Hawthorne Helps

Mission: To provide support that affirms personal dignity, welcomes newcomers to our community, and encourages all students’ educational success.

Hawthorne Helps is a partnership between Rochester Public School’s Hawthorne Education Center and First Unitarian Universalist Church, with support from local faith, service, and business groups.

Hawthorne Education Center provides classes for 1000 learners, ages 17 and older, 85% live at or below the poverty. Most are people of color and many are immigrants. All are struggling to make a better life. Programs include English as a Second Language, literacy, GED, high school diploma, college prep, job training, computer skills, and citizenship.

Services: UU Volunteers staff a distribution twice monthly offering essential items that cannot be purchased with SNAP and other services. We are a welcoming presence cheering on the students.

Sign Up: ask to be added to HH Sign Up Genius for access to HH dates, sign up for a distribution shift & receive ongoing program updates.

Ways you can help:

Shop for essential items or help with distribution on site at HEC
Donate requested items to HH’s Blue Barrel near the church entry. Check eNews or Blue Barrel for items needed
Share plants, herbs, and in season produce
Invite HH speakers to your business or service group
Sort, tally and pack up Blue Barrel items on Sunday (families welcome)
Contribute to Share the Plate, an annual financial collection for HH
Attend our annual fundraiser, the UU Handcrafted Bazaar, where volunteers staff a booth selling donated hand made arts and crafts
Knit hats, scarves, and mittens for our pre winter student distribution
Join with other UUs to pack Grab-n-Go bags

Ways you can help:

Questions? More Information? To Volunteer?

Contact: Sandy MacLaughlin

sandy.j.mac@hotmail.com

(507) 282-8496, (715) 580-0691

Mission: To provide support that affirms personal dignity, welcomes newcomers to our community, and encourages all students’ educational success. Hawthorne Helps is a partnership between Rochester Public School’s Hawthorne Education Center and First Unitarian Universalist Church, with support from local faith, service, and business groups. Hawthorne Education Center provides classes for 1000 learners, ages 17 and older, 85% live at or below the poverty. Most are people of color and many are immigrants. All are struggling to make a better life. Programs include English as a Second Language, literacy, GED, high school diploma, college prep, job training, computer skills, and citizenship. Services: UU Volunteers staff a distribution twice monthly offering essential items that cannot be purchased with SNAP and other services. We are a welcoming presence cheering on the students. Sign Up: ask to be added to HH Sign Up Genius for access to HH dates, sign up for a distribution shift & receive ongoing program updates. Ways you can help:

Shop for essential items or help with distribution on site at HEC
Donate requested items to HH’s Blue Barrel near the church entry. Check eNews or Blue Barrel for items needed
Share plants, herbs, and in season produce
Invite HH speakers to your business or service group
Sort, tally and pack up Blue Barrel items on Sunday (families welcome)
Contribute to Share the Plate, an annual financial collection for HH
Attend our annual fundraiser, the UU Handcrafted Bazaar, where volunteers staff a booth selling donated hand made arts and crafts
Knit hats, scarves, and mittens for our pre winter student distribution
Join with other UUs to pack Grab-n-Go bags

Items Needed

check the eNews or Blue Barrel for a current list
Gift cards – Aldi, Dollar Tree, Menards & Walgreens
UU Handcrafted Bazaar Items

Questions? More Information? To Volunteer? Contact: Sandy MacLaughlin sandy.j.mac@hotmail.com (507) 282-8496, (715) 580-0691