Cultural Crossroads, Inc.

VOLUNTEER INFORMATION: VOTER REGISTRATION First, of course, you should be registered to vote in your jurisdiction. If you are not sure if you are registered, check Vote.org. If you are not registered, go to the USA.gov voter registration page. Are you interested in helping others to register to vote? In the local KC area, you can contact the Kansas Voter Registration Project (which registers both KS and MO voters) at ksvoterregproject@gmail.com. You can also go to the RockTheVote website Action Center to find out how to volunteer in your area. Want to become more informed about voter registration and the process in general? See the information produced by the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law. MEET PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT FAITHS In the Kansas City area, the primary organization is the Greater Kansas City Interfaith Council (www.kcinterfaith.org) but many other organizations work on peace through interfaith understanding, like the Faith Always Wins Foundation (www.givesevendays.org), the Crescent Peace Society (www.crescentpeace.org), the Dialogue Institute (www.thedialogueinstitute.org) and many other organizations. You can search the internet for your own area to find local organizations, like the Arizona Interfaith Movement (www.interfaithmovement.com) in Phoenix, Arizona, the Chicago Interfaith Coalition (www.facebook.com/ChicagoInterfaithCoalition), the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (www.gbio.org), and similar organizations nationwide. MEET PEOPLE INTERESTED IN PEACE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE In the Kansas City area, a good place to start is with the community organization listing published by PeaceWorks at www.peaceworkskc.org/directory. Also, contact the International Relations Council (www.irckc.org) and Global Ties KC (www.globalties.kc.org) for both volunteer opportunities and opportunities to meet local people with your same interests and people from other countries. Veterans For Peace Kansas City is a group composed of both veterans and friends of veterans who work to build a culture of peace through non-violent means. Contact the local KC group through their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/kansascityvfp/. If you are interested in social justice issues, sign up for the Greater Kansas City Activist Calendar at gkcactivistcalendar@gmail.com. You can also contact the Greater Kansas City Justice Coalition through their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/GKCJustice/. VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES IN EDUCATION L3 Love Literacy Life www.loveliteracylife.org Helping children at Mark Twain Elementary School in KCK, focusing on reading, science, technology, engineering, math, and art. To the World, Inc. www.ToTheWorldLove.com A nonprofit 501c3 organization practicing shoestring philanthropy for those who need us, including elementary schools in Kansas City, Missouri. DONATION INFORMATION: FOOD: Harvesters will accept donations of non-perishable food, as well as monetary donations. If you host a big party or gathering and have extra food, consider calling a local shelter or senior housing to see if they could use it, either for residents or staff. Even if they don’t have the resources to pick up your leftovers, perhaps you can deliver it yourself or ask a friend to deliver it. PILL BOTTLES MATTHEW 25 (www.M25M.org) is a nonprofit that accepts all empty pill bottles and sends them overseas, allowing doctors to. Clean unlabeled bottles are used to distribute medication in sterile containers in developing countries; pill bottles that are not appropriate for shipping are recycled for cash to support programs. Placing a coin in each pill bottle will also help with shipping costs to developing countries. Box bottles and send to: Matthew 25 Ministries 11060 Kenwood Road Cincinnati, OH 45242 PROM BOUTIQUE The WCC Prom Boutique provides FREE dresses, shoes and accessories. You can also DONATE your gently worn items at ANY TIME. Boutique and donations at Woods Chapel Church, 4725 NE Lakewood Way, Lee’s Summit, MO 64064. FUR COATS “Coats for Cubs” collects donated furs that are sent to wildlife rehabilitation centers where they are used as bedding to provide a more natural and nurturing environment for the recovering animals. This program, formerly run by HSUS, is now run by Buffalo Exchange. You can donate your unwanted furs directly, anytime, by contacting rehab facilities listed at https://coatsforcubs.org/wildlife-rehabilitator-info. Please contact the rehabber prior to sending your fur(s) to ensure that they are still in need. In the KCMO Metro area, contact Operation Wildlife Inc., 23375 Guthrie Rd., Linwood, KS 66052Phone: 785-542- 3625 or Email: OPWildlife@aol.com CRAFT ITEMS Search on the internet for charitable organizations that distribute craft items through schools and Scout troops. In Kansas City, for instance, ScrapsKC (www.scrapskc.org) is such an organization. You can also check with your local schools and individual Scout troops, as well as your local library. ECLIPSE GLASSES There are eclipses occurring all the time around the world. After the eclipse, donate your glasses to the Astronomers Without Borders program, which distributes them to children in developing countries so they can share in eclipses visible in their part of the world. Send them to corporate partner Explore Scientific, at the address below. AWB Eclipse Glasses Donation ProgramExplore Scientific1010 S. 48th StreetSpringdale, AR 72762 ELECTRONICS Most major metropolitan areas will have a facility that accepts old electronics. In the KC Metro area, that facility is Surplus Exchange (www.surplusexchange.org) at 518 Santa Fe St, Kansas City, MO 64105 - (816) 472-0444. They will refurbish and make them available to nonprofit organizations. MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS Salvation Army, Goodwill, and other charitable organizations run re-sale operations which support their charitable work and will accept almost any items you may have. (Call first, though, if you have exercise equipment or draperies, as many organizations will not accept those items.)