Mike McOrmond, Executive Director of Flower City Outreach, shares the remarkable four decade story of a mission rooted in faith, neighbor love and the belief that serving your community is serving God. Flower City Outreach is a Christ centered nonprofit that exists to mobilize the Church into service that the city might see Jesus. Learn more at flowercityoutreach.org.

Discover how Flower City Work Camp at flowercityworkcamp.org has been the flagship ministry for 40 years, sending hundreds of youth and adults into Rochester every spring break. Worksites put volunteers to work repairing the homes of neighbors in need. Sidewalk clubs bring crafts, games and Bible stories to kids in city neighborhoods Tuesday through Thursday each week. Agency sites send teams to support other Rochester nonprofits doing vital work across the city. And three sports camps, including basketball, soccer and a newer action sports and skate camp, bring energy and mentorship to young people who need it most.

Hear about Weekend Edition at fcwcweekendedition.org, a year round program born out of COVID that offers one day worksite experiences for small groups, men's groups, youth groups and families. With 60 homeowners currently on the waiting list and only two being served per month, more volunteer crews are urgently needed to grow that number.

Learn about Link Youth Mentorship at linkmentorship.org, a one on one program matching godly male mentors with boys ages 8 to 18 who are growing up without fathers. In a city where nearly three out of four kids are being raised without a dad, Link pairs mentors and mentees for a one year committed relationship that more often than not grows into something lasting. The program currently serves 16 young men with a goal of reaching 50 within the next year. Beyond being a mentor, volunteers can contribute through an intercessory prayer team, administrative support, match specialist roles and monthly group activities like rock climbing, Red Wings games and more.

Mike also unpacks what scripture says about serving neighbors as serving Christ himself, and why he believes godly mentorship is one of the most powerful solutions to the cycles holding Rochester back.

Visit flowercityoutreach.org to explore Flower City Work Camp, Weekend Edition and Link Youth Mentorship and find the right place for you to plug in.

Michael Solis, Executive Director of Writers and Books, makes the case that reading and writing are not school assignments to survive but lifelong creative practices that build confidence, community and civic connection in a city that badly needs all three.

Discover how Writers and Books has served Rochester since 1981 through programming that spans every age group, from eight year olds writing their first stories at Summer Write camps to seniors capturing a lifetime of memories through the Legacy Writing program. Learn how summer camps built around topics like magic, Percy Jackson, Dungeons and Dragons and graphic novels are turning kids who tune out in school into passionate storytellers who share their work in front of live audiences.

Hear Michael's honest take on artificial intelligence and what it means for human creativity, why he believes the shrinking of our attention spans is one of the most urgent challenges facing readers and writers today, and how Rochester Reads is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year with two remarkable authors whose work speaks directly to the tensions defining our current moment.

Learn about the many ways to engage for free, including the Community Writing Group every Saturday at 1pm, a Friday poetry group at noon and free summer programming at six partner libraries. Scholarships are available for any paid programming, and a gift economy model means no one is ever turned away.

If you want to support 45 more years of human creativity in Rochester, visit wab.org to explore programs, donate or simply stop by the building with the giant pencil on University Ave during open hours Wednesday through Saturday.

Learn more at: https://wab.org/

Sueann Lipman, Second Vice President and Board Member at Embrace Your Sisters, shares the story of a fully volunteer nonprofit that has spent 20 years quietly paying the bills of women in our community who are fighting breast cancer.

Discover how Embrace Your Sisters provides emergency short term financial assistance covering mortgage and rent payments, utilities, car insurance and car loans for individuals actively in diagnosis and treatment, so they can focus on healing instead of financial survival. Learn how Sueann works personally with every applicant, hearing their stories one by one, and what it means to call someone and tell them their request has been approved.

Hear about the Tea at Two Fashion Show on Sunday May 3rd at Casa Larga Winery and Vineyards in Fairport, doors open at 12:30 with the show beginning at 2pm. Models are real women impacted by breast cancer, outfits are donated by local boutiques and hair and makeup are provided by area salons. The event has sold out five consecutive years so tickets, sponsorships, advertising opportunities and silent auction donations should not wait.

Sueann also shares how the organization serves a 13 county region, how anyone can donate year round and how community events from pink out games to ladies nights help spread the mission far beyond Monroe County.

To buy tickets, become a sponsor, donate to the silent auction or apply for assistance visit embraceyoursisters.org.