General e

Dear Volunteers and Supporters,

Happy New Year!

As we step into 2025, we want to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for the incredible work you’ve done throughout 2024. Your dedication has had a profound impact on the community, and we couldn’t be more grateful. This newsletter is packed with updates, opportunities, and a look back at what we accomplished together last year.

We invite you to read through the entire newsletter—there’s even a special surprise waiting at the end!

Section 1: Current Volunteer Needs

We’re kicking off 2025 with some urgent volunteer opportunities, and we need your help to make these projects successful.

1. Food Sorting for Samedi du Partage

In November, we completed another round of food collection as part of the Samedi du Partage campaign, gathering a significant volume of donations to support over 5,000 people per month.

Now, we’ve committed five days in January to sort and prepare these goods for distribution to 60 organizations that will rely on this food over the next six months.

We need volunteers to help us sort through this incredible collection!

• Dates: Flexible slots available over the next three weeks
• Location: Details provided on main web page for map and access information.
• Impact: Feeding thousands in need—your efforts make it possible!

1. Sorting collected goods at Eureka – Carrefour Rue

Carrefour Rue collects donated clothing, household items, and miscellaneous goods to distribute to those in need. Their Eureka warehouse now needs help organizing these items.

We’re looking for volunteers to:

• Sort donations into categories
• Clean or prepare items for distribution
• Recycle unusable goods

Dates: Flexible scheduling available—check the online signup for information!

Location: Details send on your signup request.  3 different days on offer. Don`f for get to mention your preferences.

Your time and effort will make a big difference in repurposing these donations for meaningful use.

1. Soup Kitchen Support

We continue to operate our Soup Kitchen several days a week, providing meals to vulnerable populations. We need volunteers to assist with food preparation, serving, and cleanup.

Sign up for a shift online and help us ensure no one in our community goes hungry.

Section 2: 2024 in Review – A Year of Impact

Reflecting on 2024, we’re proud to highlight the accomplishments made possible by our incredible volunteers.

Volunteer Participation

• 376 new registrations for Serve the City Geneva
• 267 active members participated in 44 activities
• 450 total participants, including repeat volunteers who gave their time to multiple projects

Thank you to everyone who stepped forward to help—whether once or multiple times.

Samedi du Partage

We successfully supported this biannual food collection initiative twice in 2024, with:

• 75 volunteers per event staffing shifts at 8 stores
• Over 3 hours per shift dedicated to collecting donations

Your efforts directly supported thousands of people in Geneva—thank you for making it possible.

Soup Kitchen at Carrefour Rue

Thanks to Ridwan, our dedicated project leader, we had:

• 100 volunteers contributing their time
• 3,000 hours of service—equal to 58 full working days
• Meals served to 240 people daily, totaling 48,000 meals in 2024

The Soup Kitchen continues to be one of our most impactful projects.

Ecological Support – Biopark in Bellevue and Zoo Lagarenne in the city of Vaud

Under the leadership of Angela Horsord, we supported ecological conservation efforts at the biopark with:

• 250 volunteers contributing 800 hours
• Regular Saturday events and a Sunday Open Day in September

During the Open Day, we welcomed 1,600 visitors, significantly boosting membership to over 4,000 members—up from 1,500 just a few years ago.

This growth is a testament to the importance of environmental preservation and community engagement.

Other Notable Projects

• Carrefour Rue – Eureka Sorting: Organized and repurposed donations for families and individuals in need.
• Community Events and Partnerships: Collaborated with corporate teams, churches, and schools to expand outreach.

Looking Ahead to 2025

We have big plans for this year, and we’re counting on your continued support. Whether you can give a couple of hours, a full day, or join us regularly, your time and effort make a lasting impact.

Check out our online calendar to sign up for upcoming events and shifts—let’s keep making a difference together!

A Special Surprise!

We promised you a treat if you made it to the end of this newsletter—and here it is:

Volunteer Appreciation Event – Save the Date!   

For those who have a red shirt, who have participated in at least one STC event, we’re hosting our 4th Serve the Servers Evening on Thursday 30 January to celebrate your hard work. Join us for:

• Refreshments and a wonderful dinner.
• Stories of impact
• A chance to connect with fellow volunteers,

Details and signups to follow soon, So watch your emails.. and mark your calendars!

Thank You!!

BUT WAIT..  for those who have not yet served in a STC event. We have an opportunity for you.   Will will need a team to setup the dining erea, serve the meal and clean up at the STServers Dinner.  T shirts will be awarded for this great act of service.  Again, watch for signups..

Thank you for being part of the Serve the City Geneva family. Together, we’re transforming lives and building a stronger, more compassionate community.

We can’t wait to see what 2025 brings!

Warm regards,

The Serve the City Geneva Team

A huge thank you to all the volunteers who participated in Samedi du Partage last weekend! The collection was truly fantastic, and we now have a wealth of products to provide to those in need within our community.

With Partage wrapped up for the next few months, we’re now focusing on sorting the incredible volume of goods you so generously donated. These items are currently at the Partage offices in Plan-les-Ouates just off the autoroute A1. We need your help to prepare the products for distribution.

Serve the City Geneva has reserved five weekday mornings in January for this effort:

• 2nd, 7th, 17th, 22nd, and 27th

We’ll be working from 8:30 AM to noon on these days, and we would love for you—or even a team you assemble—to join us.

Your participation would mean so much to both Serve the City and the community we serve. Thank you again for your incredible support and generosity!

We have a meaningful opportunity to support the Salvation Army’s efforts this holiday season while adhering to Serve the City’s principles. Assisting as a bell ringer alongside a brass band can bring joy and encouragement to the community while helping those in need. Here’s a clear summary of the activity for those interested:

• Activity:Bell ringing with a brass band to assist the Salvation Army in collecting donations in Geneva.
• Key Note:Volunteers will not be soliciting funds but simply being present to encourage donations.
• Dress Code:Volunteers will wear Salvation Army uniforms instead of Serve the City’s red t-shirts.
• Time Commitment:One-hour slots.
• Sign-Up Process: Register on the website on the Salvation Army Bell ringing option to receive further details, including available times and coordination requests.

Letter from Armée du Salut

Sign-up form

Thank you for considering this way to serve and make a positive impact this December!   French is of some help but not required.   Other volunteer options also are available on our website.

We have just made a major clean up of our Volunteer Data Base., We have cut about half of our volunteers from our Newsletter who have not logged on the STC website in the past 3 years.  We are now just over 1800 active volunteers and if would like to remain on the mailing list just sign onto your account and you will leave you in communication with us for the next three years or until you signout of registration.

Dear all Serve the City volunteers,

We invite you all to join us in one of the exciting projects for serving the marginalized of the community every 6 months.  Every day, nearly 50 associations and social services benefit from the redistribution of items by Partage.  Samedi du Partage has over 90 stores participating to collect non perishable items for those in need.   STCG will be serving at 8 different stores Friday afternoon and Saturday for 3 shifts on 29 & 30 November.   We will be very happy to have you signup on www.ServeTheCityGeneva.ch for a shift or two at one of the stores we are supporting.

We also are helping the BioParc in Bellevue on 16 November.  We still offer services for the Soup kitchen near the train station.  Other options are also available on the website.

We have a couple of very special programs we are planning to support in September.

Please read on.

1) For the first AFP festival taking place 20-22 September 2024, we request 20-25 STC volunteers working in shifts to kindly help us out throughout the weekend.

The mission of Art For Peace is to contribute to the positive transformation of Geneva as a place of peace and cultural development. By promoting peace through art therapy and leading artivist actions,

Our commitment aims to make a significant contribution to the cultural influence of the city, while creating bridges with local artists and unifying artistic forces to forge a lasting legacy of peace and diversity.

For our side, we need to have the list of volunteers by 19 August with requested information for each person, please: If you think you might be interested please signup now. More information will be available for those registered.. As most of the program will be in French it’s a good opportunity to practice it. Perhaps even invite a French speaking friend.   For more details click here …AFP Brochure, & AFP mission..

2) The next very special project is with the BioParc in Bellevue, Geneva.   They have been invited to receive 40 animals from a small zoo near Bern and need cages and compounds to be built to house the new animals. A lot of work is planned for the transformation  of the  new BioParc the coming years.   On or about 14 September  we plan a special work day to prepare the new cages and enclosures . It will be not only a work day but a training day to allow those who may be able to help (perhaps with friends) work on projects on days of their choosing.  Signing up today is not a formal commitment but an indication of how many might be available on Saturday the 14^th. This project has a number of special skill sets not previously required.   Perhaps operating a rented post hole digger. A truck with the ability to load and unload cages from Bern. Perhaps other skills which may be required.. Sign up if you would like to follow the need for this very special project for the Bioparc.   BioParc additions

3) Bioparc Open day is Sunday 22nd of September and they need help between 9-16 for 3 hour slots, to do a variety of jobs, to support the flow of possibly over 1,500 visitors. More information will be shared when you register on the STC website.

Many thanks for your kind offers to support the city we are so fortunate to live in.    The Serve the City Team