MEAL A MONTH AT TGI FRIDAY'S BENEFITS KEYSTONE
Now you can eat out and make it count by attending one
or more of the Keystone Opportunity Center Meal-a-Month
benefit dinners being hosted at local eateries. The first meal
will be on Tuesday, January 31 at the TGI Friday’s in
Montgomeryville. Take a friend, the family,
co-workers and enjoy a meal for Keystone.
Share this post with others who like to eat! Check out our
Meal-A-Month events page for more info.

This Saturday, December 3, 2011 join Keystone Opportunity
Center family and friends as we welcome in the holiday
season at the Souderton Christmas parade. The grand event
starts at 11:00a.m. and runs along Main Street and East
Broad Street in Souderton.

There will be treats for the tots and fun floats and marching
groups for all ages. Keystone will feature two floats including
several of the creative cardboard structures from our recent
“Sleep Out for Homelessness” night. Hope we’ll see you
along the parade route!

SLEEP OUT FOR HOMELESSNESS DRAWS RECORD CROWD
More than 225 community members gathered for the Keystone Sleep Out for
Homelessness on November 12-13. Braving the raw temperatures at a Main Street
rally and sleeping in cardboard structures, the participants shared their commitment
to helping stop homelessness in Bucks and Montgomery counties.

DONATIONS towards the goal for the Sleep Out are being collected through 
December 1, 2011. Help meet the challenge and provide rent funds for one homeless
family of four served by Keystone for one year.

                  $50 per night

                  $350 per week

                  $1,400 per month

                  $16,800 per year
Donations can be made on line at www.keystoneopportunity.org or mailed to: Keystone Opportunity Center, P.O. Box 64183, Souderton, PA 18964.

Thanks to the many community members who participated in the Sleep Out so others may sleep inside.

Souderton High School students host benefit fashion show for Keystone.
April Woodwards, Alyssa Gooch and Ashley Gooch chose to focus their Senior
Project on benefiting those in need in our local community. They planned an exciting
event to help raise awareness and funds for Keystone Opportunity Center. Thanks
for the great show and to all the models, family members, guests and fashion
consultants who helped make it possible.

 
PENN VIEW CHRISTIAN SCHOOL PARTNERS WITH KEYSTONE FAMILY
LITERACY PROGRAM WITH BOOK DRIVE
Pre-school students at Penn View Christian School collected children’s books as
part of their partnership with the Family Literacy Program at Keystone. Currently
providing classroom instruction for more than 40 families in two community locations,
the program prepares pre-school children for kindergarten while the parents participate
in parenting and literacy skills classes.

Members of the Indian valley Chamber of Commerce Leadership training program
visited Keystone Opportunity Center as part of their community networking.
Executive Director Rich Aichele shared about the organization.

Thanksgiving meal packages were gathered at the Keystone Opportunity Center
warehouse for distribution to community families in need. Thanks to the many
donors who provided meals for over 250 families.

 
One young Keystone Opportunity Center supporter had fun on Halloween with
“reverse trick or treating.” Hannah Woodbury visited neighbors and friends
requesting that they fill her goody bag with canned goods or non-perishables
which she donated to the Food Pantry

Thanks to Hannah and those who helped make her Halloween extra special.

Members of the Souderton American Legion Post 234 Riders hosted a Fall Poker
Run in October to benefit Keystone Opportunity Center families and individuals. The
event raised $700 for Keystone. Brenda Oelschlager accepts the check from the
organization with much appreciation.

Congratulations Christina—for a supper fundraising event to benefit Keystone
Opportunity Center! Christine Harris, a senior at Souderton Area High School,
coordinated a spaghetti dinner as her Senior Project. With the help of her family,
friends and church members at Christ United Church of Christ in Lansdale, she was
able to raise over $1,000 for the mission of Keystone. We think she has a future in
non-profit fundraising—great job and thanks to all your helpers!

Jerusalem Lutheran Church in Sellersville invited Keystone Opportunity Center
to participate in their first Community Awareness fair held on the church
grounds on October 15. The purpose of the event was to help create awareness
of many local community organizations and share ways for community
members to get involved.
Pastor David Heckler of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Applebachsville
was an interested participant.

Advent Lutheran Church in Harleysville turned over proceeds from their first annual
Fall Festival, held on September 24, to Keystone Opportunity Center. Executive
Director Rich Aichele (right) accepts the $2,000 donation from Festival coordinator
Carly Smith and Pastor Stephen Godsall-Myers(left).

Members of the American Legion Riders Chapter 234 based in Souderton participated
in a Poker Run to benefit Keystone Opportunity Center on October 8. thanks to this
group for their support of Keystone!

Zion Mennonite Church in Souderton gave its support to Keystone Opportunity Center
in October by raising funds at the church’s Fall Festival. The community event raised
awareness and funds for several local non-profit organizations. Zion youth also c
ontributed to Keystone as part of their fall “Amazing Race” event held October 16.
Teams of teens and adult drivers had several destinations to reach during the race.
One of them was the Keystone Food Pantry where they had to shelve food items they
had purchased for the pantry. Thanks to Zion for providing fun opportunities for the
community and members to support Keystone’s mission.

Penn View Christian School pre-school classes are gathering books to share with
Keystone Opportunity Center’s Family Literacy pre-school classes during the month
of October. Janet McBride, Keystone’s Family Literacy Case Manager shared a
story with the Penn View children as she encouraged the students to think about
sharing their favorite story books with children who might not have many books at home.

Look who’s playing Puttle with Keystone Opportunity Center Executive Director Rich
Aichele! The Hatfield Quality Meats “Smilin’ Porker” joined in the fun at the annual Indian
Valley Chamber of Commerce Expo on October 6 where Keystone was promoting its
annual Puttle Tournament which will take place on October 20, 6:00-8:00p.m. at the
Indian Valley Country Club.

Sue Zomberg, the Interfaith Hospitality Network Director at Keystone Opportunity
Center, hosted an information workshop for community volunteers and congregations
in the Bucks and Montgomery county area. Attendees learned about the homeless
shelter program which partners congregations with Keystone to provide meals and
overnight facilities for individuals and families in need of temporary housing.