About Outreach
Outreach Ministries enriches the livesof Seniors and Youth through Support,
Socialization Opportunities, Education
and Services in Farmer City and the
Surrounding Area.
Our Mission & Vision
HURTING YESTERDAY
HOPEFUL TODAY
HELPING TOMORROW
Outreach Ministries enriches the lives
of Seniors and Youth through Support,
Socialization Opportunities, Education
and Services in Farmer City and the
Surrounding Area.
Calendar
Monday bingo at 2 pm
2nd and 4th Tuesday senior bus trip
1st Wednesday of month, Kim Castillo 9 – 11
3rd Wednesday of the Month, Kim Castillo 9-11
Outreach Ministries enriches the lives of Seniors and Youth through Support, Socialization Opportunities, Education and Services in Farmer City and the Surrounding Area.
Important Items
All the great services offered at the Sunshine Center
I thought I would take this opportunity to clear up some confusion about Outreach, Resource Center and Sunshine Center.
First; the Sunshine Center is the building that houses the Food pantry, Clothes Closet, and Outreach.
Second; the Resource Center is made up of the Food Pantry and Clothes Closet. They have a board of directors that meet regularly to decide hours of operation, rules to follow, who is eligible to receive help, etc.. The food pantry is open the last Saturday of the month from 9:00 to noon to hand out food. Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas the food pantry is open the week prior to the holiday. The food pantry also has food available in emergency situations and can be obtained by calling 928-9400.
Third; the Clothes Closet is open each Saturday from 9:00 to noon. Exceptions apply to holidays and will be posted on the door. They accept donations of clothes on Saturdays or by appointment. If you are unable to drop off your donation on Saturday you may call Sue Kopp at 928-9095 to make an appointment that will better fit your schedule. NOTE: Please do not drop off clothes at the door and leave them. So many times we find clothes left outside in inclement weather and they have to be thrown away because they have been ruined by the weather.
Fourth; Outreach is housed in the east end of the building (by the Motel) and we offer social and educational activities for seniors and youth. We have the following regularly scheduled activities; 2 pm Monday is Bingo. Of course none of this is possible without money so we have fundraisers throughout the year. Many of you have probably helped by supporting one or more of those events. You have attended Quarter Auction, bought fruit, placed an ad in the Community Guide, or just donated in response to a plea request. In the summer, we had Reading Buddies which is a program where kids who are struggling with reading meet with a volunteer to work on reading skills. This was a six week program and we have had very good feedback from the teachers about its success. We have had many parents tell us their children would not have anything to open on Christmas morning if not for us.
If you would like more information on any of these things, or would like to sign up to volunteer just stop by and speak with me or call 928-9400.
Remembering someone in a special way
Are you looking for a meaningfaul way to recognize someone special? If you know they have a heart for helping those in need, helping kids, or helping those who are lonely, maybe they enjoy our socialization activities. You can give a gift to Outreach in their name to support all these and many more programs we offer.
Please send your check along with the name of the person/persons you would like to recognize. All recognitions will be listed on a memorial board at Outreach. Outreach P.O. Box 101 Farmer City, IL 61842
Drivers needed
I am in need of drivers to take people to the doctor, physical therapy, pharmacy, etc. We have many seniors in our community that no longer drive or don’t drive out of town and are in need of transportation. If you could offer transportation for some of these folks please let me know. It won’t be every day, just once in a while. This is a great opportunity to meet new people or even renew old friendships by helping someone get to where they need to go. If interested give me a call 309-928-9400.
Searching for volunteers
Are you retired? Are you bored? Do you have a few hours a week to help others?
Outreach has many opportunities available for you to reach out and help someone in the community.
We have need of drivers to take seniors to doctor appointments, physical therapy appointments, and/or grocery shopping. Maybe you would just like to visit with someone to ease their loneliness. Play cards with someone.
Do you enjoy being around the younger crowd? I am talking teenagers and pre-teens. We need someone to plan and chaperone youth nights once a month for high school and junior high kids. We have a wide variety of things at Outreach to do. We have two Wii systems with several games to play, a pool table, foosball, board games, and card games. We offer refreshments and lots of good times.
You do not have to be a senior to do this just enjoy being around kids and socializing with them.
Another volunteer opportunity, you can help with events, planning, gather data, making calls, share your talents to help your community and during Quarter Auction in Oct. Maybe you like to bake cookies or brownies. One final opportunity is someone to clean the activity room. Run the sweeper, dust, mop floors, and take out trash. This takes about 1 hour to hour and a half and can be done once a week. Again if you are interested in any of these volunteer opportunities please give me a call at 309-928-9400.