2014-­‐2015  

New  Jersey  Circle  K  Service  Newsletter  

   

                 

   

   

   

District  Service  Initiative:  

The  Ronald  McDonald  House    

 

New Jersey Locations 145 Somerset St New Brunswick, NJ (732) 249-1222 550 Mickle Blvd Camden, NJ (856) 966-4663 131 Bath Ave Long Branch, NJ (732) 222-8755  

Our district has decided that the Ronald McDonald House will be our District Service Initiative for the 2014-2015 service year. Our district will adopt a three-pronged approach for this service initiative including: collection, creation, and serving on site. Collection will include collecting pop tabs and possibly collecting food and toys for the various sites in New Jersey. Creation will include making bears and blankets for the children and hats and blankets for the infants of the families staying at the Ronald McDonald House. This will allow for each of the clubs to contribute to our service project from their home clubs! For serving on site the goal is for our district to volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House at least two times each semester. We will visit different sites in New Jersey, making it easier for all of the NJ Circle K members to attend at least one visit. Not only will we be providing much needed services for an amazing organization, these visits are a great opportunity for inter-clubbing with Circle K, Kiwanis, and Key Club! Each club is also encouraged to plan their own visits to a nearby RMH. Our first visit of the semester as a district will take place on September 21st at the Friends and Family Barbeque at the RMH in New Brunswick.

Collection  

Creation  Serving  on  

Site  

   Service  Hour  Goal:  20,000  hours  

How  can  YOU  help  the  district  accomplish  its  goal  of  performing  at  least  20,000  reported  service  hours?  

Make a personal service hour goal! Our goal is to obtain 451 members, thus each member should strive to

serve at least 45 hours.

Each club should host numerous service projects every week, thus allowing their members to easily meet their personal service hour

goal.

Participate in our service projects at the Ronald McDonald Houses!

These service projects will be held at least two times a semester.

Find a service project that you are passionate about and commit to it.

Once you find a service project that is meaningful to you, try to

participate in this project at least once a week!

   

Other Service Opportunities

Volunteer on Site

Are you interested in going out into the community and volunteering on site? There are various ways to volunteer off campus. Examples of such service projects are:

• Volunteering at a soup kitchen, food pantry, or food bank (visit http://www.homelessshelterdirectory.org/foodbanks/NJfoodbanks.html to find one near your campus)

• Volunteering at a salvation army (i.e. assist with an afterschool program) (visit http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/volunteer to find one near your campus)

• Volunteering at an animal shelter (clean the facility, take the dog for walks, etc…) (visit https://www.petfinder.com/animal-shelters-and-rescues/ to find one near your campus)

• Reading to children and running an activity at a library • Visiting residents at a nursing home and running an activity • Participating in a clean up (If your club is interested in regularly conducting

clean ups, consider participating in the “Adopt-a-Road” program!)

Volunteer on Campus

Are there few opportunities for volunteering in the area or do your club members have little time to travel off campus? There are various ways to volunteer without leaving campus! Examples of such service projects are:

• Making cards for children in the hospital (visit cardsforhospitalizedkids.com)

• Creating door hangers for a local nursing home • Creating care kits for the homeless (visit http://penniesoftime.com/act-of-

kindness-care-kit-for-the-homeless/ for instructions) • Making dog toys for an animal shelter using old t-shirts (visit

http://voodoomolly.blogspot.com/2012/05/no-sew-dog-tug-toy-tutorial.html for instructions)

   

Make a Homemade Teddy Bear:

1. Print out the template provided on the next page or find the template at http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/bear.html. 2. Use thick paper to make multiple templates. 3. Use the template to trace the pattern on your choice of fabric and cut out two pieces. 4. Sew the two pieces together with the pattern you want on the outside on the inside (use the dotted lines shown in the picture as an estimate of where you should be sewing). Leave about three inches of material unsewn. 5. Flip the bear right side out. 6. Stuff the bear with polyfill. 7. Sew the bear closed. 8.  Congratulations!  You  have  made  a  homemade  teddy  bear  for  a  child  who  will  LOVE  it!      

Make  a  Homemade  Hat:      

How To:

If  you  have  skill  and  experience  with  sewing,  try  making  a  hat  for  infants  staying  in  the  hospital!    1.  Print  out  the  hat  template  provided  and  use  thick  paper  to  make  multiple  templates  (or  use  a  store  bought  hat  as  a  template).  The  hat  should  be  about  7.5  inches  wide  and  4  ¾  inches  high.    2.  Obtain  cotton  interlock  knit  fabric  (this  allows  the  hat  to  be  stretchable).    3.  Trace  and  cut  out  two  of  the  hat  pieces.    4.  Cut  out  a  rectangular  piece  that  is  5  ½  inches  by  14  ½  inches.    5.  Using  a  sewing  machine  or  serger,  sew  the  two  hat  pieces  together  on  the  curved  edge.    6.  Fold  the  rectangle  piece  of  fabric  in  half  and  sew  the  5  ½  inch  ends  together.    7.  Fold  the  rectangle  piece  of  fabric  down  and  place  it  inside  the  hat.    8.  Sew  the  bottoms  of  the  two  pieces  of  fabric  together.    9.    Turn  the  hat  right  side  out.    10.    Iron  the  folds.    11.  Turn  the  bottom  of  the  hat  1  ½  inches  and  iron  this  fold.    12.    Add  decorative  flowers  or  other  designs  if  you  wish.      Find  more  in  depth  instructions,  templates.  and  pictures  here:    http://www.makeit-­‐loveit.com/2011/02/knit-­‐receiving-­‐blanketknit-­‐baby-­‐hats_08.html  

   

 

Resources

• Ronald McDonald House Charities: http://www.rmhc.org

• Ronald McDonald House of Southern New

Jersey (Camden): http://www.ronaldhouse-snj.org

• Ronald McDonald Houses of Long Branch and

New Brunswick: http://www.rmh-cnj.org

Questions, concerns, or suggestions? Please contact District Service Chair

McKenzie Lillia at kenzielillia@gmail.com