Greetings, all Serve the City Geneva volunteers.

We have a couple of announcements for you…1. we could use your help and 2. we would love you to come and join us for a Galla Dinner Thursday 30 January.

We have an immediate demand for some additional help in sorting the goods collected from the Samedi du Partage food collection last month.   If you or you and your group,  can come and help us, we’ve got three days of service that we have promised to full fill with Partage. And it would be fantastic if we could get some help sorting all of these generous goods that have been collected from the generosity of the shoppers of Geneva. The result will be servicing 5,000 people per month with these donations, and we’ve got to make sure that they are all sorted so they can be distributed properly. We have booked 3 more days this month and would appreciate your help.  The xxx project has been postponed due to lack of participants, and hope to reschedule later this year.

On January 29th, Wednesday, the Biopark is looking for some help to help restore the camel enclosures and perhaps some other things. If you are free on that day,  I would appreciate very much signing on the website. Other information will be distributed on your sign-up.

And lastly, just a special invitation for all of you who in the past couple of years have at least participated in one Serve the City event. We would like to honour you and thank you, by inviting you to a dinner on Thursday evening 30 January at 18:30. The dinner will be held at the Soup Kitchen right across the street from the train station, so there’s plenty of parking. And we look forward to seeing you and being able to introduce to you the STC team and other volunteers that have been working so hard over the past several months. And we look forward to joining this special dinner occasion. Please signup early to insure your place.

If you have never participated and you do not have a red shirt, you are also invited to participate. We are looking for volunteers to serve at the dinner. . So if you’re willing to come maybe an hour early and help set up the tables, serve the meal and clean up the tables, we would love to have you. We need about a half a dozen new registered sign-ups and look forward to meeting you. And you can also meet those involved with Serve the City volunteering and administration. Thank you very much for your sign-ups found on the website. We look forward to seeing you at the end of the month and trust that you will continue to enjoy working with Serve the City to help the marginalized people of the community.

Thank you very much. Serve the City team.

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.