The holidays are special times for all of us- times to reflect, be thankful, celebrate, remember, and show love. The holidays can also be difficult if you do not have the things you need like shelter, food, and clothing- the basics. At First Light, we strive to meet the basic needs of our guests while offering them something a little extra- like fun, sing-alongs, and items that are nice to have, but aren’t necessities. This is where we need your help!
While we are busy at work taking care of our ladies’ basic needs, we ask you all to step in and do something a little “over-the-top” for them during the holidays! If you are interested in getting involved on any of these levels, or have other ideas, please contact Shannon Horsley at shannon.horsley@firstlightshelter.org or 205-323-4277. Thank you for your support!
Ideas for serving at First Light over the holiday season:
1. Bring and serve breakfast for 70 ladies. There is no set menu, but we can give you some ideas for what to serve if you’d like. Depending on what you serve and how much preparation is to be done that morning, you may need 1-5 volunteers total to pull this off! Please contact Shannon for available dates.
2. Plan and bring the supplies for a fun activity or holiday party any Saturday or Sunday afternoon in December. 3pm is an ideal time for this kind of activity on the weekend. This would also require 1-4 volunteers, plus supplies for the activity or party.
3. Collect 70 of an item to be included in our guests’ Christmas gift bags. Some examples of items collected in the past: socks, large bottles of lotion, puzzle books, pajamas or night shirts, and makeup. Please contact Shannon Horsley for a list of items not yet being collected. These items will need to be delivered to First Light by December 21st!
4. Collect toys for kids! We like to set up “shop” and allow our ladies to come and pick items to give to their children and grandchildren. We did this last year, and it was so special. Please let us know if you are collecting toys, and what age group you are collecting for! Toy donations will need to be delivered to First Light by December 17th!
5. Sponsor a woman in one of our permanent supportive housing programs. Our ladies in permanent housing are asked to give us a wish list of items they need for Christmas. We then have people from the community sponsor a woman, purchase the items on her list, wrap and label them, and deliver them to First Light. We have 34 ladies to be sponsored so far, so contact us today if you would like to help! These gifts will be due at First Light by December 21st!
6. Plan a "house-warming" shower at your home and invite your friends! Instead of asking them to bring gifts for you, ask them to bring gifts for a woman moving into her own apartment! You can focus on general household supplies needed or on a particular room of the house (i.e. everyone bring gifts for a bathroom or kitchen, etc.).
Remember to contact Shannon Horsley at shannon.horsley@firstlightshelter.org or 205-323-4277 if you are interested in volunteering or donating during the holiday season!
