Community Groups: Let’s Work Together

Community groups and schools support PACEM with collection drives for needed shelter items such as twin sheets, blankets, ear plugs, socks, and cough drops. Community groups often serve a dinner over the holidays.

Alpha Phi Omega (APO), co-ed service fraternity at UVA, regularly assists our host congregations in setting up and breaking down the sites. They are also preparing and serving meals for our guests this season.

Charlottesville Catholic School and Covenant School students have regularly conducted collection drives and scheduled time for a class to lend support to projects during the school day.  Students have helped with sorting and folding shelter laundry, packaging personal hygiene items, and labeling newsletters. Three seasons ago, the CCC issued a snow angel challenge to help raise funds for PACEM.

Tandem Friends School participated many winters with their gym serving as a men’s shelter site.  This was a student service project which involved many students and families.  Serving as a shelter site builds a greater understanding of what it means to serve your community and builds compassion for our vulnerable neighbors.

Area restaurants and businesses have always contributed. Laura Fonner, the executive chef at Duner’s Restaurant, has provided dinner to our shelters almost every Tuesday for the past two seasons. Her efforts have also included such restaurants as The Pie Chest and Vivace, among others. Whitney Matthews, the chef & owner of the SpiceSea Gourmet Food Truck, has helped prepare and serve many of the meals.

For other ways you can support PACEM, click on Support PACEM or contact our Executive Director at volunteer@pacemshelter.org or 434-973-1234 ex. 104, and let us know how you’d like to help.