project680.org

We were excited to get together with Deirdre Fitzpatrick of KCRA news this morning and film our “sock raiding” party. A group of locals got together to empty the aisle of our local Target. The story will go live in a few weeks, and we’ll post links when it does. Thanks everyone for coming out and thanks Deirdre for your time. Let’s keep moving forward with the sock drive!!!!

See photos from today HERE and follow Deirdre on Twitter at @fitztweeter

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We’ll be collecting NEW “no show” ankle socks for teens and elementary age students. We will be gathering socks from now through May 8, 2010. Why? Because this is a relevant and practical need among homeless students in the FCUSD. Why “no show” ankle socks? Because that’s what the kids like these days.

As a community team, our goal is to collect at least 2000 pairs of socks so that we can build up a reserve to resource local homeless students with socks through the next year (or longer).

You are invited to join forces with the Project 680 team. We encourage local residents, churches, businesses and organizations to get involved – AND to get creative where possible about collecting socks. All ages are encouraged to participate too. If you are interested in donating socks, you are welcome to drop them off at any location listed HERE or bring them on the day of the community bike ride. Financial donations can also be made if you wish (click here for details).

Together we can make a difference!!! We will make a difference!!!

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I’m so glad you asked. We will be riding on paved trails along the American River. The terrain is mostly flat, with a few very small inclines here and there. There are two rides – a short one and a longer one. On May 8, 2010, a group of riders will go from Hagan Park in Rancho Cordova to River Bend Park (formerly Goethe Park – about 20-25 minutes on the bike). This ride is a perfect beginner ride and doable for just about anyone. Riders are encouraged to bring a sack lunch too because there will be a time to rest and enjoy company of others before heading back to Hagan Park. Another group of riders will journey from Hagan Park to Folsom (to Bicycles Plus). This ride is the more experienced ride and will equal about 30 miles round trip.

The American River Trails are an absolutely amazing place to ride a bike. If you have not yet discovered the beauty and wonder of the trails, consider joining us. However, be careful because you might find something you really love!!!

The following was put together by me (Ryan) a year or so ago. Keep in mind these are photos I took of the trails while riding a bike. I thought it would be creative to make a little “video” of images of the parkway. This is what we’re going to be riding on May 8, 2010, and I wanted you to have a good sense in case you’ve never enjoyed the trails before.

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We’re very aware that our community bike ride on May 8, 2010 won’t appeal to everyone. That’s okay because there are so many non-biking ways you can be involved in with the Project 680 Sock Drive. You are absolutely invited to donate socks, be a drop-off location, help out in other specific ways (see HERE), or put some of your creative ideas into effect (we’d love to hear what you come up with).

Here’s the deal on money. If things are so tight for you right now and you really want to come on the bike ride, please don’t even worry about the $5.00 donation we have suggested per rider (or $10.00 per household). This economy is not an easy one, and money should not hold anyone back from participating. Seriously!!!

It’s very powerful when we get together and show our solidarity for a cause, so let’s flex some group muscle and pedal on May 8, 2010 together as a way to adovocate for homeless students in the Folsom Cordova Unified School District.

Together we can do it!!!

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We are very excited to partner with www.BottlecapMagnets.com to offer handmade and original Project 680 bottlecap magnets to the community. We made these caps available previously during our shoe drive and since they were a bit hit, well continue to offer them to the community for our current sock drive. You can get on or before the day of the bike ride on May 8, 2010.

When someone donates $10 for a magnet, 100% of your donation will go toward supporting the needs of the Folsom Cordova District Liaison for Homeless Services. Email or call 916-595-3735 for details.

Bottlecap Magnets are sealed with a clear and smooth surface similar to glass and each is handmade. They are perfect for the fridge, office or even a gift, and theyll be available early next week for as long as supplies last. The great thing too is that a magnet on the fridge or at the office can be a sweet reminder of the good work you did by providing socks for needy students

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Erin Attardi is a local Realtor with Lyon Real Estate and we were elated to read her post on Twitter this morning. Here is what Erin said (along with providing the picture below): “Just raided the sock aisle at Target for @Project680 Sock Drive #RanchoCordova #BikingForSocks”

Thank you Erin for your generosity, and thanks for sharing too. We are excited that homeless students will have new warm socks to put on their feet. Together we can make a difference.

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We are very pleased to announce that Bicycle’s Plus in Folsom will be providing energy bars, cold water and bottles for all riders who make the trek to Folsom with us on the day of our bike ride on May 8, 2010. As we mentioned previously, there will be two separate rides for our community bike ride – a shorter one (20 minutes or so one way) and a longer one (30 miles round trip).

Thank you to Bicycle’s Plus for letting us meet at your shop for a little break before we turn around back to Hagan Park. Thank you for backing up this ride and quickly coming on board to support us like this.

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You may have woken up this morning and thought, “wow, it sure is a beautiful day to download the Project 680 Sock Drive / Bike Ride flier”. But even if you didn’t arise and think such thoughts, we figured it’d be handy to post the flier anyway.

DOWNLOAD an Sock Drive / Bike Ride Flier HERE (pdf)

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I’m not a big fan of bumper stickers. I just don’t believe neat little word compilations stuck to the back of our cars really sum up life or serve as platforms to live by most of the time. However, I’ll admit I’ve been thinking about a little bumper nugget lately.

The statement “If not you, then who?” has been whirling through my mind, and it won’t leave me alone. I’m struck by the responsibility and joy of choosing to be a part of solving problems in the community, and I’m sincerely sobered at the reality that I can impact lives by the choices I make – by simply being available to listen to what is going on around me and then responding in practical ways. On the other hand, it’s sobering to think that nobody can live out a vision for me – that’s up to me. And if I don’t put my hand to the plow, there’s no guarantee that someone else will.

If not me, then who? I guess I don’t want to wait around to see who may or may not pick up the ball for me. There are certain things in life that we just need to do. There is a sense of “right time right place”, and so our busy schedules are pushed to the side or adapted as they need to be, and somehow we find energy and even enthusiasm to help an idea blossom.

I wanted to share this as an encouragemnt to continue to dream big, uncover vision, listen to the needs in our community, and find very practical ways to give feet to the desires that are brewing inside of you. This isn’t even about Project 680 per se, though I see a multitude of locals who are becoming captured by a vision to do something about student homelessness.  This is more about just responding to what you need to respond to and finding ways to actualize your dreams.

If you’ve been flirting with an idea for the community for a while, how about considering what it might look like in coming months to give it a real run for the money. What are your dreams, and how you can begin to carry them out? If not you, then who?

Go for it!!! 

Ryan

p.s. No offense to anyone who loves bumper stickers. More power to you. 

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We are very excited about having two different bike rides on the same day of our community ride. Why are we doing this? We want this event to cater to people who have not ridden in many years (and are able to ride 20 minutes one way, eat a sack lunch, and then ride 20 minutes back), and we also want to attract more avid riders who can knock out 30 miles. Last time we did a community bike ride it was very successful, but we quickly learned that the short ride was way too short – especially for the avid biker crowd.

We will meet at 2197 Chase Drive in Rancho Cordova between 9:30-10:00am on May 8, 2010. We are meeting in the free parking lot next to Cordova High School (you do not have to pay for parking). The short ride will be about 20 minutes or so from Hagan Park to River Bend Park (formerly Goethe Park – just before the big bridge). The longer ride will go from Hagan Park to Bicycle’s Plus in Folsom at 705 Gold Lake Drive Folsom, CA 95630 (this bike shop is roughly 15 miles from Hagan Park and is located immediately off of the bike trail). 

See www.project680.org/biking-for-socks for more information.

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We are looking for about a dozen locations to be a “drop-off” for the Project 680 Sock Drive (“Biking for Socks”). Between now and the end of our sock drive on May 8, 2010 we’d love to see households, businesses and churches serve as locations where people in the community can drop off donations of new socks. If you’re interested, please contact us at 916-595-3735 or on the form below (please include your address).

We are planning to begin posting drop-off locations on our website next week, so let us know soon. Also, we’ve found that the best results usually occur at your location when you let friends, neighbors and co-workers know that you are serving as a drop-off place.

Thank you for your support.

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We are very excited about our upcoming “Biking for Socks” event on May 8, 2010. We are doing a community bike ride in order to accomplish three things: 1) Bring awareness to the problem of student homelessness in the FCUSD; 2) Collect socks for homeless kids in the FCUSD; and 3) Gather up a few bucks to be able to give to the District Liaison for Homeless Services so she can meet the needs of students on an “as needed” basis – meaning that when the neediest of students come to her, she can simply take care of some of the things they need – whether clothing, deodarant, shoes, study materials, etc….

There will be two bike rides – a short 20 minute ride (one way) and then a more experienced 30 mile ride. Anyone can participate. You can sign up below or on Facebook. Beyond the bike ride, there will be other ways to get involved (in case you are not a bike person). We invite you to consider some of the following. Or let us know an idea you have.

• Become a “drop off” location for socks. We’d like to see about a dozen locations in the community where socks can be collected and/or dropped off between now and the bike ride. We’ll keep a list online as volunteers step forward.
• Get a “Bike Team” togther. Maybe you could gather some friends, co-workers or people at your church to come out to the ride. If you are a business, then wear company shirts or get really creative somehow if you’d like.
• Help make signs and set out signage on the day of the bike ride (so that riders know where to stop).
• Work with Starbucks or another local coffee shop to get coffee provided for the morning of the ride. It would be great to have some bagles or OJ too.
• Volunteer at the sign-in table on the morning of the ride.
• Take photos or video on the day of the ride.
• Be a business sponsor.
• Pass on the word about this community emphasis on Facebook, Twitter, Email, YouTube or however you can. The more people that know, the better.
• Help get some media exposure for the event. Got media contacts?
• Other logistics.
• Maybe you have another creative idea or way to advocate for local homeless students. We are open ears and we’d love to see your creativity in motion.

Please comment on this post, email us, sign up on Facebook or fill in the form below to let us know how you’d like to get involved or if you have any questions or ideas. We’ll update the categories above as people volunteer so that you know what is available. Thank you so much.

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