Gearing up for November

November is approaching and it's a big month for us.  First, November is National Youth Homelessness Awareness Month.  Our volunteers are currently planning an outdoor event to be held Downtown.  More information about the event will be posted in the weeks to come.

The Worcester Program will also celebrate one year as an official program on Friday, November 13th.  Yes, we started developing the program in 2006, but we were officially recognized by the National Office last year.  We're looking forward to celebrating all our achievements over the last year!

November is also bringing some changes for our group.  

On November 1st, Rob Donnelly will step down from the Director of Volunteers position as he gets ready to graduate from Clark University this December.  Rob will continue to volunteer with the group until mid-December, assisting with street outreach and the outreach center.

And on November 13th, Kristina England will step down from the Executive Director position to focus her efforts on volunteer training as Director of Adult Volunteers.  The program is currently working on filling her position (more updates on this position are forthcoming).

November is going to be a busy month for our volunteers with street outreach, events, and changes.  With such an amazing group of people, the month will bring much excitement and achievements.

Thank you to all our volunteers for your efforts.  You are the best!

For those interested in joining the program, please contact us.  You can find our contact info at the top right corner of the blog.  

Thank you Clark University!

We've Got Socks!

Last night, students from a Management Class at Clark University hosted a sock drive for the StandUp For Kids - Worcester program.  The sock drive was held in the cafeteria, where students donated money to try their luck at a sock toss.  Students that successfully threw a sock into the hoop (displayed to the right) won raffle tickets.

A few of our volunteers were there to answer questions about the program:  Rob Donnelly (Director of Volunteers), Sue Kramer (Director of Kid Development), Ken Latham (Outreach Counselor), and Allyson Trull (Director of Outreach).  Money collected during the event will be used to purchase socks in bulk for our kids.

Thank you to the Clark University Management Class for hosting the event and spreading the work about SUFK!  And thank you to all the students at Clark University who participated in the sock drive!  Your donation will provide a homeless or at risk youth with a new pair of socks.

Also, thank you to our volunteers who participated in the event!  And to Sue for taking such wonderful pictures!

Donation Request

Baby Clothes Donations

We are currently looking for baby clothes from 0 to six months.  Please contact us at 774-242-4289 if you would like to make a donation.  

Thank you to Jessica Rosen for her continued support of the program.  She provided us with much needed baby supplies last week.

Spreading Awareness: Alpha Gamma Meeting

On Thursday, October 8th, Ally Trull, Director of Outreach, presented to Alpha Gamma, a local chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma (a retired of practicing and retired women educators).   Thank you to Laurie Dunleavy for inviting us to speak at Alpha Gamma's meeting.

Welcome to SUFK Worcester's New Volunteers!

The following four volunteers joined the StandUp For Kids Program in September and October:

• Liz Barge
• Keisha Grant
• Mari Sayama
• Mohsin Syed

Join Our Program!

Contact us with questions on how you can volunteer with our program at worcester@standupforkids.org or 774-242-4289.

Thank You, KarmaThreads!

We've got backpacks and blankets!

Thank you to KarmaThreads, a postive messaging apparel company located in New Hampshire, for their donation of backpacks and blankets to the Worcester Program.  We can't wait to hand these donations out to kids at the outreach center and during street outreach.  Rhonda, thank you and your company for your support!

Food Bag Drive: A Success!

Thank you to the Mission Committee at Wesley United Methodist Church in Worcester for hosting a food drive for the Worcester program.  Several parishioners stopped by to help Chris Flagg (Co-Director of Community Resource Development) and Kristina England (Executive Director) make food bags for our kids.  A total of 72 bags were made!

Coming Soon: Clark University Sock Drive!

Students from a Management Class at Clark University will host a sock drive for our program from Monday, October 19th to Wednesday, October 21st.  On Monday and Tuesday, they will set up an information table about our program from 1:00PM-3:00PM and 5:00PM-7:00PM.  Volunteers from our program will be there to talk to students, faculty, and staff at the University.  The sock drive will happen on Wednesday at 6:00PM.

Become a Volunteer

There are several great ways to volunteer with StandUp For Kids - Worcester:

• Host a food drive
• Join our street outreach team
• Spread the word as part of the public relations/marketing team 
• Take on a leadership role (i.e. Director of Volunteers)

You'll join a great group of volunteers and more importantly, you'll be helping the youth of our city.

Contact worcester@standupforkids.org or 774-242-4289 for more information.

Outreach Center, Food Bags, and More!

Outreach Center Update

The Outreach Center has officially been open for a month.  This past week, we helped two kids build resumes and fill out applications for local jobs.  Thank you to Ally Trull (Director of Street Outreach), Rob Donnelly (Director of Volunteers), and Donna Katsoudas (Outreach Counselor) for volunteering at the center this past week.  

We need food bags!

The StandUp For Kids - Worcester Program is still in need of food bags.  We distribute food bags every week to our youth during street outreach and at the outreach center.  If you are interested in donating food bags, please contact worcester@standupforkids.org.

What's in a food bag?

• Juice box/water
  
• Cup of ravioli, spaghetti, etc. (pop top) or Bumblebee Chicken/Tuna Salad with Crackers
  
• Pudding/Fruit Cup (pop up)
  
• Candy bar
  
• Granola bar
  
• Napkin and plastic ware
  

Thank you to Wesley United Methodist Church!

The Ministry Committee at Wesley United Methodist Church is donating food bags to us on Sunday, October 4th.  Thank you to all the parishioners at WUMC for your continued support!

Behind the Scenes: Marketing Committee

Keisha Grant, a new SUFK volunteer, is working on marketing our program to local media.  She just got us an Advertisment in the November issue of Bay State Parent Magazine.  Thank you, Keisha!