Coat Drive:  
The Fireflies are a loosely organized church group with the mission of 
having fun together while carrying out projects to support needs in 
our community.   We welcome anyone interested in joining with us.It became very clear during our Neighborhood Bash that there is a 
great need for warm coats for children and adults.  Some people can't 
even afford to pay for a used coat at Goodwill, etc.  In response to 
this need, the First Congregational Church will act as a distribution 
center for coats for those needing them.  FIRST, we need coats!!  
Please check your closets for gently used winter coats and bring them 
to the stage room at church.  New coats, of course, are also 
welcome.   More details on the distribution process will be 
forthcoming.   If you have questions, contact Joan Neilsen or Marilyn 
Weber.
  
Church Garden:

Wednesday Night Cookouts: Will resume next spring

Food Pantry  
The first Sunday of the month is designated as a  Food Pantry Sunday.  There is a real need for  canned soup and ramen noodles.  The pantry is also low on cereal.  As always, thank you for your generosity. Our food bank donations have increased, but we need to keep the food coming in.  Actually, we owe a large measure of thanks to the food bank for their donations of most of the ingredients for the September and October meals.  We support them and they support us.  Our missions are the same - to help feed people!  

Blankets for Children's Square

Risen Son
If anyone would like to read to a resident at Risen Son Nursing Home please talk to Darlene Beaver.

El Salvador 
The 2012 El Salvador trip is scheduled for February 4 - 11, 2012.  Reservations must be made by the end of December. Scholarships are available to help defray the costs. We will be helping to rebuild homes and buildings that were destroyed by the recent hurricane and mud slides.   You can also help by donating school supplies (no paper), eye ointments, and over-the-counter fugicides, and cash.   If you have any interest in getting involved in this very meaningful project, please contact Tom or Joan Neilsen or Rose at the office.  
 
TeamMates 
Remember TeamMates mentoring program will be starting at Bloomer School.  If you have one hour a week to volunteer to meet with a student, eat lunch, play games, do crafts, be a friend, then you are needed. 

What if? Foundation
We received a nice thank you note from the foundation for our recent donation to help them feed and support a devastated community in Haiti. Several of the foundation's leaders went to Haiti in March and their work is being sustained partly due to our assistance.  Thanks to student Gage Weber for getting this project started!

School Lunches - Summer 2010

$3000 was requested and approved to feed school-age children and accompanying adults from the beginning of August until August 17, this was just on the week days.  Flyers were sent home with every Bloomer school child at the end of school, and flyers were distributed at the federally-funded lunch program at Bloomer during the last two weeks of July.  The federally-funded lunch program ended July 30. Bloomer school had been servig approximately 190 lunches each day.

We started on August 2 serving 150 lunches, with the number varying from day to day. We served a total of 1485 lunches, and spent a total of $1864.00.  The participation from the church was great. There were eight to twelve volunteers every day, cooking, serving, and cleaning.

We were told by the children that "Your food is WAAAY better than Bloomer's", "Your food is better than a restaurant", "We like to eat here, your lunch ladies smile at us". We received cards, smiles, high fives, and innumerable "Thank You's".

We had and activity every day after lunch, including music with Chris Peck, and then outside to the parking lot for water play, or bubble play, chalk drawings, parachute play, or relay games.  One day we gave away the school supplies that we collected from the church members and the ones  that were purchased with the money donated. These were very appreciated.

It was a good project, lots of children fed and shown that someone cares about them. The church members worked hard but also had a good time working together.

Cookies for the Troops
Thanks to everyone that helped with the "Cookies for the Troops" project.  Over 100 dozen cookies were baked and packaged up Thursday, April 15th,  to be sent oversees.  So, whether you mixed up cookie dough, pulled hot pans out of the oven, pull scoops of cookie dough on pans, or tasted the cookies to make sure they were ok,  THANKS!!   Twelve hundred cookies is a LOT!  Thanks!