**Serve the City Geneva Newsletter: Thank You Volunteers and Opportunities to Serve!**

Dear Serve the City volunteers,

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the 50 or more volunteers who selflessly joined us in our mission to collect donations for the needy across our 8 different locations. 

Your dedication and support have made a tremendous impact on the lives of those in need. We are truly grateful for your contribution.

Throughout our collection drive, we encountered many interesting experiences that were both encouraging and so special. 

We would like to share one particular story from Meyrin Center. 

A kind-hearted man approached us, seeking to contribute to our event. 

When we suggested getting protein, specifically canned tuna or fish, he returned with a full shopping cart, with the pink Partage bag placed on top. 

To our surprise, the cart was filled not only with 5 cans of tuna but also with items for babies, women, and other essential supplies to fill all the empty spaces in the trolley. We expressed our gratitude, but he humbly replied, “It’s all for you and your good work.” Such acts of generosity truly exemplify the spirit of community and compassion.

The collection on the day was a resounding success, and we eagerly await the final totals from Partage in the coming days. 

Your efforts have made a significant difference in the lives of those who are less fortunate, and we are incredibly proud to have such dedicated volunteers as part of our Serve the City Geneva team. 

We invite you to explore our vibrant social media channels, where we consistently share heartwarming stories that will fill you with pride.

**Sorting Days at Partage: Sign Up Now!**

Following the Sharing Saturday event, the harvested goods will be delivered to Partage for sorting. 

We have reserved one day a week for the next 2 months, during which 10 volunteers from Serve the City will assist with this program. 

We have 7 dates available for sorting, and we encourage teenagers and adults to apply. 

The sorting takes place at Plan-les-Ouates from 8:30 am to 11:45 am. 

Please list your interested dates in the comments below. More information will be provided later. 

The available sorting dates are June 29th, June 30th, July 4th, July 6th, July 7th, July 10th, and July 12th. Please note that each day can accommodate a maximum of 10 volunteers, so sign up now to secure your spot.

**Explore Other Ways to Serve the Community**

If sorting at Partage is not your cup of tea, don’t worry! We have various other programs that are eager to welcome you and provide alternative ways to serve the community.

1. **Soup Kitchen behind the Train Station:** Throughout the year, we actively work in the Soup Kitchen, located behind the train station. Your assistance in serving meals to those in need is always appreciated.

2. **BioPark in Bellevue:** Every month, we organize a service project at the BioPark in Bellevue. Join us in making a positive impact on the environment and the community.

3. **Salvation Army Projects:** The Salvation Army offers four projects for volunteers, including serving meals to Ukrainian refugees and homeless women at the Bel Experience hotel. They also have various opportunities in other locations. Get in touch with us to learn more.

4. **Food Bag Packing at Plan-les-Ouates:** We continue to pack 5,000 food bags per week at Plan-les-Ouates. Your help in this ongoing initiative is invaluable.

5. **Exciting Weekly Projects:** Stay tuned for exciting weekly projects, including a special event for handicapped kids. We are constantly finding new ways to make a difference in our community.

We look forward to seeing you soon and continuing our collective efforts to serve the city and create positive change. Remember, even the smallest act of kindness can make a world of difference in someone. 

“Empowering Volunteers, Transforming Communities!”

Serve the City Geneva 

For over 10 years Serve the City Geneva has been partners with Partage to help collect need items for those in need. We need about 100 volunteers to work about 3-4 hours in any 1 of about 30 available time slots.. 

The countdown begins ! In three weeks, Sharing Saturday will take place in Geneva. To make this day a real success, we need you! We are still looking for more than 100 volunteers to help us collect food and hygiene products for people in precarious situations.

Whether you are alone, with friends, family or colleagues, come join us for a unique moment of sharing. You can get involved for a morning, an afternoon or, let’s be crazy, during the two days of the solidarity collection on June 2 and 3.

Your participation as a volunteer is essential for the success of this collection. Without you, without them, the volume of food harvested will not be there.

We are counting on you to help families and people in precarious situations in Geneva. Then go to one of the 8 partner supermarkets!

Sign up now as a volunteer using our http://ServeTheCItyGeneva.ch  website.

Signups for the June 2023 Samedi du Partage are now open to participate in this great event

1. Serve the City Geneva is again working with Arocha

Serve the City Geneva is excited to announce that we are teaming up with Arocha again for a project on the 3rd of June in Mont-sur-Rolle. This time, we will be helping with the maintenance of meadows and dry pastures.

As many of us want to do something for nature, this project aims to mobilize groups of volunteers to help farmers maintain healthy farmlands. The dry meadows and pastures are rich in species, but unfortunately, they are also threatened. Regular maintenance is necessary to keep them healthy and thriving.

Here are the details we have so far:

Date: 3 June 2023

Time: 9.30am to 3pm

Meeting point: Please join us at https://goo.gl/maps/uJptWQ5dnCgSufJK6 where parking spaces are available. Note that participants will have to walk 2-3 minutes to get to the pasture, but a guide will be on site to instruct everyone.

What to bring: Please bring your own picnic and drink, but we will offer a small snack. Outdoor clothing with good shoes is recommended. We will lend gloves and necessary tools, so there is no need to bring any specific equipment.

Please note that all the organizational details have not been worked out yet, but we will send more information to those who have registered.

Join us for a day of fun and rewarding work while helping nature. Register now to secure your spot!

2.Samedi du partage 

It’s that time of the year again when Geneva Partage launches its annual food collection program in more than 90 grocery stores in Geneva. 

This year, Serve the City (STC) is sponsoring nine stores for this very special collection program on June 2nd and 3rd.

The food and other items collected during the drive will be distributed to about 50 social service organizations for the next six months. We will begin sign-ups in a few days, so mark your calendars!

Serve the City has registered for the last shift of Friday, June 2nd (3:30 pm-7:30 pm), and three shifts on Saturday, June 3rd, for the following shops: (To be confirmed) Signups will begin on the website next week, May 1st.

•Meyrin Center (3 stores to cover*)

• *Migros Meyrin (4 volunteers per shift)

• *Denner Meyrin (2 volunteers)

• *Coop City Meyrin (2 volunteers)

•Coop Blandonnet (3 volunteers) Friday only (3:30 pm-7:30 pm)

•Coop Grand-Saconnex (2 volunteers)

•Lidl Petit-Lancy (2 volunteers)

•Lidl Pâquis (Rue de Lausanne 45/47): (2 volunteers) near Cornavin

•ALDI Avanchets (Rue du Grand Bay 21 – 1220 Vernier) Saturday only (3 volunteers)

•Migros Versoix (3 volunteers) 3:30 pm only on Saturday

•

More information will be available when you register on the STC website.

If anyone would like to help as a project leader for the event, please notify info@ServeTheCityGeneva.ch. We can use your help!

Join us in making a difference and helping those in need in our community. Sign up and volunteer for this worthy cause on our website.

STC Projects Update:

1.Food Packing Project:

We are continuing our food packing project through July, packing 5,000 bags a week to help those in need.

2.Salvation Army Volunteer Opportunities:

The Salvation Army has various volunteer opportunities available. 

At Centre-Espoir, volunteers can help with the logistics of the restaurant and interact with users, especially on weekends. 

Volunteers can also help at Le Passage, an emergency shelter, and Hotel Bel’Espérance, a hotel for Ukrainian refugees and single women. 

Additionally, volunteers can help at Le Phare (The Lighthouse), a meeting point for people in precarious situations, by setting up and distributing meals, helping with washing up, and interacting with users. More details are available on the Salvation Army Projects page.

3.Bicycle Project:

We also have a bicycle project that involves transporting unsold bakery products to the Salvation Army center. Check out STC signups for more information.

4.BioPark:

Join us on May 13th for our next team meeting at the Bioparc Zoo to help with various maintenance activities.

5. Sorting of Samedi du Partage collections. We need 70 volunteers in June & July to sort the 150 tons of items collected on the weekend. We have committed to bring 10 volunteers on 7 different days to Plan du wat to separate all the goods. Signups begin next week.

 6.     Other Projects:

We still have ongoing projects at the Soup Kitchen at Cornavin, Refettorio (helping to serve dinners), and Aboudaby (providing free clothing). Keep an eye out for new project opportunities that may arise.

Many thanks for your continued interest and support. Feel free to check out and contribute to our social media sites.. Like Facebook, Instagram etc.  (Testimonies & photographs appreciated.)

The Serve the City Geneva team..

BIKE DELIVERY 1X per week  

The Salvation Army is looking for several volunteers to deliver unsold bakery items to a place that welcomes homeless people.  

Days (your choice): MONDAY TO FRIDAY  
Hours: 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.  
Le Passage (rue du Valais 10),
then Boulangerie Jenny & Cie, Avenue de Châtelaine 80, 1219 Vernier.  
– Return to the Passage to deposit the goods and then (2nd travel) go to:
Jenny & Cie bakery, Bd Helvétique 29 or,
Rue Pierre Fatio 15-17, 1207 Geneva  
Return to Passage drop off the bike.  

An electric bike and a trailer are available. You have to be comfortable on a bike for this activity.  
If this activity interests you signup for more information on the STC website.   

Dear Volunteers, Happy New Year to all !!

     We have had a fantastic year of being able to help those in need!!

Feeding the homeless from the soup kitchen, we have offered 5,000 hours of volunteer time! Hundreds of hours collecting, sorting, packing food for the marginalised of the community.  We continue to help Ukrainian Refugees through the Salvation Army by contributing meal service help 7 days a week at Belle Experiance hotel in the old town, and a party for old and young refugees during the holidays. 

     We are going to continue for the next few months (rain or shine!) to help the BioParc take care of their very special animals in Bellevue, along with supporting the Reffetorio, a very special evening meal restaurant that is free for the homeless.

Signups for all events can be found on our website now. 

   With snow on the ground, it is a very difficult time for those who are homeless or without work.   Please think about finding time to help them survive and thrive.  

We are still packing food bags for the needy and are nearly finished sorting and preparing all the very generous donations from Samedi du Partage. In addition, we have helped gather much needed clothing which is especially apprecated in the winter months.

I hope this email finds you well and experiencing a super start to 2023!

Bioparc has given us some Saturday dates (9am-1pm) for the next 3 months as follows:

21 January

18 February

18 March

Sincere best thanks and best wishes for the new year ahead to you all for what you do to help the animals at Bioparc, Bellevue and in turn our Geneva community.  

Angela Project leader. 

If you are no longer able to help us. Please do signout of STC Geneva Team. We currently have about 3,400 members but about 1,000 have never signed up for a project, and we would prefer to have a list of 2000 active members!

(So please do sign up, so we can publish 3,400 active members…with T shirts!)

Just a little side story while I’m thinking of t-shirts… We are truly a secular organization here in Geneva, but I wanted to confess last Saturday I went to a Christian men’s breakfast. What did I see working in the kitchen but someone in a  red STC t-shirt helping prepare our meal! I had thought about wearing my t-shirt for advertising reasons, perhaps hoping someone would ask me what that was all about.. but decided not to do so.  Four others there, like me, had left their shirts at home. I am very sad for my decision, as what is better than reminding the whole community to think about serving others!

Please.. wear your shirt anytime you can.. I know I will never forget it again as I was so proud of seeing the red splash at a community meeting! 

Again, wishing all of you a very, very special 2023!!