Reentering and Reconnecting

While the safety protocols around the pandemic have curtailed social and community activities, there are still opportunities to support our local nonprofits as they face the challenge of making ends meet during difficult economic times. Several upcoming fundraisers are relying on us to participate and contribute, and organizers are taking extra measures to make the events safe and fun.

Celebrate Summer Solstice on a Nature Walk With the Audubon Society, June 20

What better way to honor the longest day of the year than immersing yourself in nature? The Evergreen Audubon Society invites you to engage in the Japanese practice of forest bathing as you embark upon a guided walk in the Alderfer/Three Sisters Open Space on Saturday, June 20 from 9 – 11:30 am. Led by Jaime Kopke, a certified forest therapy guide, the experience will encourage participants to open their senses and deepen their connection with the natural world. The adventure ends with a tea ceremony and light snacks.

The Audubon Society’s mission is to conserve wildlife and natural ecosystems, provide citizen science experiences, and inspire and educate the community to benefit people and diversity. The organization was founded in 1968 as the Evergreen Naturalists, Inc. and became a chapter of the National Audubon Society in 1978. It operates out of the Evergreen Nature Center, the warming hut on Evergreen Lake.

Registration for the Solstice event is $22 for Audubon Society members, $25 for non-members. Participants meet at the East Trailhead of the park at 30357 Buffalo Park Road. For more information and to register, go to evergreenaudubon.org.

EAS+Y Sponsors Clean 
Recycling Day, June 27 at Evergreen Lutheran Church

Have you been de-cluttering your office and cleaning out your closets while spending more time at home? Are there items destined for the trash that you’d like to dispose of in a responsible fashion? If so, the Evergreen Alliance for Sustainability (EAS+Y) invites you to its Spring Clean Recycle Day on Saturday, June 27 from 10 am – 2 pm at Evergreen Lutheran Church, 5980 County Hwy 73.

The group will be accepting a long list of items including block Styrofoam, scrap metal, household light bulbs, electronics including computers and accessories, cell phones, fax machines, batteries, cables, DVD players and Xbox stations, stereo components, cords, cables and cameras. Television sets will be accepted for a designated fee of $20. Some small appliances will be accepted, but nothing larger than a microwave.

EAS+Y event organizers have carefully planned the recycle day with the primary goal of keeping participants, volunteers and staff healthy and safe in accordance with Centers for Disease Control guidelines. To participate, you need to select a designated time via Sign-up Genius, during which you will drop off your items. There is a suggested donation of $20 to support EAS+ Y and its sustainability programs. When you arrive at your scheduled time, you are asked to stay in your car and wear a mask. The event volunteers and recycling team, wearing PPE, will unload the items from your car to make the donation process efficient, easy and safe.

An added feature of the event is a Zero Waste Refill Popup Shop, hosted by Homefill. You can bring your empty, reusable containers to be filled with environmentally friendly cleaning products such as dish soap, laundry detergent and shampoo. Your containers will be sanitized, refilled, cleaned again and returned to you by designated onsite staff. You’ll be helping to reduce the number of plastic containers and eliminating extra car trips to the store.

The EAS+Y event comes at a time when many individuals are more aware of the benefits of environmental stewardship. “During this time when we have had to slow down and take inventory, I think we’ve realized that our individual actions do have an impact as part of a larger, collective action making a difference for our environment,” said EAS+Y Sustainability Coordinator Lindsay Freberg Anderson. “We’ve become much more aware of the benefits of getting outside and the need to take care of our natural world.”

To sign up to participate in the June 27 Recycling event, go to easy4you.org. 

Mark Your Calendars for the EAPL July 19 Wine and Washes Fundraiser

Our four-legged friends have been walking and playing overtime with their owners in stay-at-home mode. Why not give them some social time and pampering while raising money for the Evergreen Animal Protective League? EAPL will present its annual dog wash and wine sipping event on Sunday, July 19 from 11 am – 3 pm at the Evergreen National Bank drive-thru location. Sponsored by TallGrass, Creekside Cellars and the bank, this event is popular among dog lovers and the EAPL team.

“This is my favorite fundraiser,” said EAPL President Jackie Bell. “The dogs love it, our dog wash attendants have fun, and the owners get to enjoy a glass of wine or bottle of water while taking in the festivities.”

Participants can have the EAPL volunteers wash their dogs, or they are welcome to do it themselves in the baby pools, which are refreshed on an ongoing basis. The cost to participate is $20, with proceeds supporting EAPL’s efforts to improve the lives of dogs, cats and other pets through rescue, shelter and education. To learn more about the organization and Wine & Washes 2020, go to the events page of eapl.com.

EChO Accepts Donations as Resale Shop Reopens

If you’ve been setting aside your unwanted clothing, or planning to give away used furniture, you can arrange to do so through Evergreen Christian Outreach (EChO) as some of the COVID-19 restrictions are relaxing.

Donations of all items except furniture are being accepted by appointment. It’s easy to sign up for a time when you’ll be dropping off your items. Just go to bit.ly/3h6aOcv. To arrange your donation of furniture, EChO requests that you email a picture of the items you wish to donate to this address:

furniture@evergreenchristianoutreach.org.

If you’re in the market for clothing or household items, the EChO Resale Shop is open for in-person shopping as well as online purchasing. Store hours are Monday-Saturday 10 am – 4:30 pm with a designated time for seniors 60 years and older on Wednesdays from 10  – 11 am.

Shoppers entering the store are required to wear masks. Additional safety procedures include a maximum of 20 shoppers at a time, separate entry and exit doors, no cash transactions, and use of hand sanitizer. Customers are encouraged to bring their own bags, and dressing rooms and restrooms are not open for use. The EChO staff is eager to greet shoppers and is doing all they can to make the Resale experience as clean, comfortable and safe as possible. For the convenience of online shopping, go to bit.ly/37dWM4m.

Help Fill the Shelves of the Life Bridge Food Pantry

With food drives being cancelled in the wake of the pandemic and food donations from grocery stores interrupted by supply issues, the Life Bridge Food Pantry in Bailey is seeking food and monetary contributions to help feed the community along the Highway 285 Corridor. While many people have stepped up to help, there has been an increase in need in the last several weeks. Life Bridge typically feeds 200-300 people each week and that number continues to grow.

The Pantry would appreciate nonperishable food items, grocery gift cards and cash donations. Life Bridge is located at 288 Main Street in Bailey. To learn more about its services, visit lifebridgeco.org or email johnObrecht50@gmail.com.