
The Village of Flossmoor is calling all volunteers and those with ideas for a service project. The village staff is accepting project ideas for the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service through Wednesday, Dec. 20. The helping hands of volunteers are needed to work on several projects.
For nearly a decade, the village has been sponsoring its annual MLK Day of Service as a way to coordinate hundreds of volunteers to help with a variety of non-profit service projects to make this “day off” a “day on.”
As Flossmoor approaches its 100th birthday in 2024, the Flossmoor Community Relations Commission would like to challenge individuals and non-profit organizations to make this day — Monday, Jan. 15 — the biggest Day of Service yet in the village, said Stephanie Wright, Flossmoor’s community engagement manager.
Currently scheduled projects in need of volunteers include:
- Crocheting or knitting covers for water filters for Water with Blessings. This organization distributes water filters and buckets to women in several different countries who don’t have easy, inexpensive access to clean drinking water. Crocheted covers help protect the filters from breaking. Creation session will be from 1 to 4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 15, at the Flossmoor village hall, 2800 Flossmoor Road. Finished products can also be dropped off through Monday, Jan. 15, at the Flossmoor Public Library, 1000 Sterling Ave. For patterns, visit: https://waterwithblessings.org/crochet-for-a-cause/.
- Donating blood at Irwin Community Center, 18120 S. Highland Ave. in Homewood, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Jan. 15, organized by Chi Lambda Lambda Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.
- Creating Valentine’s Day cards at Flossmoor’s Serena Hills Elementary School, 255 Pleasant Drive, for residents of long-term care facilities from 9 to 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 15. Pre-registration is required.
- Picking up litter at Sand Ridge Nature Center, 15981 Paxton Ave. in South Holland, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 15.
- Making lunches for South Suburban PADS and tie blankets for Project Kennedy at Flossmoor’s Heather Hill Elementary School, 1439 Lawrence Crescent, from 10 a.m. to noon on Monday, Jan. 15, organized by You Matter 2.
- Organizing food items and making blankets sponsored by Spotlight Performance Academy, working at the Homewood Science Center, 18022 Dixie Highway, from 9 a.m. to noon on Monday, Jan. 15.
- Reading with the Homewood-Flossmoor High School Boys’ Wrestling team at the H-F Fieldhouse, 800 Governors Highway, from 10 a.m. to noon on Monday, Jan. 15. Donated children’s books are also needed.
“We currently have a dozen registered service projects and would like to double — or triple — that number,” Wright said. “The collaborative nature of service projects, especially in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., provides a unique opportunity for team building as people work together towards a common goal and share in the experience of completing a task together.”
In addition to active service projects, donations are needed for the following projects:
- The Chicago Southland Green Committee will be collecting items for personal computers for People Electronic Recycling Drive on Monday, Jan. 15, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Flossmoor Park’s Park Place, 2523 Flossmoor Road. Accepted items include: desktop/laptop computers, phones, TVs and monitors (no CRTs), printers, power cords and cables, servers and networking equipment, hard drives and other computer parts, and computer accessories, such as keyboards, mice and speakers. Items can be in any condition: new, used or broken.
- Sunrise Senior Living of Flossmoor and Olympia Fields staff and residents will be making toys and treats for the South Suburban Humane Society. Donations of gently used or new blankets, T-shirts and towels can be dropped off Dec. 18 through Jan. 15 at either location: 19715 Governors Highway in Flossmoor and 3633 Breaker Drive in Olympia Fields. In addition, the Flossmoor location will be selling dog toys and treats on Monday, Jan. 15, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with all proceeds going to the animal shelter.
- Girl Scout Troop 65152 is requesting new socks, gloves and scarves to donate to women, men and children through Respond Now. A drop box is available through Monday, Jan. 15, at Flossmoor Village Hall, 2800 Flossmoor Road.
- Jack and Jill of America Inc.’s South Suburban Chapter will be collecting non-perishable food items for its Souper Bowl of Caring to benefit the Bloom Township Community Pantry. A donation box is currently available through Monday, Jan. 15, at Flossmoor Village Hall.
- Plan4Success is asking for donations of packaged, store-bought baked goods for local service agencies that serve our community, such as teachers and first responders throughout the South Suburbs. A drop box is available through Monday, Jan. 15, at Flossmoor Village Hall.
- Jack and Jill of America Inc. Monarch Cities Chapter is partnering with Western Avenue School to make care packages for Prairie State College’s TRIO program. Donations of non-perishable snacks and foods, energy drinks, cough drops, Halls Vitamin C Drops, chewing gum, Visa gift cards, hygiene items and travel cups will be accepted from Jan. 8 to Jan. 15 at Western Avenue School, 940 Western Ave.
For more information, to share an idea, to sign up for or to host a service project, visit the Day of Service webpage or call 708-335-5472. Project ideas are due by Wednesday, Dec. 20.