December

Thursday, December 25, 2008
Volunteers Deliver Hot Meals on Christmas Day
On Christmas Day over 90 people of various faiths participated in our annual Holiday Meal Delivery.  2008 was the 9th year Interfaith Partnership/ Faith Beyond Walls has partnered with the 5 Star Senior center to help deliver hot meals to homebound individuals.  Each year volunteers come out to not only to deliver hot meals, but also to engage in friendly conversation.  Without the help of our volunteers on Christmas Day these individuals would not have a hot meal to enjoy that day.  Thank you to all our volunteers who put their faith into action!  Special thanks go to Mike Howard of the 5 star Senior Center. 

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November

Sunday, November 9, 2008
How Do You Welcome a Stranger?
On November 9th, Interfaith Partnership/ Faith Beyond Walls in partnership with Nishamah, a St. Louis women's project; conducted its first Faithful Youth Impact (FYI) session.  FYI is a new program and is designed to bring High School youth together to share in interfaith dialogue taking place in a different house of worship each session.  Our first session was held at Bais Abraham Synagogue.  Youth from the Baha’i, Christian and Jewish faith participated by looking at ways in which their faith calls them to welcome strangers.  Youth were to look at different sacred text and read how other faiths welcome others.  Texts that were included were The Torah, The New Testament and the Quran.  Following the sacred text dialogue, youth broke out into small groups and were given moral dilemmas.  Discussions were later held in a large group setting and youth were asked if their faith played a role in the decision they made about the dilemmas.  After the interfaith dialogue, students decorated bags with Thanksgiving Themes that were later donated to Dignity House Food Pantry to be given out on Thanksgiving Day.  This was a wonderful afternoon filled with thought provoking interfaith dialogue and service.  Special thanks to Bais Abraham for allowing us to use your facility!

October

Sunday, October 26, 2008
St. Louis Metro Crop Walk: “We Walk Because They Walk”
On Sunday, October 26, Operation Food Search and Church World Service came together to promote the annual Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty walk, aka the CROP walk.  Many of our wonderful Interfaith Partnership/Faith Beyond Walls volunteers came out to Forest Park to walk and raise money to fight hunger locally and globally.  We had an excellent attendance with people of all ages, congregations and faith groups.  Also including a great canine crowd!  Due to the success of this event we were able to raise over 10,000 to help fight hunger worldwide!  Special thanks to all organizations that helped sponsor the event, including Emerson Electric, Monsanto, Panera Bread, Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy, Pet Quenchers and Absopure Water. 

Sunday October 19, 2008
7th Annual Tree Planting Success!
On October 19, 2008 over 20 volunteers came out to Fairgrounds Park for Interfaith Partnership/ Faith Beyond Walls 7th Annual Tree Planting.  This annual tree planting started in 2001 and is an initiative started by Alfred Kahn and The Jewish Environmental Initiative.  Alfred Kahn worked endlessly on environmental issues facing many communities.  Our volunteers planted over 40 trees and various bulbs that will bloom in the spring time.  Our volunteers consisted of people of all ages, faiths and congregations.  Thanks to all of our volunteers who help keep this tradition going year after year!  Special thanks go out to Chris McCarthy of the St. Louis City Parks Department who provided the trees and mulch for the day’s activities!

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Saturday, October 4, 2008
Gandhi Service Day 2008
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
On Saturday, October 4th from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm Interfaith Partnership/ Faith Beyond Walls collaborated with Saint Louis University’s Hindu Student Community and Washington University to sponsor this year’s Gandhi Service Day. This day is devoted to service and interfaith dialogue in commemoration of Gandhi’s birthday.  Over sixty college students came out to help us mulch trees and pick up trash in Fairgrounds Park.  Some of Gandhi’s life stories and quotes were shared at lunch, and students related how the day’s service related to the principles founded by Gandhi.  The park looks great and volunteers walked away with a greater understanding of Gandhi’s concept of service.  Special thanks to Chris McCarthy of the St. Louis Forestry Department for supplying the much used for mulching the trees in Fairgrounds Park.  Also special thanks go to Pastor Kevin Anthony of Greater Star Missionary Baptist Church for kindly allowing us to use their facility for lunch and discussion.

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