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This afternoon, I had the privilege to join some fabulous BlogCrush members and volunteer at the Someone Cares Soup Kitchen in Costa Mesa, CA.
Marcy Massura, co-founder of BlogCrush, organized the meetup. Once we arrived on location, we were given a tour of the facility, met with some key members that make it all happen, and were able to jump behind the line and serve a delicious, nutritious, feast to those in need.
The mission of Someone Cares Soup Kitchen is simple: To feed a daily nutritional meal to the homeless, unemployed, working poor, mentally & physically challenged, senior citizens, and most important, the children.
I was highly impressed with the nutritional, well-balanced dishes that were offered. Meals are made fresh daily and consist of vegetable soup, lettuce and fruit salads, heart and filling side dishes, breads and muffins, desert, milk and water.
The Soup Kitchen serves over 450 guests every day. Meals are served Monday through Friday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and a pancake breakfast is served on the weekends. For many guests who walk through the door, it is the only meal they eat all day. Their guests are comprised of the following:
- 25% are families with school aged children
- 30% are homeless
- 20% are working poor or unemployed
- 10% are mentally or physically challenged
- 15% are senior citizens
The holidays are upon us and on Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter, the Soup Kitchen serves up a special meal to over 500 guests. At Christmas, a toy drive is also organized for the kids. Children are able to visit with and have their picture taken with Santa Claus and receive their Christmas presents. It is the busiest day of the year for the Soup Kitchen.
As we sit down at the table to feast our holiday meals, it is important to remember that are so many people right here in Orange County, who go to bed hungry. The Someone Cares Soup Kitchen has launched a $50,000 in 50 Days campaign to help feed the less fortunate.
In 2009, Corey Donaldson, local business owner, and his taskforce successfully spearheaded a campaign to raise $40,000 in 40 days for Someone Cares Soup Kitchen’s holiday programs. The campaign allowed Someone Cares Soup Kitchen to fill 450 backpacks with more than 14,000 items, host a holiday dinner for 1,200 and give away more than 3,000 new, unwrapped toys as well as support the soup kitchen’s ongoing programs, including its tutoring center for at-risk kids.
This year, they aim to raise 50K in 50 days. If you would like to make a donation, you can visit www.SomeoneCares50Kin50Days.com.
It was an eye-opening experience volunteering in the Soup Kitchen today and I look forward to volunteering again soon!
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I had the pleasure of exploring Ocean Institute for the first time on Friday and I was blown away! If you have not been to Dana Point to see this place, it is a must see in Orange County! They host hundreds of field trips, overnights, and sea adventures. Kids walk away saying it was the best trip they ever had.
Ocean Institute is a non-profit organization that has become nationally recognized for its hands-on marine science, environmental education and maritime history programs. More than 110,000 K-12 students and 8,000 teachers annually participate in the Institute’s 61 award-winning, immersion style programs.
To learn about oceanography, science, and California history, students voyage onto the ocean, study in labs and live aboard tall ships or in the chaparral, where they can feel and taste the salty sea spray, sort through live specimens, observe migrating whales, collect scientific data and investigate the culture and world around them.
On weekends, we open our doors to the public for a sneak peek into how ocean science, history, and literature are used to inspire life-long learners!
I was completely fascinated by Ocean Institute and wished that my school in Maine could’ve taken part of some of the adventures. Then I found out that the organization is nationally recognized and they also bring in groups of kids via live stream around the world. How cool is that! Seriously, this place is amazing.
So, you may have heard of Ocean Institute’s 6th Annual Laguna Beach Million Dollar Home Raffle. Since OI is a non-profit organization, this is the biggest event of the year and plays a large role in keeping their doors open. For the 6th year in a row, they are raffling off a Million Dollar Home in Laguna Beach! Don’t want a home? No problem, you can take the $1 million dollars instead!
Raffle tickets are $150 and a maximum of 20,000 tickets will be sold. You will have a lot better odds in this raffle than winning the lottery! Over 300 prizes will be awarded, including the grand prize of $1,000,000 cash or a beautiful, ocean-view home in Laguna Beach. Other prizes include cash, shopping sprees, dream vacations, iPods, hotel stays, and more!
Buying more then one ticket? You will also be entered into additional multiple ticket drawings including a Toyota Prius, South Coast Plaza Shopping Spree, Cash, or a dream vacation! If you refer-a-friend you will be entered into a separate drawing where you AND your friend could win $10,000 cash!
Raffle tickets may be purchased over the phone by calling 949-542-3600 or by faxing your order form to 949-542-3601.
By purchasing a raffle ticket, you will also receive a complimentary Individual Membership to Ocean Instittue. If you purchase two or more tickets, you will receive a complimentary Family Membership! Get ready to explore a whole new world, under the sea!
All proceeds from the raffle will benefit Ocean Institute, so really, this is a 100% win-win!
