June Beyond Belief Network Roundup!
By GO HumanityWe just finished rounding up reports from BBN volunteer teams for the month of June!
Recognitions
Please welcome one the latest BBN Team, Humanists of Tallahassee!
Team of the Month for June goes to Fellowship of Freethought-Dallas. After postponing in-person events for 16 months, these volunteers returned to serving meals at the Ewing House: a home for low-income people living with HIV or AIDS.
Picture of the Month (above) comes from Humanist Society of Greater Phoenix (HSGP)! HSGP returned from a pandemic hiatus to crochet plarn sleeping mats for unsheltered people! Plarn is a durable material made from plastic bags. Making these mats has been a popular event for a while at HSGP. Almost half of the participants were new to the group and some were even new to crocheting! One person could not stay for the activity but dropped off many bags of bags.
Food Security Project Teams
Here are some quick impact numbers from the five teams you’re helping support via our Food Security Project:
- Events held: 15
- Volunteer hours donated: 448
- Total individual beneficiaries impacted: 874
- Total families/households: 602
- Total meals/kits provided: 3,439
- Total pounds of food distributed: 6,880
Humanist Society of Greater Phoenix
In addition to the plarn project mentioned above, HSGP was also proud to support United Food Bank in June. This long-standing institution serves some of the most remote areas in the state where there are few places to buy food. Community members donated the bank’s most needed items and made monetary donations to support the project. Contributions were accepted at in-person events at HSGP’s Community Center as well as during separate drop-off hours. Based on estimates at the food bank, these contributions provided 2,000 meals.
Austin Atheists Helping the Homeless
Austin area volunteers packed about 341 bags containing 1,023 meals plus toiletries for unsheltered people! They also received and fulfilled special requests for water and pet food. Additionally, the team purchased firewood for one particular encampment.
Austin Texas Humanists at Work
This team met for their monthly event in downtown Austin, giving 100-200 unsheltered people personal care items, underwear, books, bedding and warmth items. While out, they also accepted item donations and helped connect the unsheltered community with resources.
Volunteers have also been meeting each Sunday at an encampment to hand out 15lb shelf-stable food bags and gallon jugs of water. Whenever available, they also attempt to supply items like tents, sleeping bags, insect repellent, clothing, and toiletries.
Atheists United
At Atheists United’s monthly food distribution, volunteers prepared and distributed food kits for 114 families — an average of 34 pounds of food per family!
They also found time to volunteer for a project restoring natural habitats in the Santa Monica Mountains and clean their adopted stretch of highway!
Atheists of Polk County
This powerhouse team met on three different days to participate in Street Warriors: a local service program feeding people experiencing homelessness in two towns. They also met a fourth day to clean their two-mile stretch of adopted highway!
Beyond Belief Network at large
Across the country, teams in the network worked 235 volunteer hours at 11 service events, serving 600 direct beneficiaries!
Central Ohio United Non-Theists
This reliable team faithfully executed commitments to three monthly causes:
- Preparing and serving food at the Van Buren Center, a local shelter
- Assisting adaptive athletes with outdoor sports through Adaptive Sports Connection (ASC).
- Providing hospitality services at the Columbus Ronald McDonald House, a place for families to stay while their children are in local hospitals.
To date, COUNT volunteers have worked 1,227 hours at the Van Buren Center; 686 hours with ASC; and 1,716 hours at the Ronald McDonald House!
Jefferson Humanists
This Colorado team participated in a benefit for Rainbow Alley, a nonprofit providing counseling and activities for at-risk youth. Volunteers collected $425 in an effort to support the approximately 1,000 young people that visit Rainbow Alley annually!
Central Florida Freethought Community
Volunteers cleaned up Kewannee Park: a six acre facility that includes a large pavilion, basketball court, playground, exercise stations, jogging path, boardwalk, restrooms, and pier.
Staunton Oasis
Four volunteers from this Virginia team sorted donations for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank!
We can’t wait to see what these and other dedicated teams in the network do next!
