Hosting A Successful Mother’s/Father’s Day Drive for Samaritan Ministry

Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington would like to thank you for hosting a Mother’s/Father’s Day Drive. There are many ways that people of all ages can get involved to make this drive a success. People can honor their parents or those who have been parental figures in their lives in a unique way while assisting people who are homeless and others in need who are taking next steps towards self-reliance. Here is a packet of information, ideas, and resources to help organize the drive.

Contents:

Organizing Your Drive...... 3

Creative Ideas...... 3

Mother’s Day Drive Form...... 4

Father’s Day Drive Form...... 5

Possible Bulletin Inserts...... 6

Resources about Homelessness and Poverty...... 7

Letter to Mothers or Fathers that had Items Donated in Their Honor...... 9

Wish list...... 10

Organizing Your Drive

  • A successful drive requires good promotion and organization. It might be helpful to establish a committee to plan the details.
  • If possible start with an event to raise awareness and generate excitement for your drive.
  • Set a quantity goal for the drive. For example, number of parishioners participating, bags of toiletries collected or dollar amount of gift cards collected.
  • Use posters, flyers, e-mail etc. to raise awareness about why people are homeless and your drive.

Creative Ideas

  • Provide re-usable shopping bags in which people could put their donations. Attach the wish list to each bag.
  • Set up a table or a box in a common area to collect donations.
  • Kids who would like to donate toiletries or gift cards in honor of their parents could keep a penny/spare change jar for several weeks before Mother’s/Father’s day to collect money for their purchases. Children could make a collection bank from Pringles, coffee or nut cans as a Sunday school activity. They could take the bank home to save money for the drive. This project could also be done at home.
  • The children could create signs to advertise the drive and sort and pack supplies once they are received.
  • Parents donating toiletries or gift cards in honor of their own parents should consider getting the whole family involved. Take the kids to pick out items for the drive. Not only would they be honoring their parents, but they would also have the opportunity to teach their kids about God’s call to help those less fortunate than themselves.
  • Spouses could take turns selecting and helping children buy toiletries or gift cards in honor of the other spouse.
  • People could plan to donate a certain percentage (such as 10%) of their grocery bill towards items for the drive

MOTHER’S DAY DRIVE 2012

Please shop for toiletries or gift cards for Next Step Program participants who are working toward greater self-reliance and bring the items to the parish on Mother’sDay – May 13, 2012.

I, ______give this gift

 in memory of my mother, ______.

Please remember her in the prayers during the week following Mother’s Day.

 in honor of my mother, ______.

 in honor of: ______

who has been like a mother to me.

Please write her and tell her that this gift to help others was given in her honor.

Her address is:

______

______

TOILETRIES

Hand/body lotion

Deodorant

Disposable Razors and shaving cream Toothbrushes/toothpaste/dental floss

Loofahs and washcloths

Hand sanitizer

African-American hair care products (shampoo/conditioner)

Powder laundry detergent – 40 load box

GIFT CARDS

$5-$25 gift cards (Giant, Harris Teeter, Safeway or Target)

OTHER NEEDS: Reading glasses; flash drives/memory sticks

FATHER’S DAY DRIVE 2012

Please shop for toiletries or gift cards for Next Step Program participants who are working toward greater self-reliance and bring the items to the parish on Father’s Day – June 17, 2012.

I, ______give this gift

 in memory of my father, ______.

Please remember him in the prayers during the week following Father’s Day.

 in honor of my father, ______.

 in honor of: ______

who has been like a father to me.

Please write him and tell him that this gift to help others was given in his honor.

His address is:

______

______

TOILETRIES

Hand/body lotion

Deodorant

Disposable Razors and shaving cream Toothbrushes/toothpaste/dental floss

Loofahs and washcloths

Hand sanitizer

African-American hair care products (shampoo/conditioner)

Powder laundry detergent – 40 load box

GIFT CARDS

$5-$25 gift cards (Giant, Harris Teeter, Safeway or Target)

OTHER NEEDS: Reading glasses; flash/stick drives

1

Possible Bulletin Inserts

Drive for Samaritan Ministry

Offerings for Samaritan Ministry are being collected on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day in honor or memory of parishioners’ mothers and fathers (or others who have been like parents to them). Samaritan Ministry shares these offerings with people who are homeless and others in need who are taking next steps toward greater self-reliance. The parish will send letters to your loved ones all over the country telling them of the gift made in their honor or in memory of a mother or father. This year Mother’s Day is May 13and Father’s Day is June 17. As we celebrate motherhood and fatherhood, we’re asking that you collect either toiletries or gift cards. Gift cards allow Next Step Program participants to make their own choices about food (especially the ability to purchase fresh food),about clothing and about selecting personal care items that meet their individual needs. A complete list of needed items can be found online at samaritanministry.org/content/wish-list. For more information please contact ______(name of parish representative in charge of the drive.)

Mother’s and Father’s Day Drive for Samaritan Ministry

Please consider donating toiletries or gift cards in honor or memory of your mother and father for this year’s Mother’s and Father’s Day drive. These donations assist Samaritan Ministry’s Next

Step Program participants who are working on making positive changes in their lives. This year Mother’s Day is May 13 and Father’s Day is June 17. A complete list of needed items can be found atsamaritanministry.org/content/wish-list.Items collected will then be delivered to Samaritan Ministry’s Northwest Office. For more information please contact ______(name of parish representative in charge of the drive.)

Resources about Homelessness and Poverty

D.C.’s Homeless

Definition: A homeless person is one who lacks a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence.

Who is Homeless?

  • More than 15,000 people were homeless in Washington, DC in2010, one of the highest rates in the country. On a single night in 2011, 6,546 persons in the city were homeless, an increase of14% since the economic downturn began in 2008.
  • People in homeless families, which make up 41% of the total homeless population in the District, increased by 6.5% between 2010 and 2011. This followed an increase of more than 25% between 2008 and 2010. At least 2,024 DC families applied for emergency shelter over the course of 2010, yet only a small fraction of these families were served by emergency shelter services.
  • There are more than 2,000 homeless youth in Washington, DC over the course of a given year, far exceeding the 82 emergency shelter beds and 78 units of youth housing available.In a 2011 survey of 500 unaccompanied youth in DC, 77% reported being homeless within the past 2 weeks.
  • There were 1,620 homeless children in Washington, DC in 2011, up 5.5% from 2010.
  • Among homeless individuals in Washington, DC, 37% report chronic substance abuse problems, 32% report mental illness, 33% suffer from chronic health problems, and 25% are physically disabled.
  • 7.8% of homeless people in Washington, DC are veterans.
  • 20% of homeless adults in Washington, DC were employed as of January, 2011. Of those, 47% work full-time, 46% have part-time employment, and the remainder are seasonal employees.

Why are so many homeless?

  • 30% of DC children under 18 live at or below the poverty line, which is $22,000 for a family of four. The poverty rate for all DC residents increased in 2010 to 19.9%, the third highest poverty rate in the nation.
  • In the District, a worker earning the Minimum Wage ($8.25 per hour) must work approximately 136 hours per week, 52 weeks a year, or earn at least $28/hour at 40 hours a week, to afford a 2-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent, which is $1,506 per month
  • As of December 2011, the unemployment rate in DC was 10.2%, far higher than the rate for the DC Metropolitan area, which is around 5%. Homeless individuals with no phone or address stand a slim chance competing for jobs in an already tight job market.

Source: Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, Inc.

Letter to Mothers or Fathers that had Items Donated in Their Honor

DRAFT LETTER TO PERSONS IN WHOSE HONOR TOILETRIES OR GIFT CARDS WERE GIVEN

THIS LETTER SHOULD BE SENT ON PARISH LETTERHEAD BY/FROM YOUR PARISH

Date

Name & Address

Dear ______:

A gift to benefit participants of the Next Step program at Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washingtonwas donated by ______in our annual Mother’s Day/Father’s Day Drive to honor you on this special day. Next Step program participants are ready to take next steps away from poverty, unemployment and homelessness. Caseworkers provide one-on-one support in the areas of social service and employment while program participants take next steps toward their goals. An in-kind donation helps those who are struggling while they work to improve their lives while gift cards help restore the dignity and self-esteem that every individual deserves by giving them more choices and the freedom to decide what they need. These donated items often mean the difference between the participant having the resources or doing without and can also serve to inspire the participant who is working toward self-sufficiency.

Samaritan Ministry is a community partnership bringing together homeless people and others in need in Greater Washington with support and volunteers from Episcopal and other churches in a joint effort to improve the lives of all. Samaritan Ministry pursues this goal by:

  • Promoting awareness of community needs
  • Fostering partnerships at all levels
  • Breaking down barriers imposed by poverty, and
  • Developing participants’ abilities to help themselves to better lives

Samaritan Ministry believes in the dignity of all people and in celebrating our shared humanity. If you are interested in learning more about the Next Step Program at Samaritan Ministry, please visit samaritanministry.org. We hope you enjoyed your special day.

Faithfully yours,

(Rector)

Wish List

Samaritan Ministry keeps an updated wish list on Amazon. A linkto SMGW’s Amazon wish list can be found online at samaritanministry.org/content/wish-list.

$5 - $25 Gift Cards: Giant, Safeway, Harris Teeter, Target

Empower Next Step Program participants with the power of choice!* Gift Cards provide Samaritan Ministry's participants with:

  • Spending flexibility
  • Decision-making ability and practice making wise choices
  • Financial empowerment
  • The ability to make individualized selections for healthy food, personal care products and clothing.
  • Access to fresh foods and non-perishables not stocked by food pantries
  • A step towards greater independence and self-sufficiency
  • The dignity and self-esteem that comes with being able to decide for yourself

If you would like to purchase items, here is what Next Step Program participants need most:

  • Hand/body lotion
  • Deodorant
  • Disposable razors/shaving cream
  • Toothbrushes/toothpaste
  • Feminine hygiene products
  • Dental floss
  • Loofahs and washcloths
  • Hand sanitizer
  • African-American hair care products (shampoo/conditioner)
  • Powder laundry detergent – 40 load box
  • Bar soap

Also needed: Reading glasses; flash drives/memory sticks

*As Next Step Program participants work toward a better, more self-sufficient life, honoring each individual, treating them with dignity and allowing them to make their own choices is an essential tenant of the program.