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Places to Serve: Social

Please click on any one of these items for more information:

• Bellingham YWCA

  The YWCA Bellingham works to promote the empowerment of women and girls of all ages, backgrounds, races, and to advance their quality of life.

  As part of this goal, the YWCA has offered low-cost and free housing to women in crisis for over eighty years.

  Women come to the YWCA for many different reasons but their goal for each woman is the same: to give her an affordable, safe, supportive place to stay and to connect her with whatever resources she needs to get her life back on track.

  For more information go to: ywca.org.

  For racism to be eliminated.

  For the YWCA as is seeks economic advancement through programs relating to welfare reform, increasing women’s income, and affordable accessible early childhood education.

  For the continuation and ability to supply housing to those in need.

  For the continued ability to provide resources for women to transition into homes and work environments.

  Volunteers needed to help out in their Back to Work Boutique, a program that helps low-income women find professional clothing for interviews or for new jobs. Back to Work Boutique volunteers are trained to sort clothing and act as consultants.

  If you are interested or would like more information, please call the YWCA at (360) 734-4820, or stop by the YWCA office to fill out a volunteer application.

• Kulshan CLT – A Community Land Trust

  A democratically structured, membership based, community land trust, working to create healthy communities through permanently affordable homeownership.

  A community land trust is a nonprofit corporation that owns land and holds it "in trust" forever for the benefit of the community.

  KulshanCLT homeowners have some essential benefits of conventional homeownership: lifetime security, a reasonable rate of return on their investment, and a legacy for their descendants and it makes access to housing available to those of modest means.

  For more information visit kclt.org.

  For qualified applicants to be made aware of Kulshan CLT.

  For more land to become available for Kulshan CLT projects.

  For the continuation of groups like Kulshan CLT to offer affordable housing to residents in Whatcom county.

  If you are a realtor, lender or other housing professional and have experience with Homebuyer education become a volunteer presenter at one of their HomeBuyer Education courses.

  Become a member of the Board of Trustees. Every November, at KulshanCLT's annual meeting, new Trustees are elected to the board.

  Volunteer for events by contacting Christy Bell at 360-671-5600, ext.4.

• Alternatives to Hunger / Bellingham Food Bank

  Mission: The Bellingham Food Bank (Alternatives to Hunger) is a volunteer-based organization that works to reduce hunger in Bellingham by providing wholesome food to those in need, on an emergency or chronic basis, and by educating the community on the problem of hunger.

  The Food Bank diligently provides basic, nutritious food to clients and uses cash donations to purchase foods not received through donations

  It also serves as lead agency for five other food banks in the county. Many of the food banks operate solely on a volunteer basis and BFB assists with procuring food donations for the county food banks.

  For more information contact Vicki Leuenberger, Executive Director at bfbank@openaccess.org.

  For continued volunteer support as the BFB is run most by dedicated volunteers

  For the people in need of spiritual, emotional, and/or economic support that are clients of the BFB.

  For continued to positive connections with other social service organizations.

  For the paid staff and volunteers that they would continue to provide compassionate service to those in need.

  Volunteer to distribute food to those in need in Whatcom County or a variety of organization projects regarding packaging bulk food for families.

  Volunteer to weed or grow food at the Food Bank Farm or deliver food to the Food Bank. For more information about this specific opportunity call 738-0690.

  For more information contact Vicki Leuenberger, Executive Director at bfbank@openaccess.org.

• Small Potatoes Gleaning Project

  Gleaning is the ancient practice of gathering food left in the field after harvest.

  The mission of the Small Potatoes Gleaning Project is to contribute to the development of a community food system, focusing on equitable food distribution through gleaning, market retrievals, educational outreach and promoting food self-reliance.

  Small Potatoes Gleaning Project bridges the gap between local surplus produce that would otherwise be wasted and those who are hungry in Whatcom County.

  For more information visit gleaningproject.org.

  For continued volunteers to glean fruits and vegetables throughout the harvesting season

  For the organizers of this project, that they would continue to sense a purpose and mission for their work and efforts.

  For plenty of harvest to feed all those in need in Whatcom County.

  Volunteers needed to weed, sow seeds, prepare beds, maintenance such as weed eating and greenhouse work, and people to harvest and deliver to the Bellingham Food Bank during harvest time.

  For more information on volunteering on the Food Bank Farm call 738-0690 or email beemon@comcast.net.