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LIFRC Community Update
April 15, 2022
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¡Bienvenidos!
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From the Executive Director
There is much excitement as we head into spring. More hours of daylight, warmer weather inviting us to spend more time outside, the chance to get our hands in the dirt to plant—all provide a sense of hope and renewal. The month of April is also filled with special holidays, holy days, historical events and the joy of everyday occasions with friends and family.
Some exciting events this month. We invite you to join Voices and Visions leaders, Cecy and Karina, in the Children’s Day celebration they are planning for April 23rd. Their leadership in sharing this special event provides an opportunity for us to learn and work together to honor different cultures, traditions, and holidays—and gain a deeper understanding of children’s rights.
We are also happy to share that Khemistry "Q" is back with a poetry workshop and a Spoken Word Open-Mic night on April 30th. Her enthusiasm and compassion is fostering a shared culture of listening and understanding.
April also marks Volunteer Appreciation Month. We have the deepest gratitude for our 150+ volunteers, who all work hard to create an inclusive community where we prioritize caring for each other. This month we share reflections of some of the volunteers who make Lopez Food Share possible. Their experience reminds us that as we give, we also receive.
—Barbara Schultheiss
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Thanks to all our generous donors who gave during the GiveLopez campaign. If you missed GiveLopez, it's not too late to create a magical summer for Lopez kids! You still have time to support LIFRC summer programs through GiveBIG.
GiveBIG is a statewide fundraising campaign where individuals and organizations come together across Washington to invest in our communities. Giving is a proactive step to create the society we want to live in. Your donation will support working parents, bring children together for enriching experiences, and generate widespread fun and laughter this summer.
GiveBIG 2022 kicks off on April 19 and culminates in a 48-hour giving event on May 3-4. Donations made to LIFRC during this period will help provide 100 summer camp scholarships and extra teaching staff for special-needs youth. Please consider adding your support!
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El Día del Niño y la Niña (Children's Day)
Saturday, April 23 from 12:00-3:00pm
Lopez Island Community Center
Voices and Vision leaders and LIFRC staff members Karina Cerda, Cecy Martinez Ortiz, and Stephanie Cariker have been hard at work preparing Lopez Island's first annual celebration of El Día del Niño y la Niña (Children's Day). International Children's Day was first commemorated in 1925 at the World Conference on Child Welfare as a way to raise awareness of children's rights. Today, it is celebrated in more than 90 countries around the world.
Join us on Saturday, April 23rd, for an afternoon of family fun. There will be games, piñatas, and free pizza for everyone under 18 years old. This event will be open to the community and free for all to enjoy. Signing up helps us make sure we will have enough pizza.
The children are our future. Let's celebrate them!
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Open Mic Poetry Event
Saturday, April 30 from 7:00-9:00pm
Soot & Bone Art Space
4223 Center Road, across from Sunset Builders Supply
Join us in celebrating National Poetry Month at a special event hosted by LIFRC staff member Khemistry “Q” Williams. We featured Q’s spoken word poetry in our February newsletter and are delighted that she will be holding space again for local poets, writers, and singers to share their work. Please sign up here if you would like to attend or perform.
To keep everyone as safe as possible, we ask that attendees wear masks during this event.
A suggested donation of $10 supports future Voices & Visions events.
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In celebration of National Volunteer Month, we interviewed some of the wonderful volunteers at Lopez Food Share to find out what keeps them coming back.
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Nancy: “I really appreciate the Food Share program's attitude that everyone can be, and needs to be, eating healthy food, and that it is shared so generously. I'm completely blown away by the generosity of this community. I have a friend from Seattle who has worked in Seattle food share programs. She came to visit me one day last summer, and when we came to the Lopez Food Share, she couldn't even believe it. I think it is so unique in the whole world of food share programs. It’s an honor to be a part of it.”
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Jane: “There’s a quote: ‘We’ve all been warmed by fires that we didn’t build, and drunk from wells we didn’t dig.’ I’ve been helped so much in my own life; I feel it's my part to give back. And this is such a good way to do it! It's so nice to come and be with friends, seeing people get what they need. It’s very tangible. It’s the base of the pyramid: it creates energy at the next level. Everybody deserves good food!”
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Nancy and Jane enjoy a glorious spring morning together at the Food Share.
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Ruth: “I love the fact that it's mixed age—little kids, parents and seniors. It’s very welcoming. Working together, caring about each other... there's a real sense of community, where things happen: birthdays get celebrated, births get celebrated. When we stop working [as retirees], we start to miss that. The Food Share gives us that community. There are some people who are here every single week, some people who are here once a month or once every six weeks. I appreciate [Lopez Food Share’s] attitude of, ‘Just let us know when you're not coming.’ People come who have never been here before to volunteer, and then want to stay to keep helping out.”
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Orders ready for pickup by Lopez families.
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Sarah T.: “I think the community is the best part. It feels great to be helpful, and at the Food Share there's a real sense of connection and community: the kids coming and doing their volunteering and having their own specific jobs, the way that people respect one another and flow around one another. It feels very open and loving.”
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Oisin and Sarah M. team up to prepare the Wednesday orders.
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Theresa: “I really love the non-judgmental approach, that people do not need to show their income. I also appreciate the tenor of the program. One time there were so many people, they were stepping all over each other. And Katherine, the program manager, said, ‘Oh, this is fun! This is a party!’ I grew up poor, so I know what it's like for someone's help to come with a hint of condescension. The Food Share is anything but that. That's the best thing about it to me: that the generosity comes with care, and no judgment.”
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Bags of fresh food are ready to be taken home.
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Looking for a fun way to make friends, share your passion, and connect with the Lopez community? We are always looking for more volunteers! Here are some ways to get involved:
Food Share
We always need more hands to bring in deliveries, pack up orders for pickup on Wednesdays, and welcome and assist shoppers on Fridays. Contact Axel@lifrc.org to join the group.
Summer Day Camp
Do you love spending time with kids? Have a special skill you would enjoy teaching to K-5th graders? Contact Q@lifrc.org to volunteer in our summer day camp.
Mentoring & Mentor Tutoring
Ready to make a difference in a local youth’s life? Contact Susannah@lifrc.org to learn more.
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Another reminder:
SAVE THE DATE for the SUMMER SOCIAL!
Saturday, August 6th, 2022
Invitation coming soon to your mailbox.
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Help strengthen the Lopez community!
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