Cypress Wesleyan Church

What is ServeFest?  ServeFest is an annual event uniting churches in the greater Columbus area to meet some of the deep needs in our community.  On Saturday, October 4, hundreds of people from area churches will put feet to their faith with one goal in mind -- to demonstrate the love of Christ to our city! Focusing on inner-city neighborhoods, parks, schools, the elderly, homeless shelters and MORE, ServeFest Columbus will provide a bridge for churches to connect with needs in our urban communities and throughout Columbus.  Individuals and groups of all ages are invited to pick a project and spend the day (a few hours, actually) serving the community through ServeFest Columbus.

How to Get Involved
1. In your small group, or as a family, decide upon a project (ideas are listed below, but be creative -- anything is fair game! You can also visit www.city-vision.org, www.servefestcolumbus.com, www.firstlink.org, or www.lowerlights.org for contacts)
2. Fill out the Project Proposal form (print off a pdf version here) to organize your thoughts and develop a plan
3. Make a copy of the Proposal and submit to Laurie Hurd at the church office (by mail: P.O. Box 360, Galloway, OH 43119 or by fax: (614) 878-2174).  Deadline is September 20 so that t-shirts can be ordered.
4. Be sure everyone is on board, purchase any supplies needed, and get ready for October 4!
5. On October 4 (or before, if you make arrangements with Laurie), check in at the Cypress Cafe from 9-10:00am to collect your group's t-shirts ($5 each to be paid when picked up - checks payable to Cypress) and to sign the ServeFest liability release form.
6. Head out and SERVE!!!

Project Ideas (these are just a few -- the possibilities are endless)
- Choose particular streets in the Village at Galloway Ridge neighborhood (right across the street from the church) and replace any garage floodlights that may be out -- would require someone to scope out the streets at night-time when the lights are on as they are sensored, would require the purchase of bulbs needed, and could be completed very quickly on the day of the 4th.  Recommended that you leave a printed note on the home-owner's door explaining that the bulbs were replaced as part of ServeFest Columbus, including the web address www.servefestcolumbus.com.

- Contact Faith Mission's volunteer director, Julian Simmons, jsimmons@lssco.org or (614) 224-6617, to see what projects may be completed for their ministry -- painting, repair work, gift-wrapping, sorting donations, etc.

- Adopt a classroom of a local school and find out the needs of the class by conversing with the teacher.  As a group you could help with a class project, purchase needed supplies, make a gift basket for the teacher, or create special "help-packets" for each of the students.

- Identify someone you know who has been ill (battling cancer, had recent surgery, etc.) and discover his/her needs.  Choose to help do yardwork, undertake a home fix-it project, prepare a week's worth of meals, or anything else helpful to the family.

- Call your city offices and ask about people in CODE VIOLATION - find a homeowner who is elderly or needy and may just need assistance.  Mow their grass, paint the porch, haul off trash, or whatever needs to be done to bring them up to code.

- Find a complex of low-income apartments then go door-to-door with items like lightbulbs, toilet paper, smoke alarm batteries, small bags of staple groceries, and offer to bless them.

- Go to an area where a bunch of people hang out (strip mall, local park, etc.) and give away bottles of water, snack bags of M&Ms, or some other treat just to offer them some refreshment.  (If at a mall, make sure to give treats to the store employees as well.) Affix stickers to the items which read, "You have just been served! -- ServeFest Columbus 2008"

- Choose a litter-ridden area of town and attack it with love!  Clean up all the garbage you can find as a favor to those who live there, and to help preserve our ecosystem.

- Go to a local grocery/department store and, for a few hours, help round up carts from the parking lot and push them toward the store entrance.  (Don't push them inside, however, as that would cross the bounds of liability)  If the store is near a housing or apartment complex, go in search of stray carts and return them to the store.

- Throw an early tailgating party for your cul-de-sac or at a local park, giving out free hot dogs and drinks.  Wear your ServeFest t-shirt, but otherwise wear as much Buckeye attire as possible!

- Coordinate a multi-family garage sale and give all proceeds to a local charity or to a family in need.

- Contact a local realtor and find a family who is moving that day.  Show up with packing boxes, tape, newspaper and bubble wrap and offer to lend a hand.
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