This list is compiled by Windsor Road Christian Church.

Center for Women in Transition

The Center for Women in Transition (CWT) is a not-for-profit homeless shelter that offers support services and safe transitional housing to disadvantaged women and their children.  CWT depends on volunteer help to make their services available, but many of these positions are filled by college students who are unable to serve in the summer months.

Volunteers are needed to serve these families in crisis in the following ways:

*Leading Bible studies or Sunday services for a small group

*Cleaning, maintenance, and decoration of the facility

*Playing with children in the playroom or children’s programs

*Providing meals or transportation

To get involved or for more information, contact Cathy Koerber at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Mahomet Area Youth Club
Mahomet Area Youth Club (MAYC) is a local nonprofit that provides programming for at-risk kids and teens.  They serve approximately 100 kids between the ages of 6 and 18 every month, with activities in the areas of life skills, character & leadership development, health & nutrition, creative arts & expression, and sports & recreation.

Several teen members have recently designed a T-shirt with a piece of art entitled “War of Words.”  This written work is meant to encourage others to consider the power of words, and is available for sale.  You can view a sample shirt at the Connect and Serve area in the WRCC foyer.  All proceeds will be donated to MAYC.

To place an order, contact MAYC at 590-2860, or email Mary Vita Rosmarino at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

  Eastern Illinois Refugee Mutual Assistance Center

Refugees and immigrants from all over the world come to Champaign-Urbana to live and work.  For help with material needs, employment services, language and translation help, and other resettlement issues, many of them turn to the Eastern Illinois Refugee Mutual Assistance Center (ECIRMAC).

However, these vital programs depend in part on support from the state of Illinois, and long overdue state funding means that they are currently in jeopardy.  ECIRMAC lacks the means to operate for even another month without immediate financial assistance.  More information can be found in the News-Gazette article at this link:  Refugee Center Faces Potential Closure.

To get involved, call ECIRMAC at 344-8455.  Donations can be sent to 302 S. Birch, Urbana 61801.

Salt & Light Ministry
Salt & Light’s July Community Night will be on Tuesday the 6th.  Come out between the hours of 6 and 8 pm to do a variety of volunteer tasks appropriate for both adults and children.  Or, you can stop by any Wednesday afternoon between 1 and 5 to help with weekly food distribution.  No sign-up is necessary, just show up!  To get more information, contact Nathan Montgomery, (217) 355-5654 or by email at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Also, the “Can-less Food Drive” continues during the month of June.  Donation jars can be found at over 200 participating businesses in Champaign, Urbana, and Mahomet.  All financial contributions will be used by Salt & Light to purchase food for their weekly distribution.

Other News

On Saturday, July 3rd, the annual Independence Day Children’s Parade will be held at the Champaign County Nursing Home.  This event is a way to give an Independence Day celebration back to those who can no longer attend one.  The parade kicks off at 4 pm, and prizes will be awarded for wagon and stroller decoration, patriotic costumes, and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.  If your child wants to participate or you’d like to volunteer to help, contact Henry Miller at 637-4357, or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Another agency that depends heavily on student volunteers is Champaign’s Crisis Nursery.  The Nursery provides round-the-clock care for children who are homeless or in crisis, as well as family counseling, parenting education, and support groups.  However, kids must be turned away if there aren’t enough adult volunteers to care for them.  If you’ve got 2 hours a week to help with this urgent need, or if you’d like information on other ways to help, call Meghan Rewers at 337-2731, or click on the link at left.

“...If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well…If your gift is to encourage others, do it!  If you have money, share it generously.  If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously.  And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.”  (Romans 12:7a-8, NLT)  For some ways to put these gifts to work locally, check into the ministry of Empty Tomb.  Support is needed through financial donations, involvement in national church programs, and volunteering to help those in need directly with food, clothing, home repair, and many other services.  To learn more, click the empty tomb link at left, or talk to Shannon Cook at 356-2262.

The U of I’s Intensive English Institute has a program called Conversation Partners, which pairs up people from the community with international students to practice their English. It’s a great opportunity to share the gospel with the nations. Students come from all over the world—Kazakhstan, China, Saudi Arabia, Korea, Latin America.  Volunteers meet with a group of 2-3 IEI students for 1 hour every week for English conversation and social activities.  The SU10 program will run for 6 weeks, from June 22nd to July 30th.  The FA10 program will run for 12 weeks, from September 7th to December 3rd.  You can sign up at http://www.iei.uiuc.edu/ConvoPartners.htm or email Megan Ficek at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)