Act Out Now

A Hygiene Kit Project: We Need Your Input

May 272013

Act Out Now is looking to kick off a project to assist Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach. Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach addresses unmet medical needs of people in developing countries. These kits will be used as learning tools in literacy, hygiene, nutrition and health classes. They are also distributed to people who understand personal hygiene but have limited resources. Our project would consist of collecting and assembling materials needed for hygiene kits. This would be a great service project for families with kids of all ages.

We hope to have this project up and running in early June, but right now we want to assess the level of interest in helping with this project. To help us determine the interest, please send us a note in response to the following two questions:

Would you be interested in participating in a hygiene kit drive? This would consist of collecting/purchasing materials and then coming together to assemble them. This would be ideal for families with kids of all ages.
Would you be interested in participating in a field trip to the Mission Outreach facility? This field trip would be for kids 9 and up. Mission Outreach is located in Bedford Park, IL.

Let us know what you think, and we’ll get this show on the road. It’s going to be a great project. Thank you. We look forward to volunteering with you.

June Service Opportunities

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May 272013

We’ve got some exciting service-opportunities already on the calendar for June. Check them out, and more are on the way.

Sertoma Centre Super Sale

June 1 and 2, 2013 9:30 – 5:30 (half shifts available): The good folks at Sertoma Centre need about 40 volunteers to staff their annual fundraising housewares “super sale.” There are many positions available–something for everyone. Also, they will be signing off on community service hours, so if you know of anyone who needs hours for school or clubs, let them know. This is a great opportunity for 7th and 8th graders through High School students as well as college aged individuals. Come volunteer as a family—they would love to have you.

Also, do not forget about the VOLUNTEER ONLY Preview Party and Sale. For any volunteer participating in this event, there is a Preview Sale Day just for YOU! You get to purchase any items you would like before the sale opens to the public. The special preview sale is set for Friday, May 31st from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm on location at 4331 W. Lincoln Highway. All merchandise is deeply discounted. Do not miss out on this great perk.

If you are interested in volunteering for the sale on June 1st or June 2nd, please e-mail Laura Gardner with the day and shift you are available, and she will get you on the list. Dress comfortably. Volunteers will be asked to wear a volunteer shift during their shift. Lunch and snacks will be provided. Just do it. It’ll be a great experience for the whole family. Contact Laura at lgardner@sertomacentre.org.

Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve Restoration

June 1, 2013 8:00 am – 12:00 pm:The Will County Forest Preserve could use your helping hands. Volunteers will cut, haul, or stack brush; learn about why the District takes such great care of the preserves it owns and manages; and feel a deep sense of accomplishment for a job well done. Please dress for outdoor work and the weather. Wear long pants, closed-toe shoes, and work gloves. Registration is required. Please call 815.722.7364 or e-mail Renee Gauchat (rgauchat@fpdwc.org) for more information or to register for this event.

Feed My Starving Children

June 11, 2013 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm: Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) is always a great way to do good for others. FMSC packs specially formulated food for children who are on the brink of starvation in many developing countries around the world. You can literally save lives by participating in this event. It’s a great way to spend a couple of hours with friends (old and new) and family. It’s a child friendly service opportunity too, so get the little ones involved. Act Out Now will be at FMSC on June 11, so please join us. Just click the link: RSVP NOW.

551 Pairs—Sorted, Counted, Delivered

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May 232013

We recently brought our April Shoe Drive to close. Collecting shoes is one thing, but processing them all is quite another. That was our project for Wednesday this week. We had been stockpiling the bags of shoes as they were coming in throughout the drive. (The garage was full.) Early this morning, we packed bag after bag into the back of the pickup and began the journey to Share Your Soles. (The bags were stacked so high, I’m surprised we didn’t lose any along the way.)

At Share Your Soles we received a warm welcome as always and got to work processing our shoes. We unloaded them all and began the count and sort. Four hours of hard labor later, we’re happy to report that we collected 551 pairs of shoes bound for those in need across the globe. Great work to everyone who contributed to this effort. Thank you so much.

Working the Shoes at Share Your Soles

Sweet Treats for Those in Need

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May 232013

Our son was born premature and spent six weeks in the hospital before coming home. Even though this was almost 10 years ago, I remember clearly the long days we spent there at the NICU. I would arrive as soon as the nursery opened first thing in the morning and would stay until the nurses kicked us out late into the night. We basically lived at the hospital for those six weeks. During that time I remember friends, family, and acquaintances who stopped by to offer support, love, and . . . food. Yes, food. It is amazing what a warm, home-cooked meal can mean when you have been eating hospital cafeteria food for days on end (or forgetting to eat all together). Food can be such a comfort in difficult times.

I think this is part of the reason that I have been enjoying going to the Ronald McDonald House these past couple months. This past Monday was our third time going and it just warms my heart to have the kitchen filled with yummy smells and tasty treats, and my hope is that the food offers the same comfort to the families staying at the House as it did for me so many years ago.

We spent a lovely afternoon on Monday with two other families baking all kinds of tasty goodness–cookies, brownies, and oatmeal chocolate chip bars. The sweet aroma of chocolate filled the kitchen, and we filled platters with the delicious treats for the 16 families staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Oak Lawn. It was a good day.

Happy Kids with Sweet Treats in Hand

ActOut 2013 in Photos

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May 082013

The ActOut 2013 fair was significant success—even bigger and better than last year. Over the course of two days, we hosted three amazing speakers, about 75 students showcasing their service-learning-related work in one form or another, and over 30 local nonprofits with information tables informing the community about the good work they do and how others can get involved. We had posters, found and original works of art, video installations, and more all focused on the idea of action toward positive and lasting change in our communities and in our world.

As a service-learning event and academic project coming through several college courses, including a number of research composition courses, political science and international relations, and American history at Moraine Valley Community College, the event is getting more recognition and support from the College and the community. This is a good thing as it will help the annual event grow stronger each year.

Check out the photos we snapped during the event. If you missed this year’s ActOut event, we’ll be doing it again next year. In the mean time, get involved and act out!