THE LUNCH BUNCH
Monday, July 8 @ Noon

THE LUNCH BUNCH will meet at NOON, Monday, July 8, at Stonefire Grill, located at 473 N. Rosemead Boulevard in Pasadena.

All are welcome!

LUNCHES FOR THE HOMELESS
Wednesday, July24 @ 4pm

Union Station Homeless Services Sack Lunch Project
Here’s a way to be of service through your beloved church! Union Station Homeless Services is part of a premier group of human services agencies in L.A. County that are leading the way to ending homelessness in our community. Union Station is the San Gabriel Valley’s largest social service agency assisting homeless and very low-income adults and families. We are looking to be of service to Union Station by helping out with their programs that provide food for those in need. Our mission will be to provide sack lunches. We will come together at the church kitchen third Tuesday of the month to make the lunches, which will then be taken to the station for distribution. Please let Marcia Albrecht know if you can help prepare the lunches (all food will be provided and in the kitchen). You can email her at: mla2575@aol.com.

SPIRITUAL PRACTICES GROUP
Saturday, July 27 @ 11am

This is a time for slowing down, for reconnecting with God and Spirit by pausing together as we recall, notice, name and deepen God’s presence through a rhythm of prayer that enhances our awareness of God’s presence.

“Sabbath Pause – A time and place in the heart of creation where we can receive the gift of a non-anxious presence and learn to live out of this essential blessing in service to the world. Practicing Sabbath takes us from the sometimes-cramped places of our lives to a place where our hearts can truly sing.” (Terry Chapman).

“Light for the Path” will gather in the Narthex before embarking on a guided meditation.

PILGRIM PINES UPDATES

So Many Opportunities for you to be at CAMP!

Summer camp is almost here.  This year’s theme is Linked in Love and the staff promises a groovy summer filled with God’s fab love, saying,

“We’ll be exploring all the far-out ways we are linked together in the unlimited love of the Creator and we’ll discover how we can take that love to the ax by accepting it for ourselves and sharing it with others…We’d be stoked to have you with us on the mountain.  We’ll go bananas swimming, hiking, singing, doing crafts, practicing archery, and worshipping together.  We’ll chill at campfire and with family groups and friend.  It would be a bummer to miss!”

Camp began on June 30 and will go for four weeks.  Check out all the details and register at www.pilgrimpinescamp.org.

The Pines needs fun, supportive and caring volunteers to join our amazing staff team to make sure that our campers are well cared for this summer. If you can volunteer for a single day or for several weeks, we’d love for you to apply TODAY!  Make sure to let us know if you have any special interest areas, preferred age groups or limitations so we can make sure this is a positive experience for you too!

If you are 16-17 years of age and you’d like to participate in our limited  CIT program, please make sure to include this information when filling out the volunteer registration at www.pilgrimpinescamp.org.

LOCAL HABITAT FOR HUMANITY ACTIVITES


CONSTRUCTION VOLUNTEERING
SGV Habitat (one of our major mission partners) has several upcoming builds to help hard-working families become first-time homebuyers. You can help build their home, working alongside others in the community. This includes a four-plex in Azusa, with a home for a veteran, a church being converted to houses in Baldwin Park, and a series of home renovations in El Sereno. No experience is necessary to volunteer, and volunteers get to learn new life skills alongside SGV construction staff.

We are excited to share that the project in Azusa is close to beginning and we are looking for eager volunteers or groups to come out. There are other ways you can support SGV Habitat and their construction volunteers in the form of offering in-kind lunch donations for our hard-working volunteers.

If you’re interested in participating in this mission, please let your interest be known to Pastor Donald.

ReStore VOLUNTEERING

ReStores are home improvement and donation centers that sell everything from furniture to appliances to building materials at low prices. This helps fund SGV Habitat’s mission through purchases. We have two ReStore locations in Pasadena and Duarte. ReStore volunteers help to greet customers with a friendly smile, keep the store clean, and assist with finding new homes for all the generously donated items! You can come anytime Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 6pm and lend a helping hand.

FOOD FORWARD FRUIT PICK

* On hold until further notice *

Food Forward was recently awarded a commendation from the US Environmental Protection Agency, alongside myriad national food suppliers and purchasers like Wegmans, Disneyland, MGM Resorts and UC Davis, for the environmental impact resulting from our food recovery work in 2013-17.

One of the things we LOVE about [FF’s] UCLA partnership is that it is manned and woman-ed by students who are feeding other students. What many people don?t realize is that there is a high percentage of students who experience food insecurity. Current estimates show this number to be roughly 20% at UCLA, with students choosing to buy books over food. Food Forward’s program gives these folks a hand by creating an eco-system where the UCLA community can help its own who are struggling to make ends meet.

Watch for SMCC Picks
Watch your email for announcements on future picks with Food Forward. We look for available activities on the third Saturday morning of each month and will pass that info on to you so that you can join the effort. There is a quick registration on the Food Forward site that allows you to sign up for a pick of your choice and lets Pastor Donald know that he has volunteers. www.foodforward.org

SERVICE PROJECTS

A GIVING OPPORTUNITY
Friends-in-Deed Back-to-School Supply Drive

As one school year ends, our Friends in Deed are preparing for the upcoming school year by holding a Back-to-School Supply Drive. During the rest of June and most of July, we will be receiving your gifts of any of the supplies listed below. Simply bring whatever you wish to church and place in the designated boxes and baskets you’ll find in the Narthex. We will be securing your donations every Sunday after church during the drive.

Our Friends in Deed families face many financial challenges. Economic instability is still a major hurdle for our families, and this makes it even more difficult for families during big events, like the start of a new school year. This is why this “Back-To-School” event is such an important one.
Back-To-School Supply List for 2024-2025 School Year:
• College-ruled notebook paper
• Wide-ruled notebook paper
• College-ruled spiral notebooks
• Wide-ruled spiral notebooks
• College-ruled composition notebooks
• Wide-ruled composition notebooks
• Pens: blue and black
• Pencils, including #2 yellow 6-sided for younger grades; mechanical pencils
• Erasers
• Zipper pouch for pens and pencils (3 holed to go in binders)
• Colored markers (NO Sharpies or permanent markers)
• Highlighters, all colors
• Colored pencils
• Sharpeners (must hold shavings)
• Crayons (prefer Crayola brand)
• 2 Pocket Folders (prefer poly folders)
• Calculators
• Dry erase markers
• Student scissors (such as Fiskar brand)
• Rulers (metric & customary)
• 3″ x 5″ index cards
• Glue sticks (many schools prefer sticks to bottles of liquid glue)
• 3 ring binders: 1″- 3″
• Tab dividers for binders
• Staplers and staples
• Copy paper (1 pkg per family)
• Tissue/Kleenex (small packages that can easily fit in backpacks)
• Hand sanitizer bottles
• Disinfecting wipes packets

RONALD McDONALD HOUSE


Coin contributions for Ronald McDonald House – ongoing.

SAN GABRIEL VALLEY UNHOUSED

We will collect new, unopened travel sized toiletries for those unhoused in the San Gabriel Valley.  Please bring in items and leave them in the designated baskets in the Narthex.

LIZ CAMERON FOOD PANTRY

We will collect non-perishable and non-expired foods for our Liz Cameron Food Pantry, to be distributed to families and individuals in the San Gabriel Valley.  Please bring in items (cereals, canned goods, etc..) and leave them in the designated baskets in the Narthex.

UNION STATION HOMELESS SERVICES

Once a month, we will be gathering in our kitchen and dining room to make sandwiches and pack lunches for those serviced by Union Station Homeless Services.  Please watch your About Our Folx missives for the date and time we will gather each month and join in if you’re able.