Ways to Help Do Good!

3/31 Update: Ways to Help Do All the Good You Can

Our “Do Good” ministry team has been working to find ways that we can reach out to our community during these days of social distancing and sheltering-in-place. We’ve set up an email address where folks can request help with simple tasks (like grocery shopping) or can offer to take on those tasks. If you have a need, or want to volunteer, email us at support@epworthberkeley.org. We are also checking out the good work that our neighbors are doing in and around Berkeley. Here are a few opportunities to connect/share/give, with varying degrees of engagement:

• Berkeley Food and Housing Project (BFHP) is seeking financial support. Demand for their services- providing food and shelter- has spiked in recent weeks. The un-housed and marginally housed in our community need all the support they can get, and BFHP is a deeply rooted organization, equipped to meet  some of those needs. They currently have a matching grant, with all donations up to a total of $12,750 being matched by their board of directors. Donate or find out more at www.bfhp.org

• The Berkeley Schools Fund is seeking volunteers to call families that may be in need of technology to facilitate online coursework. Berkeley Schools recognize the disparity in resources among their students and are working to supply students in need with computers to connect to online courses. Learn more about their work (and other ways you can give) at www.berkeleypublicschoolsfund.org/covid-19-response/

• HelpBerkeley.org is a new local website dedicated to getting meals to those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. In partnership with local restaurants, HelpBerkeley is offering low-cost meals, delivered for free to those who are quarantined. They are currently looking for drivers to transport meals.

• People’s Breakfast Oakland serves homeless and marginally-housed folks in Oakland. They are collecting 1-2 person tents, as well as cases of bottled water, and other items on their Amazon wishlist, found here: https://linktr.ee/PBO.

• Consider the Homeless is a grass-roots service organization that brings soup and bread to unhoused people around Berkeley. Several of our most dedicated volunteers are 60 and older, and the coronavirus pandemic has forced them to step back and stay home. We need your help. Twice a week we drive around Berkeley in a minivan and serve hot soup and bread to our homeless neighbors on the streets. When we can, we also distribute clothes and supplies. The homelessness crisis in the Bay Area is shocking and heartbreaking and enraging for all of us; but we don't have to feel helpless. By volunteering with CTH you can do more than fill hungry bellies - you can help reassure our homeless neighbors that we see them. Please consider lending a hand if you can: volunteers@considerthehomeless.org

Stay tuned for other ways to Do Good. And let us know what ways you’re finding to “do all the good you can."

3/24: New Challenges, New Opportunities

In these unusual and unpredictable times, we are facing new challenges. It is the perfect time for us to find new ways to serve each other. The Epworth "Do All the Good You Can" Team is eager to coordinate our congregation’s skills and time with our needs, as we continue to build our beloved community. We have thought of two main areas in which we can support each other:

• Errands: While some people must stay home, some members have more time on their hands, as they are off work or out of work, and are happy to run quick errands or a full grocery store trip. For example, Tai actually drove me in a huge circle yesterday (all the way to El Sobrante) for an hour to practice for his upcoming driving test. He still needs to log 13 more hours, so ask us to help!

• Technology: As we shelter in place, communication is increasingly technology dependent (I just used Zoom for the first time!). Some might benefit from an iPad, while others may have extras that are no longer in use. Some of us are new to online communication and could use help figuring it out, while other members have valuable skills and could help people learn to navigate new technologies.

Do Good

We have an email account set up to communicate with each other about our needs in this challenging time: (support@epworthberkeley.org). Please write us a note to let us know if you:

• Can run quick errands, do full shopping trips, have spare technology, or have technology knowledge that you could share by phone.

• Are looking to volunteer, or looking for a volunteer.

• Are looking for work, or looking for someone to work.

• Have ideas of how we can support the greater community, especially those in greatest need and those working to help them.

• Any combination of the above!

We will keep track of what you offer and contact you when there are matches.

Supporting Each Other

I know very well how hard it can be to ask for help, but also how amazing it is for relationships. When I finally reached out for help during my brain recovery, I found an overwhelming sense of peace as the community surrounded me with love and support. Please email if there is anything that could make this time more pleasant for you, if there is any way we can ease the burdens you face at this time.

Email support@epworthberkeley.org or call (510)524-2921 and leave a voicemail if you would like assistance of any kind. When you reach out, you are offering someone the joy of making a difference and building connections with you. You are giving a gift. We are here for you.

Laura and the Do Good Team