Breakthrough Volunteer Updates - October 2014

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News and updates for volunteers at Breakthrough Urban Ministries View this email in your browser Soul City Church Partnering with Breakthrough Urban Ministries Breakthrough Volunteer Updates October 2014 Breakthrough's Annual Benefit Dinner is coming up on Friday, October 17th. It's a great way to learn more about Breakthrough, the impact they're having on the west side of Chicago, and how you can get involved. There are several folks from Soul City that are hosting tables this year, including me. I'd love for you to join us and sit at one of our tables. You can learn more and register online here. We'll be kicking off a new Serving Group this month and hope you'll consider being a part of this transformational experience. There are only a few spots left to sign up. But don't worry, we'll offer it again in the Spring. And don't forget - we usually have a 1x/month meal-serving opportunity on the 3rd Friday of the month at the Women's Facility. Because our October serve is the same night as the Benefit, we're canceling our serve so that all of our volunteers can participate in the Benefit. Our next meal serve is Friday, November 21st. If you'd like to volunteer for the meal serve on 11/21,click here to sign up!  :) Thanks for everything you do to help us serve and love the guests at Breakthrough! Love and Hugs - Amanda (& Don) Annual Benefit Dinner Breakthrough's Annual Benefit Dinner Friday, 10/17/14 Hyatt Regency O'Hare 9300 Bryn Mawr Ave, Rosemont Doors Open at 5:30 PM Program is 7-9 PM Get more info and register by clickinghere. FALL SERVING GROUP Our Fall Serving Group is starting this week. We're super excited for our fall session and really hope that you'll consider being a part of this transformational experience. These are the dates for our Fall serving group: Oct 9th - @ Men's Facility Oct 16 - GROUP (@ Soul City) Oct 23 - GROUP (@ Soul City) Oct 30th - @ Women's Facility Nov 6th - GROUP (@ Soul City) Nov 13th - @ Men's Facility Nov 20th - @ Men's Facility Dec 4th- @ Men's Facility Dec 11th- @ Men's Facility If you can commit to making 6 of these meetings and would like to be a part of our group, please let me know right away. Also, the recommended donation is $50/person to help cover the cost of groceries (but don't let that keep you from joining - if that's too much, just shoot me a note). The group starts this week and we have to cap it at a reasonable number, so don't wait! Email me at amanda.bratschie@gmail.com to sign up! Can't make it this time? We'll open our serving group again in the Spring. ANNUAL BENEFIT DINNER - 10/17 Get yourself registered for Breakthrough's Annual Benefit Dinner today - click here! The event is scheduled for Friday, October 17, 2014 at 6 PM and will be back at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare (9300 Bryn Mawr Ave, Rosemont). Don and I are hosting a table and would love for you to come join us. Coming to the Benefit is a great way to meet other Soul City folks that are involved at Breakthrough as well as learn about all the different opportunities to get involved at Breakthrough. It's always a wonderful and uplifting evening. I hope you can make it! BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR Breakthrough offers a "behind the scenes" tour of their facilities on the 1st Monday of every month - meet at 6:15 pm. "Come learn about the dynamic history and vision of Breakthrough, meet some of the staff and preview our key programs. Experience a short tour through the neighborhood and discover how staff and volunteers are creating positive and supportive relationships which enrich the lives of both the volunteers and those within the community" Register for the tour online here. Copyright © 2014 Soul City Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up to receive more information about serving meals at Breakthrough Urban Ministries. Our mailing address is: Soul City Church 1130 W Adams St, Chicago, IL, United States Chicago, IL 60607 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences

Breakthrough's Annual Benefit Dinner - 2014

Breakthrough is also holding their Annual Benefit Dinner on Friday, 10/17/14. It's a great opportunity to learn about all of the things that Breakthrough does and how you can get involved. There's no set cost for the dinner, but they do take up a donation. We're hosting a table and would love for you to join us, just choose "Bratschie, Amanda" from the dropdown and Soul City as your church. You can learn more and register online here.

A New Way to SignUp!

We've started using SignUpGenius for volunteers to register for meal serving opportunities! This will make it faster & easier for everyone. Let us know if/how you like it!  :)

Our next meal is scheduled for Friday, September 19th at the Women's facility. If you're interested in joining us, you can register online using our handy, dandy new system - here.

Breakthrough Volunteer Updates - September 2014

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Breakthrough Volunteer Updates

September 2014

Breakthrough's Annual Benefit Dinner is coming up on Friday, October 17th. It's a great way to learn more about Breakthrough, the impact they're having on the west side of Chicago, and how you can get involved. There are several folks from Soul City that are hosting tables this year, including me. I'd love for you to join us and sit at one of our tables. You can learn more and register online here.

We'll be kicking off a new Serving Group this fall and hope you'll consider being a part of this transformational experience. You can expect to see some more details next month for the new group to start in mid-September.

And don't forget - we always offer the 1x/month meal-serving opportunity on the 3rd Friday of every month at the Women's Facility. Our next meal serve is Friday, September 19th. We're trying something new for signups - so please use our new online signup form if you'd like to go by clicking here.

Thanks for everything you do to help us serve and love the guests at Breakthrough!

Love and Hugs -

Amanda (& Don)

ANNUAL BENEFIT DINNER - 10/17

Get yourself registered for Breakthrough's Annual Benefit Dinner today - click here! The event is scheduled for Friday, October 17, 2014 at 6 PM and will be back at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare (9300 Bryn Mawr Ave, Rosemont).

Don and I are hosting a table and would love for you to come join us. Coming to the Benefit is a great way to meet other Soul City folks that are involved at Breakthrough as well as learn about all the different opportunities to get involved at Breakthrough. It's always a wonderful and uplifting evening. I hope you can make it!

BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR

Breakthrough offers a "behind the scenes" tour of their facilities on the 1st Monday of every month - meet at 6:15 pm.

"Come learn about the dynamic history and vision of Breakthrough, meet some of the staff and preview our key programs. Experience a short tour through the neighborhood and discover how staff and volunteers are creating positive and supportive relationships which enrich the lives of both the volunteers and those within the community"

Register for the tour online here.

Breakthrough Volunteer Updates - June 2014

News and updates for volunteers at Breakthrough Urban Ministries View this email in your browser Breakthrough Volunteer Updates June 2014 The Hunger Walk is this Saturday, 6/21. Please consider registering and coming out to help Breakthrough build up their account with the Chicago Food Depository. Breakthrough will get $12 for every person that signs up for the Hunger Walk. Also, if you do any fundraising for the Hunger Walk, 100% of the funds raised will go into Breakthrough's food account. There's no better way to make sure hungry Chicagoans are getting fed! Register online here. We'll be kicking off a new Serving Group this fall and hope you'll consider being a part of this transformational experience. You can expect to see some more details for the new group in the next 2-3 months. And don't forget - we always offer the 1x/month meal-serving opportunity on the 3rd Friday of every month at the Women's Facility. Our next meal serve is this Friday, June 20th. Just reply and let me know if you can make it and I'll send you the details. Also, save the date! Breakthrough's Benefit Dinner is scheduled this year for October 17. More details to follow, but for now - just block off this evening in your calendar and plan to sit at one of the Soul City tables with us.  :) Love and Hugs - Amanda (&Don) THIS SATURDAY, 6/21: HUNGER WALK 2014 When: June 21, 2014 Where: Solider Field Details: Walk or Donate - click here Breakthrough gets a credit of $12 for every participant and 100% of all funds raised for Team Breakthrough goes to Breakthrough's account with the Chicago Food Depository. Monthly Meal Serves Can't commit right now but want to be involved anyway? We're still serving dinner at the Women's Facility on the 3rd Friday of every month and you're welcome to join us for that when you can make it. The dates for our upcoming meal serves are: June 20th July 18th August 15th If you can make it to one of these meal serves, just let me know. SAVE THE DATE: ANNUAL BENEFIT DINNER - 10/17 Block off this date in your calendar right now! Friday, October 17, 2014. This year's Benefit Dinner starts at 6 PM and will be held at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare (9300 Bryn Mawr Ave, Rosemont). More details to come. BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR Breakthrough offers a "behind the scenes" tour of their facilities on the 3rd Monday of every month - meet at 6:15 pm. "Come learn about the dynamic history and vision of Breakthrough, meet some of the staff and preview our key programs. Experience a short tour through the neighborhood and discover how staff and volunteers are creating positive and supportive relationships which enrich the lives of both the volunteers and those within the community" Register for the tour online here. Copyright © 2014 Soul City Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up to receive more information about serving meals at Breakthrough Urban Ministries. Our mailing address is: Soul City Church 1130 W Adams St, Chicago, IL, United States Chicago, IL 60607

Email - Volunteer Updates - January 2014

Greetings, Wonderful Breakthrough Volunteers!

Happy New Year, lovely volunteers! It's been a great 2013 and since you're probably snowed in somewhere or holed up to avoid the freezing temps right now, I thought I'd take a moment to share with you just how awesome you are! With your help, we were able to provide almost 1,000 meals to the guests staying at Breakthrough's men's and women's facilities in 2013. That's no small feat! And providing those meals helps Breakthrough spread their dollars to impact more people, more programs and more lives! Thank you for all that you do to support Breakthrough Urban Ministries! 

And now for some news. We've been thinking and praying about ways to make these meal-serving opportunities more complete for our volunteers. And although we're not exactly sure what that will look like just yet, we're hoping to roll it out in March as part of our 2nd Thursdays meal-serve. While we figure it out and in the meantime, we're taking a break from the 2nd Thursday meal serves at the men's facility. But don't worry! For January and February, we'll still have one meal-serving opportunity each month at the women's facility on the 3rd Fridays. Read more about this month's meal serve below! 

JANUARY MEAL OPPORTUNITY
We're taking a break from the men's meal-serving opportunity for a couple of months, but will offer a new & improved men's serve soon. In the meantime, come serve with us at the women's facility on the 3rd Fridays! Just let me know if we should save a spot for you.  :)  

• Women's Serve - Friday, 1/17 - (3330 W Carrol Ave) 
  Come on out to help prepare the meal, or maybe to lead a song or two or even a craft! We can always use help in the kitchen, but for anyone that might be more relationally gifted, we'd love your help building relationships with the lovely women at Breakthrough and music or crafts is a great way to do it. Just let me know if you can make it and I'll save a spot for you!

THANK YOU BIG SERVE VOLUNTEERS!

December's BIG Serves were a huge success! Our volunteers did an amazing job of helping the guests at Breakthrough feel loved this Christmas season. The holidays can be a very challenging time for the homeless guests staying at Breakthrough - a time when they're acutely aware of their homeless circumstance. The BIG serves give us a way to provide unique experiences for these guests that they might not otherwise have. A HUGE Thank YOU to the volunteers who made these BIG serves possible - you helped someone feel blessed and loved! (Read more about the Men's BIG Serve here. Details for the women's serve to follow.)

BREAKTHROUGH HAS A WISHLIST!

If you've served with us at Breakthrough, you've probably noticed there's a few things they could use at the facilities. And some folks have asked what they can donate that would help Breakthrough. So I asked Breakthrough - what do you need? Turns out that they publish and regularly update a Wishlist. Take a look at the list and see if you can help provide just one thing on their list. It might even be something you already have and don't know what to do with... (hello, travel-size toiletries!) ;)

BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR

Breakthrough is a robust organization and they have lots of ways to get involved in all of the different things they do - like homeless intervention, fresh market, job readiness training and even programs for kids. You should really come out to one of their Behind the Scenes Tours to learn more about the many ways that Breakthrough is partnering with folks living in poverty on the west side of Chicago. Tours are on the first Monday of each month. For more information or to register for the tour,click here.

Thanks, everyone! Hope to see you soon!
Love and Hugs!

Amanda! 

Taking a Break From 2nd Thursdays

For January and February, we're going to take a break from serving a meal at the men's facility. Working with Soul City Church, our goal is to develop a more comprehensive serving experience for volunteers who might want it. We're not exactly sure what that will look like yet, but we're open to feedback so if you have some thoughts you'd like to share, please let me know!

If your New Year's Resolution was to volunteer more, fear not! You'll still have plenty of opportunity to serve at the women's facility every third Friday.

Thanks, everyone! We're looking forward to serving a meal with you in 2014!