Wrap up 2023 with community!

Volunteer News | November and December 2023

Volunteer Opportunities and Announcements

Hello Tracy,

Shhh! Listen closely and you can probably hear sleigh bells coming around the bend! It's hard to believe this is our last volunteer newsletter of 2023. We have LOTS of ways to wrap up the year with love and community.

If you have any questions about any of these opportunities, please contact Sunny Holmes, Community Engagement Coordinator, at (505) 377-5086 or sholmes@saranamabq.org.

Housing and Administration

Community is a year-round project here at Saranam. If you love organizing and helping out around our facilities, these are the jobs for you.

We also still have some group projects available. Call Sunny at (505) 377-5086 to talk about details!

Campus Cleanup

Date: October 21, Nov. 18, Dec. 16

Time: 10am-12pm

Location: Weil Family Center

Details: Join us for our monthly day to freshen up the campus! Jobs vary each month but could include organizing, painting, sweeping, landscaping and much more! All ages welcome.

Requirements: none

Monthly Supply Sorting

Date/Time:

Mon. Nov. 20th, 9:30-11:30am

Wed, Dec. 20th, 9:30-12:30

Location: 1100 Eubank offices

Details: We need 3 volunteers for each day to help us sort through monthly family supplies and fulfill orders.

Requirements: none

Store Room Sort

Date: Thurs. Nov. 2

Time: 9:30-11:30

Location: FoxRidge Apartments

Details: We need 2 volunteers to roll up their sleeves and help us sort and organize donations in our temporary storage area. The space is upstairs, but shouldn't include going up and down too much.

Requirements: none

Santa's Workshop Set-Up

Date: Mon. Dec. 18

Time: 10:00-12:00

Location: Weil Family Center

Details: We are setting up a holiday "store" for our families to pick out gifts for one another. We need some holiday elves to help set it all up!

Requirements: none

Click below to sign up via Sign-Up Genius or contact Sunny Holmes at:

sholmes@saranamabq.org; (505) 377-5086.

Alumni

Our alumni have their learning caps on this fall. We are doing a financial education series and have several ways you can help make them successful.

We are also planning the best thing about the holidays (other than pumpkin spice)- spending time together! See ways to help below.

Financial Education Guest Speakers

Date: Saturdays in Oct/Nov

Time: Flexible between 9:00-12:00

Location: Weil Family Center

Details:

October 21: 2-3 volunteers who can help families read/review credit reports
October 28: Guest speaker to present on wills, insurance or identity theft
November 4: Guest speaker on employee benefits

Requirements:

Topic knowledge

Childcare

We would love to be able to offer childcare for our families as they attend classes. This will simply be playing with kids while their parents learn. We need at least one additional person each day to make this possible.

October 21: 9:00-1:00, breakfast and lunch provided
October 28th: 9:00-1:00, breakfast and lunch provided
November 4: 9:00-1:00, breakfast and lunch provided

Requirements:

*Safe Sanctuaries and volunteer training is required for anyone working directly with families.

Turkey Cooker

Date: Sat. Nov. 18, 2023

Time: 11:00am

Location: Weil Family Center

Details: Are you a great turkey cooker-upper? We need someone to cook, carve and deliver 1-2 turkeys to our Weil Family Center for our annual Thanksgiving potluck. You're welcome to stay and enjoy food or drop them off. We can provide the turkeys if needed.

Requirements:

None

Thanksgiving Set-up

Date: Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023

Time: 10:30-11:30

Location: Weil Family Center

Details:

Help us set the table for our annual Thanksgiving potluck!

Requirements:

None

Turkey Hauler

Date: TBD, likely Nov. 20

Time: TBD

Location: YMCA to Weil Family Center

Details:

Every year the YMCA generously donates turkeys and Thanksgiving supplies to our alumni families. We don't have precise details yet, but we do need 1-2 people to help pick up the meals and deliver them to the Weil Family Center.

Requirements:

Working vehicle

Holiday Baking

Date: Sat. Dec. 16, 2023

Time: 11:00am-1:00pm

Location: Weil Family Center

Details: We are holding a special holiday cookie decorating event right before the holidays. We need someone to help lead a decorating class. Bonus: if you have a great sugar cookie recipe and can bake some ahead of time, that would be AMAZING!

Requirements:

None

Share a Meal

Date: Saturdays (see below)

Time: Breakfast- 8:45; Lunch- 11:30

Location: Weil Family Center

Details: Do you love to cook? Share that love through a meal for our financial education participants. Sign up to serve up one or several meals!

October 21st, breakfast
October 28th, breakfast and/or lunch
November 4, breakfast and/or lunch

Requirements: none

Click below to sign up for alumni activities.

For questions, contact Rachel Zepper, Alumni Coordinator at rzepper@saranamabq.org

Education

All of our parents are in school studying to finish their GEDs, starting a new degree, or learning a trade. That means tutoring is ready to begin! See our weekly opportunities below.

Tutoring

Date(s): Thursday and Friday mornings

Time(s):

Science: 8:30-9:45am

Math: 9:55-11:05

Location: Saranam classrooms; 1100 Eubank Blvd. NE

Details: We are beginning tutoring for our first year families on Thursday and Friday mornings, time dependent on subject. We may add tutoring for English/Writing at a later time. Sign up for what works for your schedule!

Requirements: Volunteer training and Safe Sanctuaries

Substitutes

Date(s): Mondays

Time: 5-7:00pm

Location: Weil Family Center

Details: Can't commit to regular family nights? Sign up to be a substitute to step in when the need arises.

Requirements: Volunteer training and Safe Sanctuaries

For questions, email Sunny Holmes at sholmes@saranamabq.org

Special Announcements

Hope for the Holidays

Interested in helping make the holidays bright for our families? We have lots of ways to spread holiday cheer!

Contribute to our annual gift drive for our families. In addition to our normal kid's gifts we are holding a "Santa's Workshop" for kids to give gifts to their parents. Link to wish list below or contact Sunny for kids' items.
Share your gently used holiday décor or donate from our list below.
Give the gift of giving. Host a gift-card drive so parents can get that special something for their kids. Walmart is a preferred store.
Volunteer! Get involved in our special holiday festivities.

Holiday Wish List

Donate Holiday Decorations

Volunteer Training

We are holding our final volunteer training of 2023 on Saturday, October 28 from 9:00-12:30. To sign up, email Sunny: sholmes@saranamabq.org