June 2004

Faith Beyond Walls * 4144 Lindell Blvd., Suite 221 * St. Louis, MO 63108 * (314) 531-4787 * (314) 531-4787 (fax) fbw@faithbeyondwalls.org

With four Head Start Centers under our belt, the summer service initiative, in partnership with the SIUE Head Start program, is off to a great start. To date 40 individuals, ages seven and up, have put faith into action Volunteers have planted flowers, organized and painted classrooms, cleaned playgrounds, and stenciled parking lots so that toddlers can learn and grow in a clean and welcoming environment. Click here for a photo gallery of project highlights.

Head Start is the national child development program for children from birth to age 5, which provides services to promote academic, social and emotional development, as well as providing social, health and nutrition services for low-income families. We have just two more Centers to go. We will include July project highlights in our next E-News issue.

This summer FBW is working with the St. Loius Urban Mission Camp an outreach program of First Presbyterian Church, Ferguson. This program brings groups of youth to the St. Louis region to complete a week of community service and reflection. To date groups from Oklahoma, Ohio, Kansas City, and Indiana have assisted FBW in providing invaluable service to our community partners.

Since FBW projects typically occur on weekends, this relationship not only meets our mission of putting faith into action, but also allows us to serve community partners who need volunteers during daytime, weekday hours. As an added benefit we can send volunteers to the same project repeatedly to complete the work in a short period of time. Check out the highlights below.

On June 4, June 18 and June 23 youth groups from the St. Louis Urban mission program, volunteer ministers from the Church of Scientology and seniors worked together to beautify a community garden at the William Clay Sr. Leisure Living Community

On June 22 a youth group from St. Louis Urban Mission work with a representative from the Penrose Self-Reliant Neighborhood Association on a beautification project.

On June 9, youth from the St. Louis Urban mission cleaned apartments in the Dunbar Gardens complex in the City of Kinloch.

On June 25 youth from the St. Louis Urban Mission worked with residents to clear out an overgrown field in preparation for development of a community garden and possible open-air market.

Teenagers Wanted for Extreme Faith Experience - Nomination Deadline July 30th!

Application packets are now available for our new EFX program for high school sophomores and juniors. The program begins during the 2004-2005 school year and involves an overnight weekend retreat where students complete service projects and engage in interfaith dialogue. Participants must be nominated by an adult from a faith-based congregation, organization or school. Nominations are due July 30! Call the office for an application or download an application here.

Month of Remembrance Coming Soon

After much planning and preparation, the time is nearing for the first annual Month of Remembrance (August 15-September 14). We are partnering with the Interfaith Partnership of Metropolitan St. Louis to create and promote opportunities for reflection, dialogue and service in memory of the events of September 11, 2001. Below is a listing of events:

Sunday, August 15
Dialogue Group Picnic and Food Drive Kick-Off
Des Peres Park Pavillion
12:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

This event will bring together all current Interfaith Partnership dialogue group members and their families for an afternoon of food and fun. Activities will include a clown, games and prizes. Newcomers interested in learning about dialogue groups are welcome to attend. Attendees are asked to bring food for themselves as well as a loaf of a type of bread symbolic of their religious tradition to share with others. Beverages will be provided. R.S.V.P. to Irene Randall at (314) 531-4787 or e-mail by Friday, August 6.

We will also kick off the first annual ICAN! (Interfaith Communities and Neighborhoods) Food Drive. We are asking all picnic attendees to bring a canned food item.

Sunday, August 15 through Sunday, September 5
ICAN! (Interfaith Communities and Neighborhoods) Food Drive

Proceeds from the Food Drive benefit the St. Louis Area Food Bank. You can drop off your canned goods at the locations listed below. The St. Louis Area Foodbank is a non-profit food distribution center for organizations that feed hungry people in 14 counties in eastern Missouri and 12 counties in southwestern Illinois. Contact Leslie Garvin at (314) 531-4787 or e-mail with any questions.

Locations:

Bahá'í Information Center
30 W. Lockwood Ave.
Webster Groves, MO 63119
(314) 963-1415

Central Reform Congregation
5020 Waterman Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63108
(314) 361-3919
Drop-off hours between 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Missouri Zen Center
220 Spring Ave.
Webster Groves, MO 63119
(314) 961-6138
Drop-off hours 24 hours (barrel on enclosed front porch)

Immanuel United Church of Chirst
221 Church Street
Ferguson, MO 63135
(314) 521-7324
Drop-off hours between 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Thursday, September 9
Interfaith Panel Discussion, Remembrance Service and Soup Supper
5:30 p.m. - Supper
6:00 p.m. - Panel
7:00 p.m. - Service
The Ethical Society
9001 Clayton Rd.
Clayton, MO 63117 (three blocks west of the Galleria)

The evening begins with a shared soup supper followed by a panel composed of interfaith leaders from the St. Louis region responding to the question, "What is the State of Interfaith Relations Since 9-11?" The third annual IP Remembrance Service, involving interfaith prayers of peace, will immediately follow. Contact Beth Damsgaard-Rodriguez at (314) 531-4787 or e-mail.

Saturday, September 11
Interfaith Youth Community Service Day
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon Shift #1
12:00 noon - 2:00 p.m. Shift #2
St. Louis Area Foodbank Repackaging Center
1451 Page Industrial Court
St. Louis, MO 63132

We invite local interfaith youth to join us for a service project to package the food collected during the interfaith food drive in preparation for distribution to local families in need. Volunteers will work in two shifts. This project is for youth ages 12-18. When you call to register please indicate your preferred shift. Contact Leslie Garvin at (314) 531-4787 or e-mail to register.

Tuesday, September 14
YADA, YADA, YADA (Young Adult Dialogue Action) Gathering
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
The Commonspace
615 N. Grand Blvd. (1 block north of the Fox Theater)

We invite young adults (18-35) to join us for an evening of interfaith dialogue and reflection. Free beverages (non-alcoholic) and food! Contact Beth Damsgaard-Rodriguez for more info at (314) 531-4787 or e-mail.

We are excited to announce a newly formed relationship with the Youth Technology and Education Center in the Central West End of St. Louis City . The Youth Technology and Education Center (YTEC) is a local non-profit organization providing after school and summer programs designed to assist at-risk youth (ages 7-16) from disadvantaged neighborhoods in the St. Louis Area in setting, and achieving educational goals. The programs focus on basic mathematics, literacy and computer literacy.

YTEC is seeking volunteers to serve as tutors on an ongoing basis during the academic school year. Volunteers are needed Monday – Friday from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. to provide basic tutoring and to assist students in completing their homework and utilizing the computer lab for research and additional support for their fundamental educational skill sets. Volunteers must be willing to commit to three months of service.

Interested individuals will be required to complete an orientation and training through YTEC which includes a police-background check. Please contact Leslie Garvin at the Faith Beyond Walls office to register today at (314) 531-4787 or ljones@faithbeyondwalls.org . When you call please indicate which day or days you are interested in volunteering. To learn more about YTEC please visit http://www.ytec-stl.com/

We welcome to our office Kimberly Hopwood who is working with us full-time this summer in completion of her practicum experience for the Master's of Social Work program at St. Louis University. Kimberly completed her coursework in June towards a dual-degree in Social Work and Divinity.

BE A PART OF HISTORY: VOLUNTEER FOR CELEBRATE 2004! Thousands of volunteers are needed for three Celebrate 2004 events this summer.

* Guest Services volunteers are needed for the giant Ferris Wheel May 25 to August 19.
* A variety of volunteers, from Welcome Area Attendants to Handicap Assists are needed for River Splash Thursday, Friday or Saturday evenings July 15 to August 21.
* Guest Services volunteers also will be needed for Eats Bridge, an al fresco dining destination on Eads Bridge Friday and Saturday evenings and for Sunday brunch.

To register to become a volunteer, visit www.celebrate2004.org and cick on the scrolling marquee at the bottom of the page. All volunteers will receive an official Celebrate 2004 T-shirt and additional benefits based on volunteer location, such as a free Ferris Wheel season pass for Wheel volunteers.

The Reaching Common Ground contest is aimed at building bridges between Christianity and Judaism and offers generous prizes of up to $25,000. Full details are available online at www.reachingcommonground.com; the deadline for submissions from youth is the end of July.