AOK Friends. Feed the homeless. Make New Friends.

Hello Volunteers!

Come on out this Sunday to help serve food for the homeless in Seattle. Cleanup help is also needed and appreciated after the serve.

If you'd like to donate some food/drinks (main dish, side dish, fresh fruits, granola bars, bottles of water, etc.), socks, gloves, shoes, gently used coats, jeans, t-shirts, sweatshirts with hoods, fleece, backpacks, sport bags, or blankets, please bring them to the site. Most desired sizes are L, XL, and XXL.

Where: Serving from 1 PM – 2 PM @ the Outdoor Meal Site (6th Ave & Columbia St). Coming 5 min earlier or at 1pm is best. Sometimes serve ends before the hour.

From I-405 N or S, to 520 West (toll-bridge), I-5 South, exit 165A James, stay on left side, take the first driveway on your left (before the signal light) and park facing the fence.

From I-90 West, to I-5 North, exit on James St. Turn left on James St, turn right on 4th Ave, continue about 3 blocks, turn right on Marion St. Turn right on 6th Ave and quickly move to the left to turn left to park facing the fence.

Serve site is under the freeway and free parking when facing the fence (designated for volunteers). Please check google map or other online maps if you are coming from other directions.

Seattle Times article - Response

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/local... (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2013606099_aok06m.html)

On December 5, 2010, the Seattle Times published an article about AOK Friends. Since that article, we have received over $4,000 in donations! One very generous donor, broke the record of highest donation by a single donor by donating $2,000 via Paypal! It's great to have such a influx in money, but what's really important is the spirit behind the giving. It really says something about the people in our community, people that we don't even know and don't even think to acknowledge in passing. This spirit of giving and these acts of friendship between one another, whether we know each other or not, is what we as AOK Friends are out to create in the world as a community. Thank you for being that for others.

How you can help:
It's great to know that so many people have the spirit of friendship and giving, and let's support one another in expressing that in our own unique ways. For some, coming out to cook and/or give out food is their way of expressing acts of kindness. For others, it's donating money or food. There are infinite ways to express an act of kindness, and you really are the source of that. Every time you come and hand out food or have a conversation with another person, you really are taking the spirit of AOK Friends and creating it in reality as your own.

Here are a few ideas of how you can express yourself as the spirit of friendship:

Assist at the serve.
Donate money - Donations can be made through check, cash, or Paypal!

Donate clothing, backpacks, socks, shoes, blankets, jeans, gloves, coats, toiletries, etc.

Join www.buynothingproject.org in your area and request donations to help the homeless survive the cold winter.

Purchase .99 cents clothing at Value Village on Mondays to donate on Sundays.

Pick up donations from freecycle.org neighbors by posting a request for items to help the homeless survive the cold winter.

For Paypal donations, just go to http://www.paypal.com and click "Send Money" and enter aokcommandcenter@gmail.com in the recipient box.

For check (to AOK Friends) can send in the mail to:
AOK Friends
2918 150th Ln. SE
Mill Creek, WA 98012

Getting involved with creating and holding fundraisers.
Creating a more lively, warm atmosphere at the serve site. This can include recruiting musicians to perform at serves, providing decorations for the Meal Site, or anything else you see would create a more friendly environment.

Hold Creation Meetings where you get together with others devoted to creating friendship in the world and present and develop ideas you have.

Anything you come up with, we invite you to share with others. It's by your letting others know your ideas and who you are about them that they are able to contribute and bring ideas to reality.

Thank you for volunteering and making a difference in our community!

***Please note that every 3rd Sunday of the month, serve starts one hour earlier, so serving starts at 12 PM, and on the other Sundays at 1PM. Thanks!