Get Involved
There are many ways you can get involved with Eagle’s Nest.
Adopt an Area
As we welcome Veterans into the Joseph Center we want to provide a home-like atmosphere for them. It is our hope that the Adopt an Area program will provide the necessary furnishings and sundries to see the center through the coming years. Throughout the center you will find 13 semi-private bedrooms, several bathrooms, a computer lab, offices, conference room, kitchen and a large common room. We have a vision of dividing the common room into smaller, more personal areas such as a relaxation corner, social spaces and recreation areas. Use your imagination with these spaces! We have a list of needed items (below), and areas we seek to furnish. Of course, your cash donation is welcome also.
If you choose to adopt an entire area we will recognize you or your organization with a personalized plaque. Please contact Martha Watts to learn more about participating in the Adopt an Area Program. You can reach her by phone at 314/680-2599 or by email at mmwatts@sbcglobal.net. She looks forward to hearing from you.
Academic Partnerships
We want to broaden our relationship with Illinois college students. For the past eight years, we have been working with The University of Illinois East St. Louis Action Research Project (ESLARP), a university program dedicated to working in East St. Louis, a distressed urban community in our own Illinois backyard. University of Illinois students have been instrumental to The Joseph Center throughout the years by helping with construction and landscaping projects, and even researching neighborhood issues for the shelter. We hope your organization can also be part of the history of The Joseph Center.
Donate
We are seeking organizations that would be interested in raising money for a do-it yourself (DIY) project to create furnishings for the center. As an innovative and learning based approach to furnishing the center, Eagle’s Nest is partnering with ESLARP undergraduate design students. These students will design and create furnishings for The Joseph Center as part of FAA 391, a university service-learning course. University funds are not available to the students, as this project falls outside of the usual funding needs of service-learning courses. Because of this lack of university funding, we are seeking outside funds to cover the cost of materials for this DIY project. While the scope of this project is necessarily limited, with the funds we will be able to create furnishings not otherwise attainable, such as hanging artwork, sculpture, and mosaics, as well as curtains, slipcovers and other more common homelike furnishings for the center. For this project, we are seeking a monetary commitment of $1000 to $3000 from your organization’s fundraising efforts.
The Joseph Center Adopt-An-Area Wish List
| Areas |
| Personal spaces: for the men to seek privacy and comfort |
| Bed linens (XL twin) |
| Comforters |
| Throw rugs |
| Wall decorations |
| Laundry hampers |
| Wood hangers (30 pack) |
| Bathrooms: |
| Shower liners |
| Shower curtains |
| Washcloths |
| Bath towels |
| Face towels |
| Towel/linen racks |
| Entertainment areas: these could be in the common room and/or the day room |
| Large Screen Television |
| DVD player |
| CD player/deck |
| Game system (e.g. Xbox) |
| Speakers (sound system) |
| Armchairs/couches |
| Gaming tables (foosball, pool, ping pong, etc.) |
| Relaxation areas: spots found in the common room where men can relax among friends |
| Armchair(s) |
| End tables |
| Table/floor lamp |
| Area rug |
| Book shelves |
| Social spaces: to be used for conversation and visiting with family and friends |
| Armchairs |
| Coffee table/end tables |
| Floor lamps |
| Exercise area: |
| Rubber exercise mats |
| Weight set (dumbbells) |
| Wall space: you could call this our “adopt-a-wall” program! |
| Wall hangings/art/wall decorations |
| Food preparation area: |
| Industrial size stock pots |
| Dish Cloths |
| Dish Towels |
| Mixing Bowls (Assorted sizes) |
| Measuring Cups (sets) |
| Large Mixing Spoons and Spatulas |
| Large Skillets |
| Large Metal Colander |
The Joseph Center Ongoing Donations Wish List
Cleaning Supplies Condiments
Bleach Coffee
Brooms Creamer
Cleaning Buckets Hot Chocolate Packets
Disinfectant Spray and Liquid Sugar/Sugar Substitute
Dust Pans Tea Bags
Fabric Softener Sheets Salt and Pepper
Garbage Bags (39 and 10 gallon)
Latex and non-latex gloves Clothing (New or Clean Slightly used)
Liquid Laundry Detergent Men Underwear (Size M, L, XL, XXL)
Liquid Hand Soap Socks
Liquid Dish Washing Soap Winter Scarves, Gloves and Hats
Paper Towels Thermal Underwear
Toilet Bowl Brush
Toilet Bowl Cleaner Food Pantry Items
Window Cleaner Cereal (Hot and Cold)
Crackers
Office Supplies Canned Fruits
Binders Juice (Canned/Boxes)
Copy Paper Kool aid/lemonade
File Folders Macaroni and cheese dinners
Hanging file folders Oatmeal
Markers Pasta (canned/dry)
Pencils/Pens Pasta sauce
Post-it Notes Peanut Butter
Staples/staplers Raisins (individual boxes)
Ready-to-eat snacks
Paper/Plastic Products Soups (canned/packaged)
Aluminum Foil Vegetables (canned)
Coffee Stirrers
Disposable Aluminum Pans Personal Care Products
Disposable cold and hot cups Combs
Lunch Bags Brushes
Plastic wrap Bodywash/Deodorant
Sandwich bags Tooth brushes/Tooth Paste
Food Storage Containers (Assorted sizes) Dental Floss
Food Storage Bags Cotton balls/swabs
Hair Shampoo/Conditioner
Miscellaneous Hand Lotion/Vaseline
Band-aids Lip Balm
Batteries Razors (disposable)
First Aid Kits & Spray Shave Cream
Scouring Pads Sunscreen Lotion
Reflective Tape Soap (Ivory)
Flashlights/Batteries Tissue
Ironing Boards (3)/Irons (3) Toilet Paper
40-gal trash can w/wheels (3) Shower Shoes