Day of Simple Giving to connect kids, community with those in need
Have you ever wanted to lend a hand to the less fortunate in the Capital District but were unsure how to go beyond simply opening the checkbook? Organizers of the Day of Simple Giving, to take place Saturday, Nov. 7, hope the event will give members of the community an opportunity to make a difference.
This will be the third DSG, which is largely organized by the Bethlehem Children’s School. They last held one in May, and the first event, which was smaller and took place at the school, took place on Martin Luther King Day, largely in response to the call from President Barack Obama for Americans to engage in community service.
Holding an event like DSG gives the roughly 40 students of Bethlehem Children’s School and their families a chance to be more involved in charitable actions.
In the past for our school, we’ve traditionally had a gala fundraiser, and we felt it was moving away from where our target area was, said school Director Deb Monteith. `We decided to have a more giving-oriented type of event.`
Students and volunteers can work at a number of `stations` to directly make items that will be distributed to organizations around the area. At one station, for example, volunteers will assemble ingredients to make chicken soup in a jar and bake cookies for distribution to shelters and food kitchens at another. At others, volunteers will be creating sports supplies for the Albany Boys and Girls Club and kitchen towels and trivets for Habitat for Humanity.
Students have also been collecting donations in CDTA `bus banks` that CDTA will match with free bus passes for people going to job interviews.
More than 15 charities and organizations will benefit in some form from the DSG, said Monteith.
The day also opens up the school to parents and the community at large, who are invited to come and participate in the Day of Simple Giving. BCS has collaborated with Grassroots Givers in all the events so far, and will continue to do so.
`With BCS, we have worked collaboratively and come up with projects where we can make things and help out the shelters,` said Grassroots Director Roberta Sandler.
The group strives to make connections between those in need and those who can supply what is needed, so the Day of Giving fits right into the organization’s goals.
`Lots of stuff comes out of this day,` Sandler said.
This Saturday’s event is planned to be bigger and more influential than ever because the school and Grassroots will be partnering with the Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless, which has held an event the last three Novembers to kick off Homelessness Awareness Month.
Participants will be led by Ric Mitchell of B95.5 in the `Cha-Cha Slide` in a symbolic effort to `Stomp out Homelessness.`
Partnering with the Day of Simple Giving was really a no brainer, said Interfaith Development Director Bonnie St. Onge.
`We’re often recipients of the good things they do, so it’s kind of a way for us to give something to them and help them grow,` she said. `We had an event, and they had an event, so we decided, let’s bring them together.`
Interfaith runs a 30-bed emergency shelter and also a drop-in center that provides everything from showers to help finding a job for the homeless. They also run a transitional housing program that aims to put those in emergency shelter into permanent housing, and recently cut the ribbon on housing for the homeless with disabilities.
Members of the Albany Legends Dream Girls dance team will be on hand Saturday to give dance tips to kids.
`To have kids involved this year, it’s a whole other element,` said St. Onge. `It’s a full circle now.`
The Day of Simple Giving will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Sophia’s Church on Whitehall Road in Albany. For information, contact BCS at 478-0224.“
