Miscellaneous

Steaks and Salmon for Firefighters
Since 9/11 the general public has been aware of the tremendous job that they do for us day in and day out. Show them a little kindness by providing some steaks or salmon to grill. Let them know in advance that you are coming so they can have the grill fired up. Firemen are a great group to serve – they talk in the community.

Gasoline for Your Neighbor
How many people do you see buying less than a tank of gas when you fill ‘er up? I see that happening all the time. They can’t afford a tank of gas at today’s prices. Add $5.00 to their total and blow their minds. Of course, add in a connection card.

Cleaning Up at Food Courts
If you can get your foot in the door at your local mall like we have in Cincinnati (it took a couple of years of courting – sorry for the pun) ask if you can do clean up on the mess that people leave behind after their meal. We also distribute handy-wipes with our logo imprinted on them. With that we give out a connection card.

Toilet Seat Covers
At public events where there are only portapotties women especially appreciate a toilet seat cover. Buy them in bulk and folk them up into smaller sizes for distribution along with a connection card.

Hand Out Coffee Packets for Time Change Weekend or Anytime!
Wake Up and Smell the Pura Vida Coffee! A church in Grand Rapids, Michigan had a great idea-give out pre-packaged coffee grounds to help people get through the time change weekend. They contacted Pura Vida Coffee for individual coffee packets that any church can order for give-away in your community.

Pura Vida Coffee 2 oz. coffee packet give-aways
The bags come in quantities of 21 per box, and each bag makes 1 12-cup pot of coffee. If you want to add your own custom labels, Avery Diskette Labels are 2 3/4 square and should work well (Avery Product #08196) For coffee pricing and blend availability, contact Paul at paul@puravidacoffee.com, or visit the web site at www.puravidacoffee.com.

Great Coffee, Great Cause
We love the heart of this coffee company/ministry: Pura Vida Coffee’s mission is radical- to combine the efforts of business and philanthropy to help the lives of at-risk children. 100% of their net profits benefit at-risk children in coffee-growing regions of the world. Many churches brew this great coffee for their weekend attendees.

Be Creative!
These ideas are just the beginning of the many ways you can serve people in your community. Find a practical way to serve people and just do it!

Birthday Party Organizing
Advertise on an apartment or community center bulletin board for free party organizing.

Pay Library Fines
Leave $20.00 for next person who has fines. Leave card in envelope for person to see why fine was paid.

Winter Survival Kit
In a zip lock bag, put everything someone would need to get through a day of adverse winter weather: tissues, cough drops, lip balm, and coins to make a pay phone call.

Suntan Lotion
Suntan lotion representatives talk to a thousand people a day using their product. We can do better. We bring along large bottles of cream and spray on lotions of various SPF ratings and offer to give people some.

Surf Wax
Who says non-surfers can't relate to beach people? Buy the current popular brand of wax and hit the beach, dude! It's a definite door, or rather, board opener.

Summer Survival Kit
Similar to the winter kit, but with lip balm, small disposable pack of suntan lotion, and a package of moist towelettes.

"Biggie Size" Food Orders in Fast Food Drive-Thru Lanes
Set up near the drive-thru order station. As customers drive up, offer to pay the difference between their order and the "Biggie" size – which is usually $0.39. Your offer will get the entire restaurant talking.

Blood Pressure Screening
The entryway of your apartment building is an ideal place for this outreach. Such screenings are common these days, so your request won't sound odd. While checking out their pressure, explain your reason for being there that day.

Mother’s Day Carnation Giveaways
Carnations are affordable, and everyone likes them. This project could be done anytime, but Mother’s Day is a particularly good excuse. Give these flowers to all women to honor them, instead of asking if a woman is a mother. This day can be powerful for some who wish to be mothers - but are not.

Car Drying at Self-Serve Car Washes
As cars come out, have your small group offer to dry them.

Grocery Store Bag Packing
Increasing numbers of grocery stores offer rock bottom prices. One of the ways they can afford this is by cutting out services such as bag packing. Each customer must pack their own. We have our own aprons with our logo on the front. The first time we volunteered to do this, the manager was skeptical; but that feeling quickly melted. I've gotten reports from all over the US that this project is very effective. To top it off, this is honest work. After all, it's how David Letterman got his start.

Free Bird Feeders and Refills to Convalescent Home Residents
Most outreaches to those in convalescent homes will touch their extended family as well. Provide an acrylic bird feeder – the kind with suction cups that stick right to the window. Return occasionally to refill the bird feed and check in on your adopted elderly friend.

Christmas Tree Giveaways
A few days before Christmas, lot owners are willing to give the trees away. With pickup trucks, deliver them to financially-stretched single parent families.

Christmas Tree Collection
Everyone needs to get rid of his or her tree. A few days after Christmas, offer to haul them away for the neighborhood.

Bait at Local Fishing Spots
This brings new meaning to the verse from Psalm 51, "I am a worm and not a man." Those who fish with live bait need worms, grubs, goldfish, minnows, or whatever. Purchase these critters in large quantities from a bait shop, go to the lakes, and give them away.

Coffee at Bus or Subway Stops
One group in California does this weekly. They bring coffee and donuts to bus stops and offer it to passengers. Sometimes they actually get on the bus and, if they have a sympathetic driver, give their goods out to about everyone on board with a connection card.

Pay Laundromat Washer and Dryer
Bring a roll or two of quarters and dimes. As patrons enter ask them if they'd like hot or cold wash. You can also provide detergent. Note: This is a project that works best for women. It's a bit odd for men to reach out to women in this setting.

Memorial Service for the Unchurched
We have begun to do gratis memorial services for the families of unchurched who come to us. As you reach out to the community, you will increasingly find that those you serve will consider you their church even though they are hardly connected with you.

Carnations to Cemetery Visitors
Carnations are affordable, and everyone likes them. This project could be done anytime.

Easter Baskets
We give candy along with a cassette tape about Easter for children. We also include a connection card designed to explain our project to parents.

Pizza on Moving Day at Apartments
Coordinate a discount with a pizza restaurant for a volume discount. The pizza vendor may be willing to give you the pizza in return for a pizza endorsement.

Move in Welcoming Party
By referral find out about new families moving in. Greet with cookies or even a home cooked meal.

Lawn Mower Tune-up
With a few spark plugs, some WD 40, and elbow grease, you can do minor tune-ups on mowers.

Time Change Reminder Flyer
Simply distributing a nicely done flyer the first weekend of October and April will be impressive to your neighbors.

Cocoons on Good Friday
From the beginning of church history, the butterfly has been a symbol of the resurrection of Christ. Death, change, life are all found in the cocoon. We found a source for butterfly cocoons. It is possible to purchase cocoons that can be timed to hatch on a given day — within a day or so anyway. One Easter we distributed several thousand of these with a special connection card. We gave them out on Good Friday, and they hatched on Easter Sunday. This project is best designed for churches in mild climates.

Church Match Books
Christian matches? Why not. Our logo is on the front. Inside is a map to our location, our service times, and phone number. We have given away several hundred thousand of these over the past few years. We distribute these at restaurants, gas stations – even bars. Some have asked, "Aren't you endorsing smoking by giving away match books?" No, we're just showing them that God loves smokers!

Scotch Tape at Christmas
Who doesn't need scotch tape at Christmas? This has been one of our most popular giveaways - it definitely is a practical way to show God's love.