ICCCC launches ICARE!  (Interfaith Community Action REvitalization)

Calling You to Serve with Your Interfaith Community

ICAREis a spiritually pragmatic, interfaith program of the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County (I4C) that creates opportunities for people of diverse religions, spiritual expressions and indigenous traditions to work together to improve the lives of people in our county who are in need. By linking volunteers with projects across the county, we work together to provide resources such as food, shelter, supplies and other forms of support for people in our community.  We do this by partnering with selected, local nonprofit organizations (see below the video).

To get a quick idea of what ICARE is all about and what it’s like to volunteer, check out this 3 minute video summarizing our work in 2021.  We hope you will join us!

To participate in ICARE, two of our faith communities are invited to co-sponsor a project using Sign Up Genius.  Once a project has two co-sponsors, everyone from all faith communities can select a date and  project to work on together.  

You can also check our Sign Up Genius to look at future projects and those needing individual volunteers.   Join others in service! Get to know yourself and others better as your serve together!

Here’s a short intro to ICARE!

“How to Use Sign Up Genius “

This video gives a brief introduction on how to use our Sign Up Genius to find and select an ICARE Service Project.

Download this December, 2021 ICARE Update, with text for your congregation’s newsletter or announcements: 2021 ICARE Insert

Before volunteering, you’re encouraged to attend our online orientation workshop below.  Please watch this updated video. 

Join us in helping to measurably improve the lives of people in need in our community while building relationships and deepening your knowledge of people of other beliefs.

PICK A PROJECT with Sign Up Genius.  

ICARE: Your Call to Action Calendar

For current projects and updates and to sign up to volunteer, go to this link:

https://www.signupgenius.com/tabs/43073dc0fa2c8e5c42-icare

ICARE is a program of the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County (I4C) that creates opportunities for people of diverse religions, spiritual expressions and indigenous traditions to work together to improve the lives of people in our county who are in need. By linking volunteers with projects across the county, we work together to provide resources such as food, shelter, supplies and other forms of support for people in our community.  We do this by partnering with selected, local nonprofit organizations.

To participate in ICARE, two of our faith communities are invited to co-sponsor a project using Sign Up Genius.  Once a project has two co-sponsors, everyone from all faith communities can select a date and  project to work on togeth

Current ICARE Service Projects Needing Cosponsors or Volunteers

If anyone’s interested in these future projects, please contact Dave Longhurst at davelonghurst@msn.com or Terri Moss at terrimoss55@gmail.com

Other Important News:

We are extremely grateful to Carolyn McKenzie who applied for and received a $10,000 grant for ICARE from the San Francisco Foundation!

A message to our volunteers from Opportunity Junction:

Hello Volunteers!
 
I wanted to say thank you again to everyone for your willingness to volunteer your time, effort, and talent.
 
The Mock Interview event was truly an amazing opportunity for our interns to be prepared, gain the skills and confidence they need.
 
Attached and below is the picture I took (my apologies for missing a few of the volunteers).
 
Again, WE THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THAT YOU DO AND FOR YOUR SUPPORT J
 
image001.jpeg
 
Annabelle Villanueva (she/her)
Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator
Phone: 925.776.1133

Below is an example of an event we did in the past so you can see how ICARE works to bring us together in service.

However, they have current needs for these meals, so if we can get two congregations who are willing to cosponsor this project, we can open it up to all, Interfaith volunteers to do starting in September.

Download the flyer:  Reimagine Mental Health Care InvitationFinal8.8.20

Trinity Center and St. Paul’s Commons are ICARE partners where Interfaith Service Teams are able to serve and help provide the needs of our friends who are living without shelter, or staying in St. Paul’s Commons. There is a need for Breakfast Packs now, even during COVID-19. Please consider if you, a team from your congregation or friends can join an ICARE team to help provide these meals safely.

Successful Pilot Project information from Aug. 16th, 2020.

We recently ran a pilot project creating 530 hygiene kits for people living without shelter in our county.


We included WeCare messages like these in the kits we sent, to share some encouragement to those receiving them.

ICARE NonProfit Partners

Our nonprofit partners will be offering service opportunities for the Interfaith teams that sign up.  Please note that some won’t be available for in person volunteering until the health department precautions are lifted and project specifics may slightly change as the date approaches for planning the project.  In general, here are our nonprofit partners, the clients they serve and their general project needs:

  1. Contra Costa County Health Services – They have asked for our support in donating personal hygiene kits for distribution throughout the county.  This will be done as a pilot project and they have enough volunteers already.  We will continue to offer this project as long as the need is there.
  2. ICHANGE: Interfaith Chaplaincy Affirming a New Generation of Excellence –  We are working with Rev. Julius Van Hook, Interfaith Juvenile Chaplain at the Martinez Detention Facility and Orin Allen Boy’s Ranch in Byron to find new ways to support our county’s youth both while in detention and with after-care assistance and mentorship.  As the needs and ways to support ICHANGE become better defined, we will provide updates here.*
  3. Mt. View Family Shelter (run by Shelter, Inc.) – This is a homeless shelter for families with children. We are seeking to meet their needs for meals and supplies to support families in transition to permanent housing.  There may be ways for Interfaith teams to help collect needed items for the current participants, who have been there for the entire Shelter In Place.  Once the SIP order is lifted, we will need teams to provide food every day, or your group can take a week to provide food.  Check back for details as they develop.
  4. Trinity Center Walnut Creek – This is a well-established day shelter and advocacy for the homeless in Walnut Creek. We seek to support their needs in their mission.  As the project date approaches, they will give details of their needs at that time.
  5. Monument Crisis Center – A well-known and established nonprofit, they have asked for support with food drives including helping with the distribution of food to those in need in our county, and perhaps helping them expand their operations into East County.

Go to Sign Up Genius to cosponsor or sign up fo ra project.  Thank you for helping to improve the lives of people in need in our community while building relationships between our diverse communities of faith.

*  (If you are interested in joining this team, the first meeting of ICHANGE is Wednesday, August 26th at 5:00 pm online.  Email interfaithcccc@gmail.com for more information.)