Local Non-Profits Seek Volunteers
WARSAW — Local non-profits lined the streets around the Kosciusko County Courthouse for the Nov. 4, First Friday event. The theme, “thanks for giving”, invited non-profits to showcase how community members can get involved.
Beaman Home, Warsaw Education Foundation, Living Hope Ministries, The Salvation Army and Big Brothers Big Sisters were some of the vendors set up around the courthouse square. Many of the booths were hosting food or candy sales as fund raisers, as well as providing information regarding their services and ways to help.
The Beaman Home provides temporary shelter, food, clothing, and other basic necessities to domestic violence victims and their children who are fleeing their abuser, as well as offering assistance to victims still with their abusers. In addition, the Beaman Home is also the base for our area’s local Domestic Violence Crisis Hotline. To volunteer with the emergency shelter or basic needs center call (574) 267-7701.
The Salvation Army is an international organization that offers food distribution, disaster relief, rehabilitation centers, and children’s programs. Locally they offer emergency financial assistance to those in need. Over the Christmas holiday they partner with Combined Community Services to provide gifts to children who would otherwise go without a Christmas. Sign up for the “adopt a family” program begins Nov. 7. Volunteers are also needed for Christmas bell-ringing. You can register here.
Big Brothers Big Sisters is a youth mentoring program that helps children succeed in life. Volunteers are needed in the area. For more information regarding volunteering please visit the BBBS website. You can also contact Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Indiana at (888) 456-1600.
Among other vendors were the Fort Wayne Derby Brats, a Fort Wayne based all female junior derby team with skaters aged 9-18. The team is hoping to go to New York and was selling baked goods to help raise travel funds. While most of the girls are from the Auburn/Fort Wayne area, skater Carly “Teen Rampage” is from Warsaw. Some of the girls plan on joining local teams once they age out of the 18 and under group. Sadie “Sasquash” Kroening plans on taking a year off to coach before possibly skating with the Roller Dolls, and Ashley “Venom” Crager is already skating with both the Brats and Dolls. More information regarding the Derby Brats can be found online.