NCCW Meets in Jacksonville, Elects New Officers

1. Ask your local police or State Attorney’s Office to do a program on identity theft.  Ask for specific information on what to do if you lose your wallet, personal organizer, cell phone, keys, PDA or laptop since each needs to be treated differently.

2. Try to drum up interest in prison ministry by sponsoring a program on juvenile and female offenders with emphasis on what kind of programs, training, classes and support your local detention system provides.

3.   Ask someone from your local Children and Family Services to give a program on grandparents raising second families.   Contact Generations United at 202-289-3979 or http://www.gu.org/ for an excellent fact sheet.

4.   Ask your parish nurse or a speaker from a local hospital or nursing home to give a program on health care for the uninsured and then follow up legislatively.

5.   Before winter starts, ask your local fire department how to make your homes safe from fire and accidents.  Put together a home safety checklist.

6.   Make comfort blankets for kids.  Put two equal sized pieces of fleece together, cut a fringe 2 inches deep and 1 inch apart all around and then tie fringe pieces together.  Donate to shelters or for police to carry in their cars.  Even kids can do this.

7.   If you live near a big hotel, convention center or banquet facility, ask them for the centerpieces they throw away after an event.  Divide them into smaller arrangements and donate them to hospitals, nursing homes or hospice center.

8.   Collect personal items for troops and then have a fundraiser of some kind to raise money for shipping.  Don’t just do this for Christmas!

9.   Have a meeting with pregnant women as your special guests.  Ask an RN to speak on early childhood development.  Be sure to invite them to come again!

10. Sponsor a fall clean up.  You can serve homeowners who are unable to do it themselves, your parish, or a local park – and you can get lots of new people involved.