Members Learn About AGAPE’s Work, Numerous Volunteer Opportunities

While it certainly wasn’t planned out this way back when Business After Hours were scheduled for 2018 late last year, the timing of the Chamber’s second Business After Hours of August couldn’t have been better to highlight the needs of AGAPE, as it once again took on a leading role in the local flood recovery efforts. At the event held on Aug. 29 at AGAPE’s facility in downtown Bloomsburg, attendees not only had an opportunity to see and hear about AGAPE’s many accomplishments during the last decade as it celebrates its 10th anniversary, but they also saw firsthand some of AGAPE’s ongoing needs as well as the many opportunities to get involved on a volunteer basis.

AGAPE’s biggest need from a volunteer standpoint is help to cook and serve its weekly community meal to those in need, which is done each Wednesday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Volunteers are needed to come for just a few hours, prepare and cook (if appropriate) the meal, and then serve it. AGAPE will take anything anyone can give, but is generally not looking for a big time commitment from anyone, as if just a few people or groups from organizations such as churches or civic organizations could commit just a few hours a month, that would go a long way. In addition to its weekly community meal, AGAPE’s main mission is to fill in the gaps for those in need that don’t always get addressed by public welfare programs. It is helped thousands of people over the last decade, and its mission is to eventually go out of business because there won’t be any more needs in our community. Read more about AGAPE in this Member Spotlight from last year. 

Business After Hours provide regular opportunities to build business relationships while learning about the services offered by other Chamber members. The next Business After Hours will be held at the Quality Inn Bloomsburg, on Wednesday, Sept. 19, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Prior to the After Hours, there will be a ribbon cutting at 4 p.m. for the new renovations that were recently completed at the hotel.