Post on 30-Jul-2020
Volume 35
September/October 2017
SPARROW ’S L INK VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER
Current Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteer Painters Needed! We are in need of volunteers to help paint the interior of one of our affordable housing properties
located in Woodstock, in preparation for a new family to move in at the end of October. The date for this project is Saturday, October 14th from 8 am—1 pm.
If you are interested in helping, please click on this link to sign up:
http://signup.com/go/ZrkUMDL
New Child Care Program Volunteer Opportunity Do you enjoy working with children? Consider volunteering in our Child Care Program!
Volunteers help out on a rotating basis, while the moms are in their weekly Parenting Class. This program is held on Tuesday evenings from 6:30—8:00 pm in McHenry.
Sparrow’s Nest Store Volunteers We can always use more help at our Sparrow’s Nest Thrift Stores. Please encourage your
friends, family and neighbors to consider volunteering with Home of the Sparrow!
Fall Diddley 2017 Volunteers are needed for the 32nd Annual Fall Diddley at the Boone County Fair Grounds in Belvidere,
on Saturday, October 14th from 9 am – 5 pm, and Sunday, October 15th from 9 am – 4 pm. Fall Diddley is a wonderful arts and crafts show featuring over 300 skilled artisans and crafters.
This annual event is sponsored by the Mental Health Resource League (MHRL), and the funds raised provide financial aid to mental health related agencies in McHenry County,
including Home of the Sparrow. You can help Home of the Sparrow by signing up to volunteer, which helps keep us in the running for MHRL Grant Funding.
Volunteer shifts are available throughout the day, and volunteers help in various areas including check-in, bakery sales, raffle ticket sales, shopping bag sales, plant sales, publicity and traffic control.
Volunteers receive free entrance into the fair the day of your shift!
For more information about these volunteer opportunities, please contact Jennifer Kolarczyk, Volunteer Program Coordinator at jkolarczyk@hosparrow.org or 815-271-5444.
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Providing Hope, Opportunity and Support that empowers women and children, as they
journey from homelessness to self-sufficiency.
Sparrow’s Link Page 3
Autumn is a great time to
declutter and get organized before the holidays!
Home of the Sparrow Can Help!
Our Logistics Team offers FREE pick up of furniture and other large items that you, your friends and family wish to donate to
our Sparrow’s Nest Thrift Stores.
Simply click on the Schedule a Pickup Now! icon above (also found on our website) and you will be taken to our scheduling page.
Many of our donors have used this easy online scheduling tool. Donors without access to a computer may call 815-271-5444 to schedule
a FREE furniture pickup. Please allow up to 10 days to schedule a pickup, as our Logistic team stays very busy.
Through the use of four trucks, our Logistics Team logs 1500 miles a week picking up and delivering donations and helping clients move.
This translates to 6500 miles a month, 78,000 miles per year!
All donations are tax deductible and help support the women and children in our Shelter and Affordable Housing Programs.
Thanks in advance for your generous donations and support of Home of the Sparrow!
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Sparrow’s Link Page 4
Thanks to our Volunteers in Action
Volunteers from RSM had a great time helping at our Birdies, Brats and Beer
Charity Golf Outing on September 11th!
Volunteers from the Illinois District Singles Ministry helped with yard work and power
washing at our AHP in Fox River Grove.
Volunteers from First United Methodist Church in Crystal Lake
painted doors and walls in our Shelter in August. Volunteers from Grace Lutheran Church in
Woodstock installed a brick patio and a backsplash at our AHP units in Woodstock
and Crystal Lake in September.
Volunteers from Old Navy had fun together painting one of the ILUs
in our Shelter in September.
Other Businesses & Organizations
Allstate volunteers helped at both our Mundelein & Palatine Nests.
Pioneer Center volunteers helped at our McHenry Nest, and also assembled Golf Game Bags for our Golf Outing.
Sun City-Huntley Lions Club volunteers help out at the Woodstock Nest Store each month.
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Sparrow’s Link Page 5
Thanks to our Volunteers in Action
F O R M O R E I N F O R M A T I O N O N H O W Y O U R G R O U P C A N H E L P , P L E A S E C O N T A C T M I C H E L L E L U S M A N N A T
M L U S M A N N @ H O S P A R R O W . O R G O R 8 1 5 - 2 7 1 - 5 4 4 4 X 2 4
Volunteers from RSM did a great job painting, staining
and weeding at our SAP Unit in McHenry in August.
Student volunteers from Stevenson High School’s Service Outreach
Program enjoy helping out at the Mundelein Nest Store every Friday
afternoon throughout the school year!
Volunteers from Tighe Kress Orr had a great time as a team laying mulch, power washing
gutters, and cleaning windows at our AHP in Algonquin in September.
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Sparrow’s Link Page 6
Volunteer Spotlight
Headquarters Volunteers
Many thanks to our wonderful Headquarters Volunteers who help greet clients, answer phones,
document donations, fill shelter orders, stock and organize inventory, handle filing and data entry,
and assist with special projects throughout the year. They are always friendly, helpful and
professional, and we are so grateful for their dedication and commitment to Home of the Sparrow!
Roberta Dana
Kathy
Mary Jo
Heather
Sue Judy
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Sparrow’s Link Page 7
Volunteer Spotlight
Zurich North America Volunteers
Catherine, and her Mom Bonnie, both Cary Sparrow’s Nest Store Volunteers, have a heart and
passion for Home of the Sparrow’s mission. For the second year now, they have hosted over ten of
Catherine’s co-workers from Zurich North America in her home. Together, using items donated
throughout the year to the store, they made over 100 Christmas wreaths and decorations
to be sold at the Cary Nest during the holidays. They had so much fun being together,
and sharing their creative talents all for Home of the Sparrow!
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Sparrow’s Link Page 8
Shout Out to BGV Motorsports
BGV Motorsports has been a longtime
supporter of Home of the Sparrow.
This summer they hosted the First
Wednesday Cruise Nights at
Sweet Melissa’s Pizza & Pub in Lakemoor,
as well as the 2017 Sideouts Sports Tavern
Car, Truck & Motorcycle Show in October.
Both of these events were well attended
and benefited Home of the Sparrow!
We are so grateful for their support!
Shout Out to A to Z Literacy
Many thanks to the wonderful volunteers from A
to Z Literacy, who visited the Shelter in June
and provided a wonderful Read Aloud and
Reverse Book Fair. The children really enjoyed
this event, which allowed each child to select
three new books to read and keep!
Summer Meals for our Shelter Residents
Shout Out to the following restaurants and individuals who donated a delicious meal to our
shelter residents on Thursday nights this summer. These meals allowed the women and
children in our shelter to enjoy a family meal together before their weekly Education Program.
Chick-fil-A in Crystal Lake Olive Garden in McHenry
Chipotle in McHenry Wendy’s in McHenry
Culver’s in McHenry Willow Creek Volunteers Cindy & Emma
Kim & Patty’s in McHenry Willow Creek Volunteer Gabrielle
Home of the Sparrow Volunteer Sue Willow Creek Volunteer Lindsey
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Sparrow’s Link Page 9
Holiday Gift Program As the holidays approach, we ask that you remember Home of the Sparrow in your holiday giving plans.
The women and children who come to Home of the Sparrow are homeless, and often have very little
family support. Your generosity will touch the hearts of these women and children, and will make a
lasting impact on their lives. We also hope that by giving, you will experience a sense of
fulfillment and peace, knowing you have made a difference to someone in our community!
We have three great ways to give for our Holiday Gift Program this year.
Both individuals and groups/businesses can be a part of giving!
Gift of Hope – Our greatest need this year is the Gift of Hope. One spark of hope can change
the journey of a mother or child for the rest of their life. By giving a monetary
donation this holiday season, here’s the Hope you can provide: $25 can provide a new pair of shoes for a child
$50 can supply a week's worth of gas to get to and from work
$100 can pay for a week of groceries or a month of utilities for a family
$250 can provide a week of childcare for a working mother
$500 can provide one month's rent for a family.
Please go to www.HOSparrow.org to leave your Gift of Hope Donation.
If you prefer, checks can be made out to Home of the Sparrow and sent to our address below.
Gift of Opportunity - By giving gift cards, it empowers women to take control of their lives
and gives them the Opportunity to be active participants in purchasing crucial items for
themselves and their families this holiday season. These items include clothing, shoes,
groceries, gas, and prescriptions. We are seeking gift cards to places like Aldi, Meijer, and
Walmart, as well as gas gift cards to BP, Shell and Mobil Gas Stations.
Gift of Support - By adopting a mother or child in our program, you will have the ability to provide
Support during the holidays. By purchasing items on their holiday wish list, you will make their
holidays a little brighter. We ask that all gifts be brand new and unwrapped.
All gifts should be dropped off no later than Friday, December 155h at our
Administrative Office, located at 4209 W. Shamrock Ln, Unit B, McHenry, IL 60050.
Our office is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 am—5:00 pm.
For more information, please contact Michelle Lusmann or Jennifer Kolarczyk at 815-271-5444.
Home of the Sparrow is a 501c3 organization, and your gifts are tax deductible.