School projects

Monday: Sibley Elementary School and Southwest Middle School, 5 p.m.

Tuesday: Lakeview Elementary School, 5 p.m.

Wednesday: Hawthorne Elementary School, 5 p.m.

Thursday: Halverson Elementary School, 5 p.m.

Friday: Brookside Education Center, 5 p.m.

Lake cleanup

Saturday: 9 a.m. to noon, meet at Pelican Breeze

Drives

Saturday: American Red Cross blood drive, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Freeborn County

Fairgrounds Fairlane Building

Saturday: Salvation Army food and clothes drive, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Freeborn

County Fairgrounds

Oil change and ShineFest Family Store

Saturday: 9 a.m. to noon at Freeborn County Fairgrounds 4-H building and Floral

Hall, includes free oil changes, toys, clothing, gift certificates

Clothing giveaway

Monday through Thursday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Our Father’s House

Friday: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Our Father’s House

Saturday: 9 a.m. to noon, Our Father’s House

When it first began three years ago, ShineFest was designed to be a platform for volunteers in the local faith community.

In the time since it was organized, however, it has taken on a life of its own.

This year as part of the official week of Shine-

Fest 2008 activities, events have expanded to include even more around the community.

When steering committee members Jim Troe and David Schultz first started organizing ShineFest activities, they first started with school projects. Volunteers cleaned windows and spread mulch at the local schools.

Now the week of service includes school projects, a lake cleanup, a blood drive, a food and clothes drive, an oil change and even a ShineFest family store.

“It’s really started to expand,” Schultz said. “It’s really neat.”

In addition to all of the activities planned, ShineFest participants are handing out yellow cards for people to use in a “pay-it-forward” fashion. For example, someone can go into a store and volunteer to pay for the order of the next customer in line. Then before that person leaves, he or she will leave the clerk with a yellow card that has the ShineFest logo on it. The card says, “Enjoy, and have a great day!” That way the customer will know what had just happened.

While the events have expanded for this year’s official ShineFest week, ShineFest activities throughout the middle of the year have also expanded to include a community-wide oil change for families in need and a youth-sponsored grocery and meal giveaway.

“The idea is to create a lifestyle of service,” Troe said.

Not to mention it’s fun to see both the young and old in the community give back, Schultz added.

Events are even expanding outside of Albert Lea to other communities in Freeborn County with events in Clarks Grove and Hollandale.

“It’s living out our faith,” Troe said, when asked why he enjoys serving others.

“That’s what we’re called to do,” Schultz said.

Find out about ShineFest online at www.ShineFest.org.