May Team of Month: Freethought Dayton

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TOM-mayCongratulations to Beyond Belief Network’s May Team of the Month: Freethought Dayton!  Based in Dayton, Ohio, they are one of the first teams to reach Level Two in 2014. Freethought Dayton was chosen for this honor because of their regularly scheduled service events and their commitment towards the improvement of their community.

Among their service events, members of Freethought Dayton volunteer weekly at the Foodbank, an organization committed to relieving hunger through the acquisition and distribution of food to hungry people throughout the Miami Valley. Although their work varies, it is mostly comprised of sorting and repacking food donated by local grocery stores. They also assemble and pack “weekend backpacks,” which contain a supply of nutritious food for food-insecure children to take home from school over the weekend. Freethought Dayton even participated in a family volunteer event at the location. Members and their families used art supplies to create encouraging notes to children receiving Good-to-Go Backpacks which were filled with healthy snacks to give low-income kids extra nourishment over the weekend.

Every eight weeks, members of Freethought Dayton donate at Community Blood Center, which serves hospitals throughout the region. During Week of Action, Freethought Dayton created a special edition of their regular blood donation. Members performed specialized donations which included donating platelets, red blood cells, and double red blood cells.

Freethought Dayton also adopted the intersection of I-675 and SR 48. The weather was beautiful, and one of their members purchased several trash pick-up tools that he shared with the group to make the cleanup easier. Another member brought his amber lights for the vehicle roofs as a safety measure. They collected over 20 bags of trash.

Even with an active service schedule, Freethought Dayton members also managed to raise $3,239.95 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, which surpassed their original goal of $2,500. We at Beyond Belief Network wish Freethought Dayton continued success with their service events.

Team of the Month recognition is a benefit provided by Foundation Beyond Belief to our Beyond Belief Network teams. In order to be considered, your group must be a Level One Beyond Belief Network team and you must submit at least one event report during the month. Team of the Month selection is based on the number, length, variety, and documentation (e.g., submitted pictures, blog posts, videos, etc.) of events.

Teams can only be Team of the Month once per calendar year. If your local group does great service work, but isn’t a member of BBN, you can join anytime! In addition to recognition, your team can qualify for free t-shirts and grants. If your local humanist group doesn’t volunteer, but you’d like to start, we’d love to help! For teams new to secular service, we offer tons of ideas, event guides, and advice.