For The Lou | The Crossing

Serve like Jesus. Know your neighbor. Cross the divide. Commit. This is what it means to be ForTheLou.

Want to do that alongside others from The Crossing? Great! Want to do it on your own time? Awesome! Looking to serve in a specific way or at a special place? Super!

No matter what you are looking for, we are happy to help you find your way to commit to being ForTheLou throughout the year. Explore ideas below. Join in or be inspired to DIY! As you do so, we encourage you to think critically about the information being presented on external websites and through other resources below.

Be sure to check back in as new opportunities will be added! Don’t miss the week of April 29th as we dive in deeper to what it means to show the region that Jesus loves them and is FOR them. Let’s be ForTheLou!

Prefer to see a calendar of scheduled opportunities where you can jump in with other Crossing folks? CLICK HERE.

Feed the Lou

On May 2, purchase and make meals at Time For Dinner for A Seat at the Table and other North County families.

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Help Organize a Garage!

On April 29th, help sort, purge, and organize the Boys Hope Girls Hope garage to give staff and scholars a system they can maintain.

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Mid Rivers: Tie Blankets

Join friends at our Mid Rivers campus to make fleece blankets for the Crisis Nursery.

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Operation Care Packages

Donate treats and write an encouraging note for service workers in the Fenton area. Click the link below for more information and a shopping list.

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Pray For The Lou Prayer Walk

Join a prayer walk in St. Louis city with Pray for the Lou on Saturday May 4th.

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Star Wars Social Club

TASK is looking for adult volunteers who can help with their Star Wars themed Social Club on Friday, May 3rd. All participants must be 18+.

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Update a space at The Crisis Nursery

Join us as we update the Therapy Room at The Crisis Nursery. We will have two teams one on May 8th that preps the space and one on May 9th that paints and puts together shelving.

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101 Ways to be a Good Neighbor

Check out this list of 101 ways to be a good neighbor in your own neighborhood!

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Architectural Downtown Walking Tour

See St. Louis through architectural eyes alongside Crossing folks then enjoy lunch together. Saturday, May 4th.

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Assemble Teacher Appreciation Baskets

Encourage school staff at The Freedom School by assembling appreciation gift baskets in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week.

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Become a Reading Champion

Join the team! Encourage students at one of our partner elementary schools by showing up weekly to teach simple reading skills during the 24-25 school year. Must be 18+. No experience necessary!

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Boys Hope Girls Hope

Boys Hope Girls Hope has many serving opportunities including: providing dinner for the scholars, academic mentors, college care packages, carpool drivers, and interior and exterior house projects to name a few!

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Bridge Bread Bakery

Contribute to the work Bridge Bread is doing to support our neighbors experiencing homelessness. Purchase a treat or volunteer your time in this historical Cherokee Street bakery!

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Build an Enclosure

Handy people needed! Build an enclosure for two garbage bins at Crisis Nursery. Email Outreach if you're interested!

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Build Barn Doors

Build 2 barn door style closet doors on your own time and deliver them to Crisis Nursery for their bathroom renovation. Must be done by May 8th. Email Outreach for plans and materials.

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Build Shelves

Use your handy skills to build shelves for our partner, The Sharing Shed. Contact Outreach by clicking below to work out the details.

Contact Outreach

Civil Rights Virtual Exhibit

St. Louis has played a significant role in our country's civil rights movement. Take a virtual tour of one of the most popular exhibits at the Missouri History Museum and learn all about it. Link available when you click I'm in.

I'm In!

COMMIT

Don't forget that being ForTheLou is a heart posture for everyday life. Commit to going out of your way to encourage your neighbors and make an effort to find a way to serve regularly. If you need help finding a place to plug in, contact Outreach at the link below.

Contact Outreach

Crisis Nusery

Play with kids, clean, and organize at Crisis Nursery during our regular serve days. NOTE: 14+ age requirement

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Curb Appeal for Crisis Nursery

Spruce up the property around Crisis Nursery by removing a bush next to the parking lot, hauling away branches and painting the trim around the office doors. Email Outreach for more information.

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Deliver Groceries to R3 Development

This summer we will be delivering groceries on a weekly basis to help feed the hungry young R3 interns and we need your help!

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Detail Delivery Vans

Our friends at The Sharing Shed deliver much needed furniture to homes in St. Charles County. Their delivery vans need a detailed cleaning. Contact Outreach by clicking below to jump in!

Contact Outreach

DIY Meal Kit

Donate non-perishable items that, together, make a whole meal for families at The Care Service. Instructions and additional details available via link when you click I'm in.

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Drive Through Food Drive

Help The Care Service fill their shelves with high need food items during a drive through drop-off food drive Friday and Saturday June 7th and 8th.

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Explore A Different Campus

Try a different campus than the one you regularly attend services at and maybe even stop in a local restaurant while you are there.

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Explore a Farmer's Market in Another Area

Venture out and visit a farmer's market in a different area of town. Each farmer's market pulls from a unique pool of vendors and artisans. So try something new!

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Food Drive for Circle of Concern

Sort and box food from the Postal Carrier's Stamp Out Hunger food drive. Volunteers must be 14 or older.

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Good Neighbor Initiative

Good Neighbor Initiative Details: Commit for one year to befriend a refugee family

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Grant's Trail Area BINGO

Let's play a little BINGO to help us understand what it looks like to Commit to being ForTheLou in our own lives!.

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Gratitude House Yard Cleanup

Help us serve the Gratitude House by assisting with yard clean up and planting on May 25th.

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Harvesting Trinity Garden

Over the summer, as Trinity Garden grows, they'd love help harvesting the vegetables and delivering them to local pantries. Contact Sarah Horning by clicking below to see how you can help.

Contact Sarah

Helping Hand Me Downs

Sort clothing and deliver donations during our regular monthly serve days.

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Jump-in Later

Not able to serve right now, but want to join in? Unsure of where to start? Fill out the form and an Outreach staff member will connect with you.

Jump-In Later!

Meal Kits for Circle of Concern

Grab your family and friends to purchase supplies, make a meal kit, and deliver to Circle of Concern. Get meal kit and delivery info when you click I'm in.

I'm In!

National School Lunch Hero Day

May 3 is National School Lunch Hero Day. Help us celebrate this hashtag holiday by being a school lunch hero yourself. Simply reach out to your local school district's child nutrition department.

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Oasis Baby Showers

Oasis International welcomes refugees to St. Louis with the goal of making them feel loved and at home. One way they do this is by showering moms-to-be! Grab a group of friends and help a refugee mom get prepared for her little bundle. Reach out to Leslie at Oasis for more information:

Contact Leslie

Oasis International

Serve our refugee neighbors through our regular Oasis Serve Days.

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Operation Food Search

Grab a friend and pick a shift to sort and organize food donations that serve local pantries, schools, and more.

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Outfit Kits

Make an Outfit Kit for kids at the St. Charles Crisis Nursery. See additional details when you click I'm in.

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Outreach Partner Needs Portal

A place where you can peruse and purchase items that will meet ongoing needs of our Outreach partners.

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Pack the Pool

Swim at Wappelhorst Aquatic Facility on June 7th and support our friends at The Care Service. Tickets required.

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Parking Lot and Park Refresh

Come serve our friends at Oasis International as we spruce up the parking lot and a nearby park.

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Parkway Pantry

Serve with Parkway Pantry at our regular monthly distribution serve days. NOTE: must be 14+

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Pedal the Cause

Volunteer or join in the challenge to raise funds for cancer research with Pedal the Cause on September 21st and 22nd.

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Place Flags at Jefferson Barracks

Honor Veterans by placing flags by the headstones at Jefferson Barracks Cemetary on May 26th.

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Play with Dogs

Dirk's Fund is looking for volunteers that can play with dogs one on one. NOTE: participants must be 18+.

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R3 Development

Rehab buildings in East St. Louis with R3 Development during our monthly serve days. NOTE: must be 15+.

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Race for Reconciliation 5K

Volunteer or race to support racial unity in St. Louis.

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Renovate a Bathroom at Crisis Nursery

Renovate the bathroom at Crisis Nursery by building a new shelving unit, hanging barn doors, wallpaper, and installing a new sink. Ages 16+.

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Restore St. Charles

Restore and repair homes in St. Charles County at our monthly serve days. NOTE: must be 16+.

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Serve with R3 at the House of Miles

On May 11, R3 Development is taking their Second Saturday serve day to the historical home of Miles Davis in East St. Louis. Work together on small construction projects around the home. All skill levels needed! Ages 15+.

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St. Louis Area Food Bank

The St. Louis Area Food Bank has opportunities to serve at the Repackaging Center or at Food Distributions that occur in 26 counties in the bi-state region. Want to serve from home? They even have an opportunity to write notes that go to seniors who receive meals.

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Support Parkway Pantry at NASCAR Race

Support Parkway Pantry and run the snack carts at the World Wide Technology Raceway during the NASCAR Cup Series on June 1-2. Volunteers must be 16 and older.

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Team Activities for Special Kids

See how you can befriend special kids and have a lot of fun with TASK. Be a buddy during a social club or one of the amazing day camps they have this summer. Volunteers must be 14+.

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The Care Service

Sort food with a team at The Care Service during our regular serve days.

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The Freedom School

Tutor or read to students, be a lunch room monitor, and more options to serve with The Freedom School. If you volunteer, let them know that you heard about the opportunity from The Crossing.

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The Sharing Shed

Shop with clients or clean and organize donations at our monthly serve days.

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The Ville Workday

Clean, organize, or work on projects in The Ville neighborhood during our monthly Serve Days.

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Trinity Garden Spring Clean-Up

Prep garden beds, plant flowers and vegetables, build brick path, and lay mulch.

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Two Friends and a Truck

We need two strong friends and a truck to help remove a picnic table from Crisis Nursery and drop off patio furniture. If you would like to serve in this way, contact Outreach by clicking below to work out the details.

Contact Outreach

Veterans Community Project

From organizing to construction, serve veterans by jumping in with Veteran’s Community Project.

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Vision Film Premiere

Created and filmed in St. Louis, Vision is a short film about a 17-year-old who receives a pair of sunglasses that empowers him to see the potential in the city around him. May 18 attend a screening, art installation, and discussion encouraging us to see and work toward the good of the city.

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Visit Locally Owned Restaurants

Expand your palate and enjoy new foods from locally owned restaurants.

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Visit the Blues Museum

Learn about the rich musical history of St Louis through interactive exhibits and artifacts at the National Blues Museum on Washington Avenue.

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Visit the MO Civil War Museum

Learn about our unique roll in history as the Missouri Civil War Museum brings local stories to life from the Missouri Compromise and the Dred Scott decision to over 1,000 battles fought in our state.

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Visit the Museum at The Arch

Set aside an hour or more to browse the free world-class museum at The Gateway Arch National Park. Click I'm in for additional details.

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Volunteer at a Drive Through Food Drive

The Care Service, one of our partner organizations near our Mid Rivers campus, is looking for volunteers to assist with a drive through food drive on June 7th and 8th.

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YouthCrossing Serve Days at TASK

YC students and parents are invited to join us at TASK, a nonprofit for students with diverse abilities in Fenton. During these serve days we will help students participate in special activities.

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