Summer has arrived, even though the summer weather seems to be lagging behind, and to us, this means something very special: it means that it is Appreciation Event season at Nest Community Shelter and now Nest La Porte. The Nest Community Shelter and Nest La Porte Appreciation Event are just that, an Event to appreciate all those who have given of their time and talent to our organization. This year, we are hosting our annual appreciation event at the Orak Shrine in Michigan City on July 1st, and all of our volunteers are invited.
Why Does Nest Hold an Appreciation Event Each Year?
Nest Community Shelter is a volunteer-based organization. To the extent that we do, we post our volunteer hours at the bottom of each monthly newsletter. This isn’t to brag about volunteerism, but to acknowledge the community’s hard work and dedication. When volunteers spend their time with our organization, we recognize that they are giving of their time, a commodity that cannot be replenished, no matter how much you try. Time is impervious to wealth or status, which makes the hours that our volunteers spend with us and in service of Nest Community Shelter all the more powerful. Individuals and organizations have chosen to give of their time and talent to make an impactful difference in the lives of our guests and, by extension, our entire community. In recognition of this immense gift, we feel it is our honor to acknowledge these individuals and their dedication of time in support of our guests and our neighbors experiencing homelessness.
Who Is Invited and What Is the Cost?
Let’s get the big question out of the way: the cost for this event is nothing. Yes, you read that correctly, there is no cost for volunteers to attend our annual appreciation event. This is our organization’s way of expressing gratitude for the time and talent our volunteers have given in support of our mission. This event is held for Nest Community Shelter, Nest La Porte volunteers, and supporters. If you’ve donated your time in this past year or given an in-kind gift of your talent, we encourage you to attend. This is our way to thank you for your generosity.
What Is This Event?
The name says it all: “Appreciation Event,” we want to recognize all of the individuals in our community who have supported our mission and operations over the past year in support of our unhoused neighbors. We could not have accomplished so much without the support of the community. This year’s event will be fun and casual. We will be featuring a hors d’oeuvres , sharing some fun stories, and honoring a few outstanding volunteers with awards.
Last year, we instituted the Fred Weiss award, named in honor of Mr. Weiss, the first recipient of this award. The Weiss Award is bestowed upon an individual or individuals who exemplify unwavering commitment to Nest Community Shelter. We will be bestowing this honor once again to a very worthy recipient. We will also be honoring an individual or organization with the Merrion Award, which was also given last year for the first time to its namesake, Ed Merrion. This award is in recognition for service over an extended period of time to Nest Community Shelter.
This year we will be adding a few additional awards to recognize and honor our current and past volunteers because as we’ve said before, it truly takes a village to complete this work.
When and Where Is This Event?
This year’s Appreciation Event will take place at the Orak Shrine in Michigan City on July 1, 2025. The doors open at 5:30 PM, and our evening concludes at 8 PM. This casual and fun event is an opportunity for our entire organization to join as a group and appreciate all of the love and support over the past year.
How Do I Attend This Event?
Tickets will become available by early next week. You will have to register for a free ticket and all tickets are first come, first serve with a maximum of 150 guests. If you are interested in attending we encourage you to sign up quickly. When our event tickets open up, we will be sure to share that information on our website and across our social media channels.
In closing, this has been an incredibly impactful year for our organization within the communities we serve. It seems that the need for our services has never been greater, which means that the work of our volunteers has never been more crucial. From opening our emergency cold weather shelter in La Porte, where people dropped off food, manned our check-in desk and overnight shifts, to those who helped us with administrative tasks, we appreciate each and every hour served in support of Nest’s mission to reconnect our guests to their community. If you’ve volunteered with us in the past year, we encourage you to please join us for an evening of celebration as we honor your gift of time with our organization.
