How your church can serve its community

Food drive: Set up collection bins in stores, banks, movie theatres and schools
First aid, Emergency and "I care" Kits: -Make up first aid kits for homeless shelters; -Make up emergency kits: torch, batteries, sewing kit, water etc; -Make a "I care" kit with combs, toothbrushes, shampoo etc for the homeless

plant a tree

Arbour Day: Grow seedlings and plant them in your local area
Cosmetics: Collect unused make-up, perfume and other cosmetics for a centre for abused women
Help your Neighbour: Mow your neighbour's front lawn, assist with painting and repairs
Companion Shopper: Assist the elderly with weekly shopping.

Working Bee: -There might be a local park, community area or sporting ground that is run down and could do with some love and care. Get a group together to fix gardens, paint over graffiti or re-paint buildings and carry out repairs.; -Get a working bee together to assisting single mums and the e elderly with gardening
Street Clean-up: If there is a street in your local neighbourhood that could do with a clean-up get a crew together to pick up rubbish, take away clutter and then door-knock residents and give them an invite to the big gathering on Saturday June 3rd.
Garage Give-away: Get the church to bring in any unwanted belongings and donate it to less fortunate families or homeless
Citizen Advocate: Help a person with a disability
Caravan Parks: Support caravan parks with entertainment, meals, barbecues etc

Entertainment

Cook to Care: Prepare meals as a small group that can be frozen and distributed to the sick, elderly, single mothers, disabled etc
Graffiti clean-up/ painting Working Bee: -Clean up graffiti on buildings in your local area; -Painting a Day Care Centre / School / Retirement Village / Community Centre

Special event: Hold a community concert, musical, recital or play that celebrates and exposes the talent in your community.
Blankets: Collect blankets for the homeless
Coats: Organise a coat drive in which old coats are donated for the use by needy people
Refugees: Support a refugee family teach life skills, find furniture, clothing, toys etc
Fundraising: Hold a fundraising day that supports a local charity or sporting organisation/ school

Prayer Team: Get a Prayer team to do a walk around prayer session in your local area
Host Family: -Host a child with a disability for 48 Hrs a month to give the parents a break; -Set up a baby sitting service for single mother
Mentor: Be a mentor to a friend, apprentice, younger / older person
Lift Clubs: Lift Clubs to church, children to school, sporting events etc

Workshops: Provide free community workshops- it could be craft/ patchwork/ mechanics/ wood building/ carving/ pottery/ computer
Use your Skills: Get people with skills in your church, ie accountants, electricians, plumbers, builders, lawyers- to donate their time to people in need.
Gift Packs: Get together in groups to have fun making up gift packs / pamper packs for single mums, the sick etc.
Volunteer Work: Mobilise members at your church to volunteer at your local Community Care Centre, Retirement Village, School.
Charity Groups: Working bees at the Red Cross or Salvation Army helping them sort s stock in the shops
Children’s Hospital: Fund raise for a particular piece of equipment, for a specific child. Donate books, toys etc.

Books and magazines: Collect and donate books to clubs, homes, shelters, schools
Book signing: Ask an author to sign a few books and auction them off to raise funds
Book sale: Hold a book sale and donated the money
School books: Collect all old text books and advertise a sale or give away
Fun Runs / Walks: Organise a fun run or walk to raise funds for a local charity or service
Veterans: Recognise veterans in your area
Clean Up Australia: Form groups and tackle the local parks, rivers, streets
Environmental Groups: Volunteer assistance to Bushcare rehabilitation groups
Adopt a garden: Offer to manage a garden for a local institution

Adopt a garden

Walk a dog: Have a dog walking group which offers to walk the pet of elderly or sick people
Collect pet goods/ Adopts-A-Pet Campaign: -Encourage families to adopt a pet from your local animal shelter; -Arrange collection of newspapers and other items, toys, food to take the local animal shelters
Home Baking: Bake and deliver home baked cookies, bread to your local hospitals, care centres, homeless shelters
Mentor, Buddy: Make friends with a person at a homeless shelter- shower them with love

Picnic, Outing: Volunteer to take the elderly, disabled, hospital patients out on a picnic
Street / Park BBQ’s: Neighbourhood parties. Get to know your neighbours better.