BBN Teams spring into action

Foundation Beyond Belief’s Beyond Belief Network is a network of secular humanist groups volunteering in their communities and raising money for FBB’s featured charities and programs. Any group with a public secular humanist or atheist identity is welcome to join, regardless of experience or group size.

Members of Upstate Atheists participated in an Adopt a Highway cleanup in Greenville, SC. They removed trash and debris from the adopted stretch of highway from Roper Mountain Rd. to Laurens Rd.

Humanists of Houston, based in Houston, TX, recently participated in The Race Against Violence. The Race Against Violence is an annual fundraiser benefiting the Houston Area Women's Center, whose mission is to end domestic and sexual violence. This is the third year that Humanists of Houston has organized a team of runners and walkers to participate. So far, they've raised $1,260.

Lehigh Valley Humanists adopted an apartment at the 6th Street Shelter in Allentown, PA. The shelter temporarily houses working families until they find permanent housing. At the team’s General Meeting, members donated household goods and funds. They also cleaned and stocked the apartment. Their picture of this event is BBN’s March Picture of the Month!

Fellowship of Freethought Dallas (FFD) donated items for Easter Baskets to the Community Partners of Dallas. The baskets will be given to children in the CPS system by caseworkers. Last month, Fellowship of Freethought Dallas (FFD) prepared their monthly meal for the Supper Club program of AIDS Services of Dallas. AIDS Services of Dallas is a 501(c)3 organization that provides medically supportive housing to low-income persons living with HIV/AIDS. The Supper Club program provides residents with a hot, nutritious, home-cooked meal every night. For this meal, FFD fixed food with a Cajun theme for a belated Mardi Gras. In another recent service event, Carter Blood Care (CBC) was desperately seeking donors. FFD hosted a blood drive at their monthly gathering even though they'd only received CBC's request two weeks ago. They had sixteen donations.

Our March Team of the Month has been busy! Ten members of Minnesota Atheists spent two hours repackaging 840 pounds of lentils, enough to feed 1,680 people at The Food Group. The Food Group is a secular, non-profit organization serving the changing hunger needs in Minneapolis, MN. Minnesota Atheists also purchased ingredients and prepared a healthy meal for thirty-nine homeless people at The Family Place, a homeless shelter in St. Paul, MN. Last month, eight members of the team participated in the Polar Plunge where they jumped into a freezing lake. They raised over $1600 for Special Olympics Minnesota. They’re currently a Level One team.

One of the organizations that Pikes Peak Atheists & Pikes Peak Atheist Families supports is Black Forest Animal Sanctuary in Colorado Springs, CO. Last month, the team hosted a fundraiser at a local painting studio. Attendees could paint a picture of their own pet, and the proceeds from the $55 fee went to the sanctuary. In addition to this, members contributed items to create two gift baskets for an upcoming benefit for Black Forest Animal Sanctuary. The baskets will be used in the silent auction. The two themed baskets, "A Romantic Dinner In" and "Family Movie Night," sound like sure winners!

Kol Hadash Humanistic Congregation Community Service Committee in Lincolnshire, IL collected five bags of food for a local food pantry in February. This month, they've collected ten bags!

Four Central Ohio United Non-Theist (COUNT) volunteers worked as servers twice this month at the Community Shelter Board (CSB) facility in Columbus, Ohio. CSB provides housing and meals to homeless families and individual men and women in Central Ohio. Some volunteers assembled hundreds of sack lunches for distribution while others served dinners and cleaned tables. COUNT has now had four events with the CSB; they are planning 1-2 such events each month. COUNT is currently a Level One team.

Austin Atheists Helping the Homeless (ATXAHH) have hit BBN Level 2! Between February 16 and March 22, Austin Atheists Helping the Homeless collected more than 1,600 items for people who are homeless. Items included basic living supplies like toiletries, books, bags, snacks, clothing and reading materials. Members of the team's Gettin' Knotty Knitting Guild also donated 39 handmade washcloths to the March giveaway. On March 22, 28 volunteers gathered in Downtown Austin to distribute those items. One hundred forty-three people were served in one hour. In February, ATXAHH co-tabled with Foundation Beyond Belief at the Texas Secular Convention in Austin, TX. The convention team named ATXAHH its Charity of Choice and a collection bin was placed in the book room so people could donate their unused hotel toiletries. Volunteers staffed the table, distributed informational material and spoke with more than 100 people about ATXAHH and FBB's programs.

If you are a member of a secular humanist or atheist group and would like to participate in community service projects under the national umbrella of Foundation Beyond Belief, join Beyond Belief Network. We welcome all atheist groups interested in service, from groups with extensive volunteer experience to newly formed groups new to secular service. By aggregating our efforts, we demonstrate that all we really need is charity and goodness to make the world a better place.