Mission Statement:
The Community Service Committee will serve the mission of the Parents Association by fostering community service for the children and families of our SSFS community. It will strive to promote the importance of thinking and acting locally, nationally and globally. The committee will emphasize the importance of service and support outside as well as within the SSFS community. The CSC will initiate, implement and support community projects. It will utilize the existing PA infrastructure of division and grade representatives as well as parent volunteers to execute these projects. These community service opportunities will promote the Quaker values of service and stewardship while strengthening our children's moral character.

The PA Community Service Committee has been established in order to provide volunteer service opportunities for our community. This committee strives to give parents, students, faculty and staff access to a variety of outreach projects in our greater community.

Where requested, the Community Service Committee will also lend support to the Lower, Middle, and Upper School divisions with ongoing community service projects, and in the development and operation of new ones. In addition, the Community Service Committee is working to provide a website resource list for the SSFS community. This list will include local, national and international programs and projects seeking volunteer assistance.

New members to this committee are always welcome!

Link to the Community Resource List

Link to Caring With Casseroles

Announcements:

Collecting Clothing and Casseroles for Shepherd's Table
Happy New Year to the SSFS Community. In this thrilling, chillingly cold winter season, please continue to think of others in need. We are collecting warm winter clothing for the Homeless population served by Shepherd's Table which includes infants and children as well as adults. Our collection bin is under the telephone pole at the lower school circle. We are also bringing casseroles to Shepherd's Table through our caring with Casseroles Program. Feel free to pick up a pan and recipes at any division office. And leave your completed casseroles in the PA freezer in Yarnall. Thank you for your generosity and welcome back!

Looking for Service Opportunties for MLK Day?
Martin Luther King (MLK) Day - January 18, 2010 - is just around the corner. Looking for something to do with the family to honor Dr. King and this national day of service? Here are just a few suggestions and connections:

• Come to SSFS to make valentine cards for Friends House residents, Linus blankets for sick children, and/or scarf making (knitting) for Johns Hopkins patients. No experience required - come join in the fun while helping others. Supplies and goodies will be provided. Where and When? The Quaker Meeting Room just off Yarnall Lobby, from 10-12am on MLK DAY.

• Underground Railroad Trail at Woodlawn Mansion from 10 AM to 12 Noon – Rain or shine. Meet at the parking lot behind Woodlawn Mansion at 16501 Norwood Road, Sandy Spring, MD. Join Montgomery County Parks Certified Weed Warrior Supervisor, Jeremy Arling and Montgomery County Sierra Club to manually remove invasive vines from along the Underground RR Trail.

• Come see KING: A FILMED RECORD?MONTGOMERY TO MEMPHIS, about the public life and contribution to the civil rights movement of Martin Luther King, Jr., beginning with King's successful bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955-56. After the film, meet with area non-profit groups and learn how to get involved in volunteer opportunities year-round. Where: AFI Silver Theatreand Cultural Center, 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910. When: Movie Times 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Screening Info: www.AFI.com/Silver. Tickets are FREE and will be available at AFI Silver Theatre on January 18th beginning 10:30 a.m. Tickets are first-come, first-served with a maximum of four tickets per person. Please arrive early; seating is limited!

• Montgomery County has a webpage listing of service opportunities for MLK day: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgtmpl.asp?url=/content/Volunteer/locations.asp

• Here's a website which will list opportunities close to your home – just enter your zipcode.

COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMITTEE SUMMARY 2008-09

SEPTEMBER - HARVESTING FOR THE HUNGRY
On Sunday, September 7th, 10 members of the SSFS community helped to harvest approximately 10,000 lbs of cucumbers at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. That was the largest harvest of the 2008 year. The harvested food goes to the group Food for Others (www.foodforothers.org).

OCTOBER - SPAGHETTI DINNER
On Sunday, October 19th, over 300 SSFS community members joined in collecting over 300 pounds of non-perishable foods to go to Sodhexo's Cans Across America program. The donated goods go through Second Harvest to our local Capital Area Food Bank.

NOVEMBER - WALK FOR THE HOMELESS
The CSC partnered with the Community Service office and the ISP for the annual Fannie Mae Walk for the Homeless on Saturday, November 17th. With 200 SSFS participants, wholly sponsored by Fannie Mae, we raised over $10,000 for the needy. Dad's Diner provided a tasty meal for those returning to school.

DECEMBER - ALTERNATIIVE GIFT MARKETAT WINTERFEST
This year we raised $3000 to support global service efforts. (www.alternativegifts.org)

JANUARY – MARTIN LUTHER KING SERVICE DAY
We collected over 500 warm winter clothing items that were donated to Shepherd's Table (www.shepherdstable.org) on National Service Day. We intend to have Martin Luther King Day be one of our All-School Service Days for next year.

FEBRUARY - VALENTINES TO JOHN'S HOPKINS
On February 11, with the help of parent and Upper School student volunteers, over 40 Lower and Middle School students made Valentine's Day cards. The cards were delivered to the Child/Life Department of the Johns Hopkins Children's Center. They were distributed to their patients, many of whom are underprivileged. On any given day the Children's Center has from 170 to 180 sick children at their facility.

APRIL - ALL-SCHOOL COMMUNITY SERVICE DAY
Along with many other activities that were being run by the Upper School students, faculty and parent volunteers, the PA Community Service Committee organized the following. It was a wonderful day for all ages!

• A WIDER CIRCLE DONATIONS - We collected over 100 pounds of furniture to be donated to families getting out of the shelter system and moving into their own homes (www.awidercircle.org).

• TOILETRY COLLECTION - We collected over 500 items to be donated to Shepherd's Table.

• CARING WITH CASSEROLES - We made 16 casseroles to be donated to Shepherd's Table. We had previously brought 18 casseroles to them, and another 10 after the service event for a total of 44 casseroles donated this year!

• LINUS BLANKETS - Several bags of brightly colored, cozy, hand fringed blankets were made by our SSFS community to be donated to the Child / Life Department of the John's Hopkins Children's Center.

MAY - PLANTS FOR FRIENDS HOUSE
Lower, Middle and even a few Upper School students joined in on May 13 to plant begonias, decorate the pots, and walk them over to Friends House. As we walked through the halls, 50 plants were hand delivered to the residents.

FOR NEXT YEAR
We are looking at other types of community building events for next year, including a fall community stewardship picnic with a sporting equipment and rain boot recycling effort (tentatively September 26th).

More brainstorming to come!