Dear Friend:

Please ask students at your school to participate in Kiwanis One Day, One Dollar on Wednesday, April 15^th, 2009.On Kiwanis One Day, we’re asking students to bring in $1 to help the homeless children at Community Shelter Services, a local emergency shelter.Your donation of $1 will provide a nutritious meal for a hungry child in the shelter.

As a reminder of feeding the homeless children at Community Shelter Services, a special miniature wooden house will be placed at your school on Tuesday, April 14^th, 2009 to remind students to bring in $1 for Kiwanis One Day on Wednesday, April 15^th, 2009. The school that raises the most money will win a pizza party for the members of their Kiwanis Club. A special Kiwanis reminder form is also enclosed that may be copied and sent home with the students in preparation for Kiwanis One Day.

A representative from the school’s Kiwanis Club is asked to count the amount raised and bring it (cash or check) in the miniature wooden house to Community Shelter Services at 655 West 16^th Street, for a special media presentation on Wednesday, April 22^nd at 10 a.m.

Please encourage students at your school to participate in Kiwanis One Day on Wednesday, April 15^th, 2009 and help feed the homeless children in Erie – one dollar and one meal at a time!

Sincerely,
Denise L. Kolivoski, MBA

Director of Marketing and Development
Kiwanis Club of Erie Board Member

It’s not too late to help, donate online now!

Community Shelter Services is thankful for a group of ladies known as the “Soup Group!” Every other Thursday, these women create healthy and delicious, homemade soups for those staying in the emergency shelter! One of their most popular creations has been chicken noodle soup.  Joe Cancilla, the Director of the Emergency Shelter, taste-tasted many of the culinary masterpieces saying, “The soups are very good!  Everyone looks forward to the next tasty treat that the ladies will create for those hunger and in need of food while staying in the shelter.”

If you’d like to form your own group and serve a meal at the agency, click on denise@communityshelter.org or to make a financial donation to help offset the cost of serving meals in the emergency shelter, make a donation online.

The number of people experiencing homelessness increases during recessions. Increasing numbers of unemployed people are unable to afford rent and local governments are unable to keep up with assistance. Based on the projected increase of persons in deep poverty - those earning one-half of the poverty level - the National Alliance to End Homelessness has released a paper estimating that approximately 866,000 additional Americans will experience homelessness at some point during each of the next two years. In other words, without intervention, an additional 1.5 million Americans will experience homelessness in 2009 and 2010.

If you have a heart for homelessness, consider donating your time or providing much-needed monetary support! These two-month old baby boys are named Justin and Jayden. They are the latest arrivals at the emergency shelter! If you’d like to make a financial contribution to help feed and shelter those staying at Community Shelter Services, click make a donation online.

On Wednesday, February 18th you can help the homeless at Community Shelter Services by enjoying a basketball game! The Gannon University Golden Knights, who have a 16-2 overall record, take on Edinboro University’s Fighting Scots on the hardwood at the Gannon’s Hammermill Center starting at 7 p.m. Gannon’s Student Athletic Advisory Committee is asking the community to donate toiletries or make a financial contribution to the homeless shelter online . All proceeds that are raised will help serve the 1,000 men, women and children that turn to the agency when they have no place else to go in their time of need.

Save the environment while feeding the hungry and sheltering the homeless at Community Shelter Services! Donate ANY BRAND of ink cartridges and cell phones to the agency so the proceeds can help those in their time of need staying in the emergency shelter or one of the single-room occupancy apartments. Community Shelter Services is teaming up with a program called the “Green School Project,” which allows the agency to earn funds to help feed and shelter those that are homeless in our community. It’s a quick and easy way to contribute!Donate ALL BRANDS of ink cartridges and cell phones that can be dropped off to the following locations:

Emergency Shelter (Open 24-hours-a-day)
652 West 17th Street
Erie, PA 16502

Lodge on Sass (Open 24-hours-a-day)
202 West 9th Street
Erie, PA 16501

Do you want to help the homeless at Community Shelter Services? Make a short video telling the Erie General Electric Federal Credit Union about how important this agency is to the community and you could win $1,000 for yourself, and $1,000 for the agency!

The Credit Union is hosting a video contest this January, February, and March. You can submit a video for consideration in the contest, or the Credit Union can film you talking about your cause RIGHT at our Credit Union branch locations (see schedule below)!

Just tell the Credit Union in three minutes or less (max. file size 100 mb) why you are passionate about Community Shelter Services.

Click here to visit our You Tube channel and upload your video and send it to denise@communityshelter.org so the video can be displayed on the Community Shelter Services website!

Videos will be judged by an independent panel and the winner will be announced during April 2009. The winning video will be shown in its entirety at the Credit Union Annual Meeting on April 21st, and the winner will also have the opportunity to appear in Credit Union advertising.

Filming Schedule:

Stop by these branch locations on the scheduled dates and times, and videotape a special message about Community Shelter Services! The staff at the Credit Union will upload your video to YouTube and enter you to win the Grand Prize!

Thursday, January 29:       38th Street Office, 2-4 pm

Friday, January 30:            26th Street Office, 2-4 pm

Thursday, February 12:     North East Office, 2-4 pm

Friday, February 13:          Hamot Office, 2-4 pm

Thursday, March 19:         38th Street Office, 2-4 pm

Thursday, March 26:         Main Office, 2-4 pm

Friday, March 27:              Buffalo Road Office, 2-4 pm

Recycling fundraiser helps beat the budget crunch at Community Shelter Services!

With your help, the agency can earn free office supplies like printing paper, pens and cash by participating in the FundingFactory Recycling Program. Please collect empty laser and inkjet cartridges and used cell phones from the community and send the waste products to Community Shelter Services. To view which cartridges and cell phones qualify for recycling, download this list fundingfactory_20081215.

The cartridges and cell phones can be dropped off to the following locations:

Emergency Shelter (Open 24-hours-a-day)

652 West 17th Street
Erie, PA 16502

Lodge on Sass (Open 24-hours-a-day)

202 West 9th Street
Erie, PA 16501

Join the following groups and organizations that are proud supporters of this recycling program:  Erie County Case Management and Lakeshore Community Services!

Would you ever want a child or another individual in our community to go hungry?  Or spend a night outside shivering in Erie’s harsh winter weather?

It’s a reality for many of the homeless in Erie County, unless you help today!

Community Shelter Services helps feed and shelter the area’s homeless for approximately $50 per day, but the agency depends on your generosity. Consider giving a gift to help those that are less fortunate. Everyone deserves to have a healthy, nutritious meal and a warm, safe place to rest at night.

The agency assists more than 1,000 men, women and children each year, but only with your help! Are you ready to make a difference?  Consider giving a gift of $50 for one day of food and shelter, $100 for two days of food and shelter or providing a gift that will help someone work through their difficult time. Donate online or send a check to:  655 West 16th Street in Erie, PA 16502. 
                To download and print this image, click on css-remit-slip.

Consider helping Erie’s homeless during the cold winter months by giving gently-used hats, mittens and scarves for all ages! For every item donated to St. Luke’s Catholic Church at 421 East 38th Street, a local business will contribute a $1 to Community Shelter Services. The monetary gift will help keep critical programs and services available for those in need in the Erie community. The church is open for donation drop-offs until 7 p.m. each night through December 22nd. It’s a fun way to make a difference for those in need of winter items to protect them against Erie’s cold winter weather! You can also help the agency by donating online at communityshelter.org today. Click here for directions to St. Luke’s Catholic Church:
View Larger Map

Help the homeless at Community Shelter Services now through November 22nd at six area branches of the Erie General Electric Federal Credit Union. Purchase a turkey feather for a $1 and all of the proceeds help purchase turkeys for a special Thanksgiving meal for the homeless men, women and children staying in the emergency shelter and the single-room occupancies such as the Lodge on Sass and the Columbus Apartments. To visit a credit union branch near you, look at a complete list of the six area branches supporting Community Shelter Services at https://www.egefcu.org/about/branch-locations.

Donations of food items can also be dropped off to the emergency shelter at 652 West 17th Street, anytime, day or night to help feed the homeless on Thanksgiving. The following items can feed someone that is hungry this holiday season:
                                                    Canned green beans
                                                    Canned carrots
                                                    Canned corn
                                                    Canned mixed vegetables
                                                    Stuffing mix
                                                    Salt
                                                    Pepper
                                                    Coffee
                                                    Creamer
                                                    Styrofoam cups
                                                    Hot chocolate (for the children)
                                                    Marshmellows (for the children)
                                                    Cake mix (for the children)