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Below is the report from SARAH CC of Orange County, CA, the North American recipient of the first Bowes Award, given to one worthy project from each region. Dear Friends of the URI,
It is with great pride that I share with you the major component of our Bowes Award winning County Wide Initiative.
May 2nd and 3rd was SARAH's Big Sunday Weekend of Service. While we are on our way developing collaborative relationships all over Orange County, we realized that focusing on our common goal of service would mobilize our faith community to work shoulder to shoulder with their diverse neighbors.
With the support of the good people at Big Sunday, the nations largest single community service weekend, we were able to organize our county out to 96 different service projects, all organized and facilitated by SARAH.
Below is an account of our weekend. Big Sunday started out as a single day event and grew to the entire weekend. Although they are largely known in the Los Angeles area, they had no presence in Orange County so all of our work fostered a wonderful relationship as well as lots of name recognition for both of us. I will be sending out our video montage soon!
The Bowes Award empowered us to not only manifest our highest vision of our mission on paper, it enabled us to realize it in hearts and hands.
Nearly 1,000 volunteers participated. We are already planning next year's projects.
After 10 months of planning, countless meetings, interfaith council, church, synagogue and mosque visits, campaigns and hundreds of emails, SARAH's Big Sunday Weekend has been realized
Here are some of the incredible and magical experiences as well as some sentiments shared over the weekend (at least that we have heard so far!);
• The Aliso Viejo Stake Center was bursting with volunteers making beautiful flower pots for shut-ins and elderly homes, painting nails to raise awareness for lung cancer foundation, selling lemonade and making lasagnas for shut-ins and The OC Rescue Mission and a drive through car wash! They handed us $400.00 they collected washing cars to be donated to MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers).
• Linda and I collected 4 SUV's full of clothing too! When I mentioned how surprised we were with their contribution, one congregant said, "You haven't worked with the Mormons before, have you!". Actually, I have and I was still surprised!!!
• Creekside Christian Fellowship cancelled their Sunday services and sent 400 congregants out to Big Sunday weekend! The front of their t-shirts read "We don't go to church" The back of the shirt read "We are the church" We now know that is true!!
• Comments heard as we were asking for food donations outside of supermarkets: Someone apologized that he had just lost his job, times were tough, and then handed me a bag full of food." "One lady gave us an entire basket full of groceries!" (heard that 2 times this weekend) "I am strapped, but here's $20.00"."I have never seen so much generosity and selfless giving in one day."
• We collected approximately 20,000 pounds of food this weekend in Laguna Beach, Long Beach, Rancho Santa Margarita, Newport Beach, Orange, Yorba Linda.
• Lots of weeds were removed from Star Ranch, The Naval Weapons base (on a Reserve) and Mason Regional Park.
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Irvine Relief Society made baby blankets at their hub on Saturday.
• They brought us the Boys and Girls Club of Irvine who desperately needed their carpets cleaned and Paul arranged a year of free carpet cleaning! We sent them volunteers and, thanks to Lowe's generous donations we got their teen room and gym painted!
• Temple Beth El was also a Hub, selling lemonade, making flower pots, doing nails for lung cancer and making blankets for Binky Patrol.
• Inner City kids were treated to a day of park restoration and then fun picnic including some yoga instruction, pizza and goodie bags.
• Pappa John's gave us a great price on pizzas for the hubs. Please buy your pizzas from Pappa Johns!
• The Illumination Foundation kids were treated to a day with horses at the OC Fairgrounds and the next day got a really fun picnic with their families. Gaggles of kids were throwing water balloons, playing badminton, and even got to do Laughter Yoga!!! The Director told me these kids never get out and a day in the park meant so much to them. Temple Beth El and The Orange County Islamic Foundation came together to make this happen.
• Shelly postponed her trip to Israel to be here on Big Sunday weekend.
• Felora made volunteer calls on the way to chemotherapy!
• Linda lost hours of sleep for the past 3 months worrying about every detail.
• Marilyn and Ron were sent to middle earth on the wrong day (sorry again!)
• OC Islamic Foundation had a HUGE yard sale (yes, I got my lamp!) and opened their doors as a Hub making flower pots and doing lots of great stuff including e-cycling and more! While a shopper stopped to mention that her home had burnt down in a fire, congregants working insisted she load up on items and would not take a dime. You never know who you help, nor when!
• University Synagogue's Hub was bustling, thriving, and filled with lots and lots of great workers- teens making signs to campaign against the genocide in Darfur, little ones coloring note cards to soldiers and lots of flower pots! The elementary school made flower pots too and lasagnas for The OC Interfaith Shelter. They also did re-cycling and collection and sorting of toiletries!
• Fairview Community Church made a community garden thanks to a generous donation by Big Sunday!
• Women to Women raised money for their organization at a yard sale that our volunteers help with.
• The Pediatric Cancer Foundation put our volunteers to work helping them with their run-walk event.
• Laura's House put our volunteers to work at their Taste of Ladera booth.
• Volunteers gleaned fields for 2nd Harvest
• Most every Interfaith Council embraced our initiative!
• Some things did not go as planned but everything always works out when we are all working for Good.
• 65 folks were sent to Mason Regional Park on the wrong day so they cheerfully moved to a beach clean up.
• 2nd Harvest had a small fire an hour and half before volunteers were expected but they cheerfully moved to other sites
• Nothing happened that can compare to the needs of those we are trying to serve, so it is all good! This is not all, just some highlights that I can think of at the end of a magical weekend.
As your chair and co-chair, Linda and I are still floating so this is our perspective from 10 feet up. We cannot begin to thank each one of you who contributed to this weekend. Besides the fact that I stand leaving someone out by error, words cannot begin to capture the appreciation for all that you did to help SARAH create a community that collaborates, reconciles, loves and conspires continually towards ways of peace and understanding. And, if you did not actually get out this weekend, your intension, prayers and consideration are a huge part of our initiative.
I will be putting together a video montage so if you have any photos of the weekend, please email them to me at your earliest convenience.
We not only thank you for your energy, and hands, we thank you for your prayers which kept our committee standing!
Although this is not enough, we still say a heart felt Thank You!
Love, Sande, Linda and your SARAH Big Sunday Committee!
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