May 2016 – Newsletter

Written by: Rhea Dash, Volunteer & Staff Writer
Hi all,

A huge thanks to everyone who has helped out Empower & Excel during its first year! The Evergreen Times covered our 1st anniversary in its May 27th to June 9th issue on its front page; you can read the article here: http://www.evergreentimes.com/. We hope, as everyone begins winding down the school year and making plans for summer vacation, you all continue to find ways to give back to the community and contribute your time to making a difference.

 
We as a team gave back to the community total 230 hours via volunteering.

Volunteering at Sacred Heart

On May 7th, our team helped make food bags and sort out donated items for those who depend on Sacred Heart to provide for their families. Many times, our volunteers discover that their hard work benefits themselves as much as it does the needy. Volunteering improves the health, happiness, and in some cases, the longevity of volunteers, and in today’s action-packed schedules, a day set aside for volunteering can be just as good as a vacation. You can see in these snapshots of the day how happy and focused all of them look while working.

One of our youngest and most energetic volunteers: https://www.facebook.com/Empowerandexcel/videos/582280211954054/

Free Comic Book Day at Alum Rock Library

On May 7th, our volunteers had an opportunity to help with the Free Comic Book Day event at the Alum Rock Library. They had a great time interacting with the little ones as they helped with making crafts, reading books & taking pics.

Cooking & serving at Family Supportive Housing

On May 8th, we celebrated both Mother’s Day and our first anniversary of offering our services at shelters by cooking and serving a delicious meal to many homeless families at Family Supportive Housing. We feel blessed to be able to help families who are suffering through the desperate experience of losing their homes.

Shout-out to Kumar and family for your generous donation! Your gift made a real difference in the lives of hungry families, and helped them gather around their tables for a wholesome meal. May you and your family be poured with lots of love and blessings!

Elementary book donations

On May 14th, we received a truck-full of donated books courtesy of Michele, from J.F. Smith Elementary School. And on May 26th we received similar books from Silver Oak elementary too. We are so lucky to receive their generous donation, and we can assure you that these books are going to needy students who are trying to build their reading and writing skills. Shout-out to Ricky for spreading the word about our book drive.

Gardening at Emma Prusch gardens

On May 14th, our volunteers spent a beautiful Saturday working at the Emma Prusch community garden. They enjoyed working outside and getting their hands dirty, spending time with nature and fresh air. They got to learn about plants and caring for them, and also that we need to eat fresh fruits and vegetables for a healthy diet.

Cooking at CityTeam’s kitchen

On May 28th, we helped to slice and dice vegetables, crack carton-full of eggs and serve meals to residents and guests from the streets. As always, we had a good time. Thank you Sarah for the opportunity!

Technology assistance at PriyaLiving

May 28th, our volunteers spent time at our local retirement house to help assist the elderly in dealing with technology. Inspiring people to learn at any age is a wonderful thing to experience, and gives all parties involved indescribable little moments of joy. Thank you PriyaLiving for the opportunity!