Sharing Connections Volunteer E-Blast

Notes from Ryan Varju, Director of Operations & Technology

August 2009

Getting to know fellow volunteers one recipe at a time...

with Friday Volunteer, Lori Barclay

What day of the week do you volunteer and when did you join us for the first time?

Lori: I've been volunteering with Sharing Connections on Fridays since March 2006.

If you had one word that best describes yourself, what would it be?

Lori: Multi-tasker (world's greatest multi-tasker)

What brought you to Sharing Connections as a volunteer?

Lori: A friend of mine needed a fill-in person for volunteers that were being provided to Sharing Connections by Elkay Mfg. so I decided to give it a try. I've kept coming back ever since because of the great friends I've made and because it's such a welcoming place to be.

What is one thing that other volunteers may not know about you?

Lori: I love reading when I can find the free time to do so - which isn't as often as I'd like.

Outside of SC, where else have you volunteered your time?

Lori: In the past I've volunteered for my church pantry and local fundraising within the community, but currently Sharing Connections is the only place for me ;)

Together with Lori, volunteers donated over 1,085 hours that enabled us to provide items that directly benefited 215 individuals in July 2009.

Recipe to Share...

Ryan's Cucumber Salad

You're going to come across tons of different versions of this recipe - but here is one that was handed down to me...

Combine in a large bowl 2 large sliced cucumbers (I prefer to peel, slice in half from end to end, de-seed and then cut into 1/2 inch pieces - they will resemble the letter C), 4 tbs. of olive oil, 4 tbs. of Apple cider vinegar and 1 tsp. of salt. Let sit uncovered in the fridge for 2 hours.

Drain the liquid, add 8oz. of sour cream and let sit in the fridge for another 2 hours before serving. Top with a tsp. of paprika and tsp. of parsley (mix if you want) - grab a bowl and gobble.

When Dedication Knows No Bounds ...

The warehouse has never been cleaner, more organized, and packed! Contributing to that success is more then inventory forms or sorting guidelines - it's the continued extra steps that volunteers take to make sure we are a success each and every day! Below are just a few of the most recent examples:

Eileen Connell and Lori Reiss: These two volunteers have begun picking up cribs (in their own vehicles) from donors that may not currently reside in our pickup area or may not be able to wait for a scheduled pickups.
John Zilske: While John had to leave us due to full-time work, he continually gave his free time multiple days each week to do those special pickups using both Big Yellow and Mini-me and helping keep the warehouse in tip-top shape.
Rolfe Sick: He has become our on-site fix-it and rehab guru. During his weekly visit, Rolfe has been refinishing dressers and fixing furniture, making many items usable for our client families.
Dave Cain: With Dave already a Board Member and Truck Volunteer, he has recently stepped up to the plate and is working with a team to continue our 1-800-Got-Junk pickups every Wednesday!
Ray Pankuch: 12-15 new dressers have been built and made available in our warehouse to families by the one and only Ray Pankuch. That's right, when he's not driving Big Yellow on furniture pickups or teaming up with Dave Cain to do those special Office Max and Englander pickups, he's been busy building us dressers.

A Hole In One!!! Or Is That Two?

Despite the dire economy, Bob Graham and team once again came up with another tremendous day of golf, fun and fundraising for Sharing Connections at the 6th Annual Golf Outing. The final numbers are not all in but it appears we exceeded budget expectations and are close to exceeding last year - even in this economy - GREAT JOB TEAM!

That's not all! This year's Considine golf outing once again provided fun for everyone that attended and will also benefit Sharing Connections! A special "Thank You" to everyone that made this such a success!

DuPage County Funding

Congratulations to both Ann Wohlberg and Regina Carballo for securing $10,000 from DuPage County to help cover the costs of referrals for clients faced with the devastation caused by a flood. This new funding will cover referrals received from September 2009 through October 2010.

Smiley

It's Been Real...and It's Been Fun...

Thank you to everyone that RSVP'd and will be joining us for lunch on Wednesday, August 19th to wish our most recent interns, Katie Ekins and Rachel Wisthuff, well on their return to school and to thank them for all their hard work. Regina is already in mourning!

In addition, we'll be "screaming" thank you to Cindy Johnson, a long-time volunteer who has been the backbone (and my saving grace) of the donor pickup scheduling for the past three years. She too will be pursuing classes and climbing new mountains. Don't worry - she lives close ;)


	We would like to acknowledge those new faces who volunteered their time in July...
	Brian Fiedler
	Mike Herda
	Kevin Liesen


	I want your comments, suggestions and feedback on everything from the warehouse to this e-blast!
	- Comment Form

Crate & Barrel to the Rescue...

Half full or half empty? How about VERY FULL! Crate & Barrel has once again come through with a generous donation of items to serve our client families!

Some of you may remember the previous donation of new sofas in 2006 or the 100 new floor lamps they provided us in 2007 or even the more recent drop-offs of home decorations and items - well, last week we received the first of many donations to come of over 400 brand new glasses (both large and small priced in-store at $6.95 each glass), 240 new brushed metal soap dispensers (priced in-store at $6.95 each), adjustable stools and more. The grand total of this donation retails at an estimated value of over $8,000 in new items.

Thank you to all the volunteers that continue to spread the word about Sharing Connections and continue to help me pack this place full from wall to wall. If we keep this up, as a thanks, I just may have to cook-out for you...cucumber soup with cucumber sandwiches and cucumber juice...cucumbers anyone? hee hee

Until next time...