Flossmoor Seeks Volunteers, Donations for 10th Annual Day of Service

FLOSSMOOR, IL — Flossmoor residents are invited to make a difference in their community, by participating in the Village of Flossmoor’s state-honored Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, being held this year on Monday, Jan. 20.

This is the 10th year for this signature volunteer event in the South Suburban community. In 2020, the Day of Service was honored as a finalist in the Illinois Governor’s Hometown Service Award program.

"Celebrating 10 years of Flossmoor’s Dr. MLK Day of Service honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the hundreds of volunteers whose dedication has made a lasting impact," says Stephanie Wright, Community Engagement Manager. "Their efforts remind us that service is not just a single day’s effort, but a way of living Dr. King’s dream every day — something that is certainly evident in the Village of Flossmoor."

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Flossmoor Village Hall (2800 Flossmoor Road, Flossmoor) to assemble 100 care kits with the
Flossmoor Community Relations Commission, the Flossmoor Service League and the Flossmoor Volunteer Fire Corp. for local unhoused individuals from 10 a.m.-Noon.

No registration required. Help is also needed at Flossmoor Village Hall from 9-11 a.m. to package and deliver donations with Plan 4 Success. Sign up here.

Irwin Community Center (18120 S. Highland Ave., Homewood) to donate blood with Versiti Blood Center. Appointments are available from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; schedule online.

The project site is organized by the Chi Lambda Lambda Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and the Lambda Tau Omega Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

Serena Hills Elementary School (255 Pleasant Drive, Chicago Heights) to create Valentine’s Day cards for senior citizens and homebound individuals from 9-10:30 a.m. All craft supplies will be provided.

Sand Ridge Nature Center (15891 Paxton Ave., South Holland) to clean up a nature preserve from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Gloves and trash bags will be provided. Groups of 10+ are asked to register in advance by emailing sandridge.naturecenter@cookcountyil.gov. The project site is organized by Forest Preserves of Cook County.

Irons Oaks (20000 S. Western Ave., Olympia Fields) to work on various nature projects from 10 a.m.-Noon. No registration required. The project site is organized by Homewood-Flossmoor Park District / Irons Oaks.

Cancer Support Center (2028 Elm Road, Homewood) to make bracelets and no-sew blankets for cancer patients and their caregivers through Project Kennedy from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult. No registration required. The project site is organized by Girl Scout Service Unit 627.

Open Access (900 Maple Road, Homewood) to package up donations of feminine hygiene products with the Flossmoor Service League for Open Access’ clients and partner agencies from 9-10:30 a.m. No registration required.

Calvary Assembly of God (18620 Governors Hwy., Flossmoor) to help organize donations of clothes, toys and food for its food pantry from 5-7 p.m. No registration required.

DONATIONS NEEDED

Craft supplies (yarn, fabric scraps, craft paints and glue, beads, sequins, feathers, buttons, markers, scissors, construction paper, pipe cleaners, ribbons) to be used in a Flossmoor Green Commission environmental craft bird project can be dropped off at Flossmoor Village Hall on Thursday, Jan. 16, and Friday, Jan. 17. Project date and time is Jan. 20, 9 to 11 a.m., at Wiley's Grill at Coyote Run Golf Course. Join in a workshop inspired by the work of artist Holly Greenberg, whose work highlights the importance of protecting migratory birds and their habitats while fostering creativity and connection through art. In this hands-on workshop, you will create scaled bird sculptures using repurposed materials. The birds will become part of a stunning art piece that symbolizes community, conservation and the interconnectedness of nature. To support this project, a craft supply drive will be open at Village Hall Jan. 16 & 17. Items needed include tacky glue, fabric glue, glue guns & sticks, scissors, fabric & foam scraps, buttons & beads, paint, markers, yarn, ribbons, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, pom-poms, construction paper, glitter, sequins and stickers. Materials in the following colors are requested: orange, gray, brown, black, tan and white. To volunteer, please sign up here...

New and used sporting equipment for Leveling the Playing Field is being collected by Flossmoor Firebirds Baseball now through Monday, Jan. 20, at several locations: Flossmoor Public Library (1000 Sterling Ave., Flossmoor); Flossmoor Park Pavilion (Brassie Ave. & Flossmoor Road); Infant Jesus of Prague School (1101 Douglas Ave., Flossmoor); and Flossmoor School District 161 Elementary Schools. Pick-up service may also be available; contact FirebirdsMLKDayofService@gmail.com.

Boxes of feminine hygiene products (tampons, sanitary pads) can be brought to Open Access for their clients and partnering agencies Mondays-Fridays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Drive is coordinated by the Flossmoor Service League. Donations are requested to be dropped off until Monday, Jan. 20 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Packaged, store-bought baked goods and new pairs of socks are being collected by Plan4Success for those in need and for South Suburban service agencies, such as hospitals, clinics and 911 centers. Donation boxes are currently available through Sunday, Jan. 19, at Flossmoor Village Hall’s east entrance.

Donations of non-perishable snacks (beans, soups, cereals, oatmeal, canned meats, pancake mix, syrup, pasta) and hygiene products (shampoo, body wash, lotion, toothpaste, deodorant) will be accepted at Western Avenue School (940 Western Ave., Flossmoor) by Jack and Jill of America Inc. Monarch Cities Chapter on Monday, Jan. 20, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Volunteers will be needed to assemble the donations for the Jones Memorial Community Center Food Pantry and for the New Life Centers Women’s Shelters on Saturday, Jan. 25, from 12:45-2 p.m. at Parker Junior High School.

Full-sized personal care items (body wash, lotion, deodorant, hair care products) will be accepted for Anew at Parker Junior High School from 9-11:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 20.

All sizes of LEGO building sets will be collected at Flossmoor Village Hall from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 20, for the Bricks of Hope organization, which brings the sets to hospitalized children.

New winter gloves, hats, mittens, coats, scarves and socks will be collected at 19642 Governors Highway, Ste. 106, Flossmoor, by Little Fannies Heavenly Housing from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 20, to be donated to unhoused people and to A Caring Hand Foundation for Pregnant Teens.

Non-perishable food items to benefit the Center for Food Equity in Medicine will be accepted at Dunning’s Gourmet Market (1050 Sterling Ave., Flossmoor) on Monday, Jan. 20, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

New baby clothes, diapers, wipes, blankets and bottles are being collected from 9 a.m.-Noon on Monday, Jan. 20, at Infant Jesus of Prague School to benefit Aid for Women.

New and gently used children’s books are being collected from 10 a.m.-Noon on Monday, Jan. 20, at the Homewood-Flossmoor High School Fieldhouse (800 Governors Hwy., Flossmoor).

Non-perishable foods, new blankets and pull tabs are being gathered at Sunrise Senior Living (3633 Breakers Dr., Olympia Fields) now through Monday, Jan. 20, at its main entrance. Donations will be given to LaRabida Children’s Hospital and Ronald McDonald House.

Gently used clothing and children’s toys, as well as non-perishable foods, are being collected at Calvary Assembly of God to help replenish its food pantry. Donations will be accepted from 5-7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 20.

SPECIAL HAPPENINGS

The 5th Annual Classical Music Concert — featuring highly talented pre-conservatory student-musicians from the Academy of the Music Institute of Chicago playing works by Bach, Kreisler, Paganini and Tchaikovsky — will be held at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19, at Flossmoor
Community Church (2218 Hutchison, Flossmoor). This event is free and open to the public; monetary donations will be collected to help the Center for Food Equity in Medicine, a 501(c)3 charity that provides nutritious meals for families of people battling life-changing
health conditions.

Volunteers will gather from 9-11 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 20, to help create scaled bird sculptures to be used as part of an art installation by Syracuse University professor and artist Holly Greenberg to raise awareness for urban dangers to birds and to create an art piece that symbolizes community, conservation and the interconnectedness of nature. Patterns and all craft supplies will be provided. The project site is organized by the Flossmoor Green Commission and the Southland Green Committee. Learn more about this project. Location site is Wiley's Grill at Coyote Run Golf Course.

Residents at Sunrise Senior Living (19715 Governors Highway, Flossmoor) will be spending some time making dehydrated jars of soup mixes on Friday, Jan. 17. The jars will be delivered to the Bethel Cares Family Resource Center in Chicago Heights on Monday, Jan. 20.

At Homewood-Flossmoor Community High School Fieldhouse, the H-F Boys’ Wrestling team will be reading with grade school students for Readers are Leaders from 10 a.m.-Noon on Monday, Jan. 20.

The Flossmoor Community Church (2218 Hutchison, Flossmoor) will host a “Do Good Weekend” Jan. 18-20 at its campus, centrally located in Flossmoor. There is a call for people to donate paper products (napkins, plates, toilet paper, tissue) and boxes of pasta for the Center for Food Equity in Medicine. Drop-off days and times are: Saturday, Jan. 18, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Sunday, Jan. 19, 3:30-5 p.m.; and Monday, Jan. 20, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The church is also hosting a blood drive on Saturday, Jan. 18, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Reservations are available at: https://tinyurl.com/3vvksenf.

For complete details on happenings and for service opportunities, visit the website or email info@flossmoor.org.