Interfaith House-Chicago: February 2012

Topics This Month

Share-a-Meal
Donations
Tours
Monthly Project
Social Media
IFH Presentation Kit

Share-a-Meal (SAM) contributors

NorthbrookUnited Methodist/ North Shore Missions Group

This group of volunteers devoted a holiday (Martin Luther King Day) to cook/bake for our 64 residents. Bingo after lunch was their other ingredient to a wonderfully planned meal.

NorthShore Congregation Israel

This is one of are core SAM groups (senior couple from the temple) who provide a typical and simple Jewish meal.

TradeLink, LLC

This newcomer to IFH totaling 14 volunteers divided themselves in three subgroups. The first two of the three subgroups arrived at 9:30 to prep and cook lunch. The final subgroup arrived at 11am to prep for the aftermath of cleaning the pots, pans and cleaning the tables in the dinning area.

These volunteers shopped at Costco to save some bucks. The meal consisted of pork chops (2 inch thick) with green beans laced with bacon chips (bacon strips grilled in our kitchen) and white rice. The TradeLink,LLC volunteers agreed to return and maybe semi-annually for years to come.

TradeLink's menu included pork chops, green beans laced with fresh grilled bacon slices along with white rice

Chicago Cares

An e-blast from CC provided four newcomers to IFH. They assist Charles (kitchen crewmember) prepare and serve beef stew for dinner. Chicago Cares, one of our core SAMers, has been a devoted friend to IFH for years.

Donations (inkind)

We thank the following for this month’s donation of clothes, kitchen items, bath towels, and prepared Housewarming Kits.

Patagonia – Chicago

This sportswear retail store on 1800 Clybourn in Chicago and their new store in Chicago neighborhood of Streeterville typically shipped a 45lb box of clothes, gloves, and backpacks. This month was of no exception. Last holiday we received four, yes 4 45lb shipped boxes of donations for these stores. We are always in need of all types of clothes for L to XXXL – just say’in.

45lb boxes of clothes from Patagonia-Chicago

Riverside Presbyterian Church

Their CARERS committee donated Housewarming Kits for our departing residents who for the next two years become our clients (we provide our clients with housing and the kits). The kits included items that our clients cannot be purchased with a LINK card.

Jane S.

This individual friend to our agency shipped a 20lb box of new bath towels including face and hand that will be included in our Housewarming Kits. Thanks Jane!

Note: IFH is always in need of white bath towels. IFH is trying to find a national hotel chain with overstock. Know of any?

Bridget S.

Bridget and her employer, Pacific College of Oriental Medicine (PCOM), adopted us last month with a clothing/hygiene/household drive. The ‘drive’ produced ten shopping bags and four boxes of items for our residents. Thanks Bridget!

These ‘drives’ are part of a new IFH program called Adopt Interfaith.

Real Art

For the last couple of years this small shop in the neighborhood of East Lakeview-Chicago has donated artwork for our May Gala – Auction. This year Real Art donated 45 pieces of framed and unframed artwork for variety of individual tastes. The IFH Director of Development and his devoted and humble assistant used the agency's white van to travel from our location in East Garfield Park to Real Art. Interesting enough the Director is not a bad driver for a public trans type of guy.

An example of the Real Art Donation for our Annual Gala in May

Tours at Interfaith House

We always provide a tour to any organization that seeks information about our mission.

This month our volunteer coordinator provided a tour to a representative of University of Chicago Medical Center.

This visitor from the Medical Center, Jennifer G., will participate in our new program called Adopt Interfaith and will begin with a hygiene drive in March. She indicated that her group of 40+ would like the opportunity to join us on the annual Chicago Food Dispository's Hunger Walk.

Her last email message to the volunteer coordinator was "YEA! We are “adopting” you!!!!"

A Monthly IHF Project

The Director of Development and his assistant were busy this month with a mass mailing campaign to congregations in the Chicagoland area that at one time or another participant in a program or two at IFH. They dived into the database creating labels, a letter, and flyer about SAM opportunities and our new IFH program called Adopt Interfaith. AI contains a list of in-kind donation drives that help IFH reduce the cost of providing dry food goods, clothing, and hygiene products to our 64 residents.

Social Media Links

We invite all to research this small and unique agency through the following links:

Website

Facebook

YouTube

Look for us on Twitter via Google

Pieces of our IFH Presentation Kit