• Restocking the Sharehouse
• Project Achievement
• Cooking With CALC
• Grand Summer Raffle
• Program Spotlight: Maternal Health Education Program
• Mentorship Opportunity

• Volunteers Needed for World Refugee Day
• Sharehouse Basic Needs Center Wishlist
• Save the Dates for UCFS' Oktoberfest and Christmas in Whoville

We have been sharing more than ever from our Sharehouse Basic Needs Center. Last year, we distributed 32,694 items to our neighbors in need. Not even halfway through 2023, UCFS has already distributed 15,518 items to our Clients at no cost to them.

With all of this sharing, we need your help to restock our shelves in the Sharehouse! We would greatly appreciate if you would purchase from our Sharehouse Wishlist at the button below to ship directly to us.

We also accept gently used items such as:

• Furniture (We'll pick it up!)
• Clothing for all ages, of all sizes
• Kitchenware
• Dishes and Utensils
• Home Decor

UCFS' Sharehouse does so much more than provide basic needs; together, we are helping people rebuild their lives and supporting them in reaching their goals with dignity and hope.

Our annual Slime Night with our Project Achievement students was a success!

Making slime is not only incredibly fun and a PA student favorite; it teaches our students basic chemistry concepts and allows them to get creative!

We’d like to give a huge shout-out and our sincerest thanks to the moms of St. Regis School for their CALC Kids Membership that sponsored this week’s PA activities.

The Project Achievement program is almost over for the year, but we do still have 2 weeks left! If you’d like to sponsor a week of Project Achievement or Summer Youth Sports coming up soon, click here to become a CALC Kids Member or give Arjan a call at (248) 528-0262.

On Tuesday, the Cooking With CALC participants discussed the benefits of planning meals and then shopping with a list based on that plan. Ingredients left over from one recipe can then be used for another to save money and reduce food waste.

Our Nutrition Educator and Director of Program Operations, Arjan, worked with participants to learn how to read unit pricing on a label to help our Cooking With CALC students get the most bang for their buck when grocery shopping.

Arjan and our Cooking With CALC participants then made a mock grocery run through UCFS' Sharehouse Food Pantry using a list they created together and practicing reading the nutrition labels and unit pricing.

As always, our Clients got to taste test this week's recipe for lentil soup and then take a copy home to try with their families.

For more information, visit our website.

UCFS' Maternal Health Education Program (MHEP) serves hopeful, expecting, and new mothers every year, providing the tools and knowledge they need for healthy pregnancies, births, and early development of their children. In partnership with medical professionals, mothers receive information on the topics of preparing one’s body for conception, prenatal nutrition, labor and delivery, post-partum nutrition, breastfeeding and lactation, toddler nutrition, childhood development and milestones, and more.

The program is delivered through regular interactive workshops that are culturally competent and given in the mothers' primary language, and childcare is provided as we strive to alleviate as many barriers for our Clients as possible. At the end of the program, is our favorite part - the group baby shower! At the baby shower, we have refreshments, raffle prizes, and games, and moms receive a stroller or car seat, diapers, wipes, formula, and other baby essentials.

In 2022, we worked with 84 mothers to empower them to have healthier pregnancies and families. At the end of the program, many of the mothers told us that they appreciate the support system they found, meeting with other mothers in the program. Pregnancy, birth, newborn, and toddler stage can be an overwhelming time, especially for new mothers. Participants reported that relationships formed in the program combined with the information provided during the classes helped ease their feelings of anxiety and make them more confident in themselves as mothers.

This year, at the request of the mothers, we will be adding condensed Lamaze classes, CPR certification, and sleep training, and we can't wait for another great program year!

The Women's Business Institute has a Mentor available who want to support a mentee looking to transition into a corporate environment. The Mentor currently works with the Government as an IT Technical Writer and has also worked in the healthcare industry and in banking. The mentee does NOT need to work or be seeking to work in IT as this WBI Mentor can speak to various positions and certifications.

If you are looking for a Mentor or would like to learn more about this opportunity, please reach out to WBI today at  info@wbi-usa.org

Volunteers Needed for Project Achievement

We are in need of volunteers to help with our tutoring program on Tuesday nights.

If you would like to volunteer, please contact

Arjan Kallou

(248) 528-0262 or akallou@ucfamilyservices.org

We are always accepting new volunteers for our Food Pantry, especially on Thursdays! Please dress in warm, comfy clothing and simply show up on any of the dates above; no need to sign up or call ahead. We will have you fill out a quick form, and get you started serving your community! Our office is located at 2033 Austin Drive in Troy.

Make a donation to a program of your choice or a general donation to be used where it's needed most. Our community's trust in us and our mission make it possible for UCFS-CALC being able to continue to serve our neighbors in need with dignity and hope.

While we do accept gently used items in our Sharehouse, we provide our Clients with brand-new items as well. We do this for many reasons, such as the longevity of the item or for hygiene purposes, but most importantly because our Clients deserve a dignified experience.

You can help us do this by purchasing new items from our Wishlist below where they'll ship directly to us.

1. Create a digital account

2. Link your Card to UCFS-CALC

Search for "Chaldean American Ladies of Charity"

3. Your Kroger purchases support UCFS-CALC

Become a 2023 UCFS-CALC Member

for early access to tickets for this sell-out event!