. The Home provides a safety zone for infants and toddlers in our Foster Care program. The Wichita Children’s Home encourages families to come and volunteer together at the home during the holiday season and throughout the year. They are in need of greeters and gift sorters Dec. 13 – Dec. 24 and gift wrappers on Thursday Dec. 23 at 10 a.m.

Ronald McDonald House Charities

1110 N Emporia
316.269.4420

520 N Rutan
316.687.2000

http://www.rmhcwichita.org

The Ronald McDonald House Charities provides families stability and resources so they can keep their child healthy and happy. Whether those problems involve how to stay near and support a hospitalized child, or how to afford staying together in another city while a child is undergoing treatment, they help families address these problems and provide solutions for these and other issues related to the health and well being of children. The two Ronald McDonald houses in Wichita, Sleepy Hollow by Wesley Medical Center and Midtown by Via Christi Regional Medical Center - St. Francis campus, offer families a temporary place to stay or wait for little or sometimes no cost while their child receives extended or long-term care in the hospital.

Guadalupe Clinic

940 S. St. Francis
316.264.8974
 

Guadalupe Clinic-Holy Savior
1406 N. Erie
 316.682.0588

http://www.guadalupeclinic.com

The clinic provides primary medical care to thousands of people a year who don’t have medical insurance. Services offered to all patients include physician visits, health screening and education, pregnancy tests, nutrition counseling, assistance with prescription medications and medical equipment, physical therapy, emergency food/clothing and infant formula and diapers. The clinic relies solely on donations and on their 250-plus medical and other volunteers from the community to provide these services as well as other specialty care through their network of volunteers.

Jam the Trailer
Kansas Food Bank

1919 E. Douglas
Wichita, Kansas 67211
316.265.4421
http://www.kansasfoodbank.org

Kansas Food Bank and Alef’s Harley Davidson is asking for help this 2010 holiday season to "JAM the TRAILER" in their food drive. Participants can help feed the hungry with a $20 food or monetary donation and be entered for a chance to win a Harley Davidson Rocker C Motorcycle. Donations can be taken in December to these locations: Saturday, Dec 4, 11 am to 3 pm, WalMart at 5475 N. Meridian, Sunday, Dec. 5, 12 to 4 pm, Homeland 201 N. Main, Haysville, Friday, Dec. 10, 3:30 pm, WalMart at 6110 W. Kellogg and Saturday, Dec. 18th, 3:00 p.m.

The Kansas Food Bank provides comprehensive and compassionate hunger-relief whenever and wherever it is needed to safeguard the health, well-being and productivity of food for Kansas families and their children, as well as senior citizens, the homeless and the chronically ill and otherwise impoverished. Monetary and food donations are needed as well as volunteers.

The Lord’s Diner

520 North Broadway
Wichita, KS 67214
316.266.4966
http://catholicdioceseofwichita.org/the-lords-diner/the-lords-diner-home

The Lord’s Diner is a soup kitchen operated by the community, for the community and sponsored by the Catholic Diocese of Wichita. They provide a no-questions-asked evening meal seven days a week 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. all year long for individuals and families. The diner relies on the work of volunteer groups, churches, individuals and organizations. There are also several monetary donation programs opportunities. Also, a purchase of one of the Lord’s Diner’s Christmas books, Santa’s Stray and Santa’s Stray in All is Bright by Polly Basore, for the suggested $5 donation can provide warm meals for those in need during this holiday season.

United Way of the Plains

245 N. Water
Wichita, KS 67202
To find help or volunteer: Dial 2-1-1 (toll free across Kansas) www.unitedwayplains.org

United Way of the Plains is a local, volunteer-driven organization that brings the community together to organize resources to meet community needs. The United Way Volunteer Center supports volunteerism in Sedgwick county and surrounding counties by recruiting volunteers, coordinating group projects, organizing youth involvement, and providing agency training. United Way also regularly conducts research to determine what the community’s greatest needs are and what services are available to address those needs and helps raise funds each year to support programs at local nonprofits. United Way operates a 2-1-1 call center that connects people to nonprofit and government human services in Kansas. Check out the "Holiday Volunteer Connection" for a comprehensive listing of special volunteer opportunities available this holiday season.