Spring 2024 Brief
Spring 2024 Brief
Newsletter for Festival of Sharing
Greetings! The heart of what we do is coming together as a diverse body of Christ to respond to the needs of hunger and poverty we see in our local and regional communities and beyond. In doing so, we are promoting growth and building the body in love. As you begin your summer collections for Festival, we ask that you join in prayer and celebration for the opportunity to combine our gifts and resources to make a larger impact.
Announcements
Does your church want to dive deeper into Festival? Participate in our pilot program! Get connected with a local Festival of Sharing agency partner in 2024 and see where God is at work through their efforts and resources. Contact Sidney at festival@socket.net for more information.
2024 Booklet
The 2024 digital booklet is available on our website. Full booklet under the “Media” tab, individual kit pages under “Kits.”
Festival of Sharing Presentation
We would love to meet you! Schedule a presentation with your congregation, Sunday school class, or volunteer group either in person or virtually! Email festival@socket.net or call 573-474-3332 or fill out this form.
Local
Grant Awardees
Festival of Sharing is excited to announce the 2024 recipients of Growing Access Grants. The grants are offered to approved Festival of Sharing agencies to tackle food insecurity and promote nutrition in Missouri. Agencies who have participated in the Festival of Sharing in the last 5 years are invited to apply for grants of up to $1,000.
The grant review committee selected 21 applications for a total of $17,200. When available, funds from the Missouri Hunger Fund are used for the grant program. If you are interested in supporting this work, please make checks payable to “MOAC” with “FOS-MO Hunger” in the memo line. Read the full list of agencies and projects here -->.
May Kit Highlight- Personal Hygiene Packs
You may have noticed, our hygiene kit looks slightly different this year. The bar of soap has been updated to a bottle of body wash and the lotion has been changed to a travel size. In 2023, hygiene kits were the second most requested item from recipient agencies. Hygiene kits are important and relevant to a variety of our agency partners.
Global
2024 Online Quilt Auction
Save the date! Sunday November 3- Saturday, November 9
Proceeds benefiting Church World Service Blankets Program. Donations accepted through Friday, August 23. Please check the auction page for more information on accepted donations in 2024.
Church World Service Kit Highlight- School Kit
School Kit- $15 value, $2 shipping fee
Starting a new school year is exciting...but for children who don’t have school supplies, it can also be terrifying. That’s where these kits—and your compassion—come in! Plus, the fabric bag you pack each kit in is a great keepsake that kids can carry all year long. Please remember to send $2/kit to CWS to cover the costs of processing.
Save-a-label Program
Don’t forget! Clip your UPC labels off Best Choice brand items. We can redeem them through the Best Choice Save-a-Label program for $33 per bundle of 1,000. Funds go towards hunger efforts throughout the year, such as the Growing Access Grants. Place them in a bag or envelop with the count clearly labeled on the outside. Send them to the Festival of Sharing office or a Sharefest where we will combine all donations and send them in for redemption.