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• (Waitlist) Gardening for Good at Green Power Garden

  • When
    05/05/2024
  •  
    1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
  • Location
    Green Power Garden: S53W24747 Glendale Rd, Waukesha, WI 53189
  • Spaces left
    0

  Registration is closed

  Gardening for Good at Green Power Garden

  Overview:
  

  We are excited to return to Green Power Garden on Sunday, May 5th from 1:00-2:30 pm to help get the garden ready for spring planting! 
  

  Green Power Garden is a volunteer led program that donates all of their veggies to area organizations to get fresh food in the hands of people who need it. One of their main recipients is HOPE Center. 

  What to expect:

  Volunteers will be preparing the garden for the season. Also, each family will be planting a "greenhouse" in plastic tub to take home for a few weeks to care for the baby zucchini and cucumber plants until they're ready to be planted in the garden in early June. 

  Please note that if you attend, you will be committing to caring for the baby plants (Molly at Green Power Garden will give us all the instructions we need!) for 3-4 weeks and then returning the "greenhouse" of plants in one of three ways:

  1.) Attend our next project at Green Power Garden on Saturday 6/1

  2.) Deliver to the garden directly sometime leading up to our project on 6/1

  3.) Drop off at our Project Leader's house in Pewaukee the week leading up to 6/1

  Capacity & Age Recommendations:

  All ages are welcome at this project, and we are able to bring up to 10 families to this project.

  What to bring:

  Volunteers should bring their own gardening gloves if they have some and water bottles.
  

  What to wear:

  Please wear comfortable clothes that can get dirty in the garden. Kids can wear their Sunbeam Kids shirts if they want!

  Additional information:

  The garden is located behind a personal residence. Volunteers can park in the driveway (there is space toward the back of the driveway and next to the pole barn), and the project leader will be on the lookout for everyone at the project start time. 

  REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. 

  This project is open to members* for the first week of registration, and we're happy to welcome guests if we have additional space in the week leading up to the project. Please only sign up if you know you can attend. We understand illness and emergencies do come up so if you register and can no longer attend, please let us know ASAP so we can fill your spot. 

  Thank you for lending a little hand! 

  Amanda Barnhart

  Board President

  *While we rely on member donations to keep the good work going, we never want the $40/family/year to be a hurdle to volunteering with us. If you are in need of assistance, we do have a limited number of scholarships available that are 100% confidential, just email and ask! 

  
  

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• COMING SOON: Honoring Heroes by Placing Flags

  • When
    05/11/2024
  •  
    9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
  • Location
    Forest Home Cemetery: 2405 W Forest Home Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53215

  Honoring heroes by Placing Flags

  
  

  Overview:

  In honor of Memorial Day, help us honor our heroes by placing flags at the graves of military veterans who have served from the War of 1812 to the present. We will meet at Forest Home Cemetery on Saturday, May 11th from 9:00-11:00 am to assist with locating veterans' graves and placing a flag at each gravesite. 

  What to expect:

  We'll meet at the cemetery's main office to get our list of assignments and flags, then we'll head out into the cemetery to locate the gravesites of the veterans on our list and place a flag at each. 

  Capacity & Age Recommendations:

  Open to all ages and we are able to include as many families as want to participate. Dogs are welcome as well as long as they are on a leash at all times and you clean up after them.

  What to bring:

  Please bring something to write with or a smartphone to check off names and enter data. 

  What to wear:

  Wear outdoor, weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable shoes for walking. Kids are always welcome to wear their Sunbeam Kids shirt if they would like. 

  REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. 

  This project is open to members* for the first week of registration, and we're happy to welcome guests if we have additional space in the week leading up to the project. Please only sign up if you know you can attend. We understand illness and emergencies do come up but they are counting on our hands, so if you register and can no longer attend, please let us know ASAP so we can work to fill your spot. 

  Thank you to our SBK Board Member Mary Fenelon for leading this project, and thank YOU for lending a little hand! 

  Amanda Barnhart

  Board President

  *While we rely on member donations to keep the good work going, we never want the $40/family/year to be a hurdle to volunteering with us. If you are in need of assistance, we do have a limited number of scholarships available that are 100% confidential, just email and ask! 

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• Q2 SBK Youth Board Meeting (virtual; ages 10+)

  • When
    05/16/2024
  •  
    7:00 PM - 7:45 PM
  • Location
    Zoom link will be shared in confirmation email
  • Spaces left
    30

  Register

  
  

  Q1 Youth Board Meeting update...the kids voted to donate their $100 mini-grant to our adaptive sports partner, We Are Boundless. 

  Calling all future leaders ages 10+!

  The Sunbeam Kids Board invites our older kid members to join us for our quarterly SBK Youth Board meeting on Thursday 5/16 at 7:00-7:45pm.  This is a great way for kids to have a leadership opportunity that is fun, low commitment, and impactful and meet other kids from the Greater Milwaukee area.

  I was on the United Way Youth Board in Appleton during high school, and I'm happy we can offer this opportunity to our Sunbeam Kids youth members in 5th-12th grade. 

  First time at a Youth Board meeting? Welcome! This is a flexible leadership opportunity, and we're happy to have your kids join us as on a meeting by meeting basis as their schedules and interest allow.  We are also happy to sign off on participation for attendees (National Honors Society, School service hours, etc). 

  If you'd like more info, here are the details: 

  Goals

  1) Community: Introduce kids across the Greater Milwaukee area who are members of Sunbeam Kids as a way to build positive connections and community. 
  

  (2) Leadership Skill Building: Offer an opportunity to discuss tips on being a good leader, then apply those skills during our time together. 

  (3) Thought Leadership: Let the kids know we truly value their feedback and ideas to help SBK support our community.

  Details

  An official agenda will be sent to everyone who signs up, along with the Zoom link.  During the meeting we will do brief intros and then:

  (1) Share progress on their ideas from our last meetings. 

  (2) Discuss any new ideas they have for projects, or if it is their first youth board meeting we'd also like to hear their favorite project/why. 

  (3) We are excited to once again be able to give the kids a mini "grant distribution" experience again thanks to an anonymous donation. The selected organization will receive the donation money on behalf of the SBK Youth Board Leaders. 

  NEW! We are accepting nominations from attendees for the partner organizations that will be options when we vote for our $100 mini-grant.  --> Please hit reply to share your Youth Board member's nomination and why they think it would be a good organization to donate to. 

  What to Expect

  We strive to be an inclusive organization in all ways.  For any youth who may be  joining us for the first time and are anxious or uncertain...they can likely expect between 6-12 kids on a zoom call with 1-2 adults.  Most kids will likely be between ages 10-15, but you may have older kids who are interested and we would love to have them! In fact, if members age 16+ sign up and want to help me lead part of the meeting, I'm happy to work with them on that. 

  We will be asking everyone to say their name and city, but other than that they can just listen if they aren't comfortable talking this time. If there is anything we can do (or not do, e.g. if you email me to say they just want to listen in) we are happy to accommodate! 

  If your child is interested in sharing feedback but is unavailable or is not 10 yet,  please email us at info@sunbeamkids.org. We want all voices to be heard!  

  Thanks for lending a little hand, 
  

  Katie Mleziva

  Board Vice President
  

  PS-- we always welcome youth leaders at in person events. When you sign up for an event please let us know if your child is interested in helping lead in any way and we'll connect with you! 

  
  

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• COMING SOON: Caring for Kids in Foster Care

  • When
    05/18/2024
  •  
    10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
  • Location
    New Berlin Public Library: 15105 W Library Ln, New Berlin, WI 53151

  Caring for Kids in Foster Care

  Project details coming soon! Registration typically opens 2 weeks prior to the project date. Please sign up for our email list to know when the project goes live. 
  

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• COMING SOON: Filling Carts & Hearts at Friedens Community Food Center - Despensa De La Paz (Ages 7+)

  • When
    05/25/2024
  •  
    9:00 AM - 12:30 PM
  • Location
    1615 S. 22nd Milwaukee, WI 53204
  • Spaces left
    4

  Filling Carts & Hearts at Friedens Community Food Center - Despensa De La Paz (Ages 7+)

  Overview:

  Friedens is Milwaukee's largest network of food centers and work to build community through nourishment. They have 4 locations and each year they serve 45,000 individuals and families in need of nourishment and friendship. They also work to reduce food waste and provide food demos and teach gardening to support nutrition and wellness.  

  What to expect:

  The needs during our shift may vary from helping with hospitality, inspiring creativity at the kids art table, stocking shelves, and shopping with community members through the pantry. 

  Capacity & Age Recommendations:

  Though there is no official minimum age requirement, this project is best suited for children age 7 and older based on the length of the project and amount of time on our feet. All kids should be directly supervised by an adult throughout our time there. We expect to have room for approximately 4 families to participate in this project.

  What to bring:

  It is required for every adult to not only sign up here with Sunbeam Kids, but also fill our a Friedens volunteer form out ahead of the project. We will email the form to all registrants prior to the project.

  No need to bring anything unless you'd like to donate food products or art supplies for kids waiting at the food pantry. 
  

  What to wear:

  Kids should wear their Sunbeam Kids shirts if they want. Wear comfortable shoes to be on your feet for the length of the project.

  Additional information:

  There is plenty of street parking. 

  REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. 

  This project is currently open to members*. Please only sign up if you know you can attend. We understand illness and emergencies do come up but they are counting on our hands, so if you register and can no longer attend, please let us know ASAP so we can work to fill your spot. 

  Thank you to our Project Leader Vanessa Eisenmann for leading this project, and thank YOU for lending a little hand! 

  Amanda Barnhart

  Board President

  *While we rely on member donations to keep the good work going, we never want the $40/family/year to be a hurdle to volunteering with us. If you are in need of assistance, we do have a limited number of scholarships available that are 100% confidential, just email and ask! 

  
  

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• COMING SOON: Milwaukee County Parks Beach Cleanup

  • When
    05/25/2024
  •  
    9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
  • Location
    South Shore Park Pavilion: 2900 S. Shore Drive, Milwaukee, WI 53207.

  Milwaukee County Parks Beach Cleanup

  
  

  Overview:

  Now that the snow has melted and we can see the grass and beach again, we're faced with an unfortunate fact of life- litter happens and things can really pile up during the winter months. But that is where our Sunbeam Kids families can help! We will be heading down to South Shore Park on Saturday, May 25th (rain date Sunday May 26th) from 9:30-11:00 am to clean up trash and debris found around the beach.
  

  What to expect:

  We'll meet at the South Shore Pavilion beer garden at 9:30 am for introductions and housekeeping items. SBK families will then walk the Bay View beach, Oak Leaf trail, and/or surrounding park/playground to clean up trash. We'll then meet back at the beer garden at 11:00 am to adjourn. Trash pickup has been coordinated with Milwaukee County Parks.

  Feel free to stay for lunch or a beverage at the beer garden. The farmer’s market won’t be open for the season yet, but we will plan for another beach clean up in late summer/early fall where this will be available for you and your family and friends as well!

  Capacity & Age Recommendations:

  Open to all ages but must be able to walk for up to an hour on sand, grass, and pavement without limitations or restrictions.

  What to bring:

  Bring gardening gloves (if preferred over exam gloves that will be provided). 

  Each volunteer will need to fill out a Milwaukee County Parks Volunteer Agreement HERE. (This only takes <5min, type in Sunbeam Kids Inc. for the affiliated group). FYI - Sunbeam Kids Inc. does not retain these forms, they get submitted directly to Milwaukee County Parks.

  What to wear:

  Wear outdoor, weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable shoes. 

  Additional information:

  • If there is light drizzling rain, we will still plan on doing the cleanup. If severe or downright nasty weather is forecasted, you will be sent a cancellation message no later than 7 am the morning of the event and the event will be rescheduled to Sunday 5/26/2024 (same date, timeframe, and location).
  • Latex-free gloves, buckets, grabbers, and trash bags will all be provided courtesy of Keeping Greater Milwaukee Beautiful.
  • Volunteers are not allowed to collect needles, sharps, or otherwise hazardous objects. If found, these items should be reported to staff. 

  REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. 

  This project is currently open to members*. Please only sign up if you know you can attend. We understand illness and emergencies do come up but they are counting on our hands, so if you register and can no longer attend, please let us know ASAP so we can work to fill your spot. 

  Thank you to our Project Leader Merissa Lauzon for leading this project, and thank YOU for lending a little hand! 

  Amanda Barnhart

  Board President

  *While we rely on member donations to keep the good work going, we never want the $40/family/year to be a hurdle to volunteering with us. If you are in need of assistance, we do have a limited number of scholarships available that are 100% confidential, just email and ask! 

  
  

  Show details
• COMING SOON: Gardening for Good at Green Power Garden

  • When
    06/01/2024
  •  
    1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
  • Location
    Green Power Garden: S53W24747 Glendale Rd, Waukesha, WI 53189

  Gardening for Good at Green Power Garden

  Overview:
  

  We're heading back to Green Power Garden on Saturday, June 1st from 1:00-2:30 pm to help prepare the garden and do some planting. 
  

  Green Power Garden is a volunteer led program that donates all of their veggies to area organizations to get fresh food in the hands of people who need it. One of their main recipients is HOPE Center. 

  What to expect:

  Volunteers will learn how to transplant the baby zucchini and cucumber plants that SBK families will be growing following our May 5th project. You do not need to have attended the May 5th project to join us on this date! We'll also help with any other garden preparation and planting that is ready to be done. 
  

  Capacity & Age Recommendations:

  All ages are welcome at this project, and we are able to bring as many families out to the garden that day as want to join us!

  What to bring:

  Volunteers should bring their own gardening gloves if they have some and water bottles.
  

  What to wear:

  Please wear comfortable clothes that can get dirty in the garden. Kids can wear their Sunbeam Kids shirts if they want!

  Additional information:

  The garden is located behind a personal residence. Volunteers can park in the driveway (there is space toward the back of the driveway and next to the pole barn), and the project leader will be on the lookout for everyone at the project start time. 

  REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. 

  This project is open to members* for the first week of registration, and we're happy to welcome guests if we have additional space in the week leading up to the project. Please only sign up if you know you can attend. We understand illness and emergencies do come up so if you register and can no longer attend, please let us know ASAP so we can fill your spot. 

  Thank you for lending a little hand! 

  Amanda Barnhart

  Board President

  *While we rely on member donations to keep the good work going, we never want the $40/family/year to be a hurdle to volunteering with us. If you are in need of assistance, we do have a limited number of scholarships available that are 100% confidential, just email and ask! 

  
  

  Show details