Did You Know, Health & Wellness, Volunteer Opportunity

DID YOU KNOW? Crop Walk is Coming!

Area churches work together each year to raise money to fight hunger by holding the annual Crop Walk in Cass County. This nation-wide event, sponsored by Church World Service Crop Walk will be held this year on October 5 at 2 PM, and they need YOU to help! There are lots of ways to get involved, including donating money, walking, or organizing locally at your church or other organization.

The project is being spearheaded by Pastor Scott Scheel at the Edwardsburg Presbyterian Church, and the first organizational meeting is Monday, August 18 at 6 PM. There will be a potluck dinner and you can get materials for your area. Can’t make the meeting? Reach out to the Edwardsburg Presbyterian Church at (269) 663-6815 and they will have info about how you can get caught up.

Last year, the group raised $584 to fight hunger, and 25% stayed with the pantries here in Cass County. Be a part of something positive! Get involved in Crop Walk this year. There are promotional materials, an article for your newsletter, and a blurb suitable for your church bulletin available, so it’s EASY to help.

crop hunger walk picture with statistic about hunger. Food plate contains colored beans laid out like a world map.
Crop Walk promotional materials are available for the asking! Won’t you please help?

Community Resources, Did You Know, Family Fun

Did You Know? Updates from GSC

The Great Start Collaborative of Cass County is a fabulous resource for info about family events. You’ll want to sign up for their newsletter ASAP. Just take a look at all the events going on in the next few weeks in our county, designed especially for families of all ages!

Here is the latest (June 23, 2025):

Great Start Cass/Help Me Grow Cass
WebsiteJune Updates and Events­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Click here to share your event in our newsletter!Cass County Resource Guide LinkGreat Start Collaborative Cass County61682 Dailey Rd, 49031, Cassopolis
4-H programming, Did You Know

Did You Know? 4-H Still Exhibit Workshops!

from the 4-H Leaders’ group on Facebook:

“Still Exhibit Workshops… no charge, we will gladly accept donations at the door.

Jan 12 – Entomology (age 7 and up to make 1 bug in a box for fair), Sand Art, Fleece tie pillows.

Feb 9 – Cupcake Decorating, Tin punch

Please sign up – some projects have a limit. Walk ins are welcome based on availability of materials.”

They also note more workshops coming soon!

If you want to sign up, head over to www.signupgenius.com/go/9040B4CAFAB28A1F94-54170489-2025

Uncategorized

Did You Know? OFFKM Sends Thanks!!

Dear Donors, Supporters, and Those Who Pray For Our Ministry,

As the year draws to a close, we are immensely grateful for how your generosity has blessed our mission. Your donations, whether monetary contributions, gently used household items, or furniture—have been instrumental in transforming lives and bringing hope to those in need.

Because of your kindness, we have been able to engage in a variety of impactful activities throughout 2024, including:

• Delivering items to shoppers and picking up donations for The Village Free Store.

• Sharing fresh, pesticide-free vegetables with local senior citizens, families, and a housing complex for tenants with disabilities.

• Hosting overnight camping for a Chicago-based Christian youth group in partnership with Camp Friedenswald.

• Donating clothing racks and hangers to Twelve Baskets Free Stores in Portage, MI.

• Transporting community clothing donations to other free or thrift stores across Southwest Michigan & Northern Indiana.

• Partnering with Cass County 4-H clubs to coordinate a stuffed animal drive, cleaning the items, and shipping 151 pieces to five nonprofits across the U.S. in emergency need. We are also finalizing our year-end reports, providing a detailed overview of our 2024 accomplishments. These will be available online soon, and we encourage you to review them to see the tangible difference your support has made.

During this season of thanksgiving, we extend our heartfelt thanks and prayers for you and your loved ones. Thank you for being an essential part of our mission. We look forward to continuing this journey together in 2025 and making an even more significant impact in our community.

Did You Know

Did You Know? We Need Your Help!

Our nonprofit community garden, The Village Community Garden, Vandalia, MI, wants to improve soil health and establish a no-till growing area. 

We are seeking donations of moldy or damaged hay no longer suitable for livestock.

If you have hay to spare, we’d love to use it. Your contribution will support sustainable gardening practices and help our community thrive.

Contact us at [email protected] or 269-580-1786 to coordinate pickup or drop-off. Thank you for helping us grow! 🌱

Did You Know

Did You Know? Stuffed Toy Drive

The Kids ‘n’ Kids 4-H group is holding a gently-used stuffed toy drive from now until September. The club members will clean and freshen gently-used stuffed friends and then distribute to various organizations for them to get to children who can love them.

Please help us by donating clean and gently-used stuffed items. Sorry, but we cannot accept battery-operated, digital, or mechanical toys. Old-fashioned stuffed animals only!

Do you have a toy or some toys to donate? Please contact Sister Bianca May at [email protected] to arrange drop off, or if you need, pick up of your donation.