Blessed

All I can say is I feel blessed. We have had such an outpouring of love from the Christian Community. It has been like manna from heaven as the toys and food are coming in. I am so thankful for the individuals, churches, and corporate partners who have made this possible. I am so amazed by God's people.



Our team of staff and volunteers has been working around the clock to see that other families are blessed with a wonderful Christmas morning. We have even had several professions of faith to volunteer counselors as they prayed with clients and shared their witness.

God never ceases to amaze me. I dreamed for 3 days we would have no toys and now I see Him providing in ways I could never imagine. One family and their friends blessed us with 34 hams today!

Please continue to keep us in your prayers. 2009 will be challenging, but God has shown he is still in control and He will see us through.

We need you!!!

Over 600 families in need are signed up for our Christmas Program this year. The stories are so hard to bear as we hear of families where both parents have lost their jobs, families are losing their homes, and other news of sadness.

At Christian HELP, our pledge is that we will do all we can to help insure that no child goes without Christmas. This year we need you more than ever to help. If you have been blessed, please consider blessing another family. It is not too late to bring in new unwrapped toys to our Casselberry Location. You can also visit one of our drop off locations at Chick-fil-a, Qdoba, or Centra Care.

Families are still available for adoption by contacting Phyllis at 407-834-4022 or e-mail at pjm@christianhelp.org. You can also sponsor a family for $40.00 which will take care of their toys and Christmas meal.

Please help us to bring joy to a child this year as we share the love of Christ with those in need.

The needs are GREAT- we need YOU

Yesterday we had 84 clients. To put that into perspective, we used to see 75-100 clients per WEEK. We saw them in one day. I have to say that we have the best team ever at Christian HELP. Everyone is maxed to the hilt, but we got it done and everyone was given counseling, the food held out (talk about manna from heaven) and we made it through the day. Each day we wonder if it will be the same.

We need your help now more than ever. We need JOB LEADS for our clients to help match them with jobs. If you are hiring quite a few people, check out our job fairs on www.cfec.org. This is an economical way to get in front of MANY job seekers. We need VOLUNTEERS to help in the pantry and employment counseling. We also need people to help with Christmas. We also need donations of TOYS and FOOD to help people in need this holiday season. And last, but certainly not least, we need help FINANCIALLY. Sponsor a family for $40 and they will have a nice Christmas with toys and a holiday meal basket. For $400 you can help 10 families.

We thank you for your continued support. As we go through this tough economy we need your PRAYERS more than ever!

Harvest of Hope

Imagine a community where everyone is willing to help their neighbors. Imagine a town where no one sleeps on the street. Imagine a place where everyone has something to eat.

Christian HELP is getting ready for our annual Harvest of Hope next week. This annual fundraiser is crucial to our operating budget. With unemployment rising, our job fair revenue is down and the needs of the community are up. Fortunately we serve an amazing God and even in tough times, he proves that He is still on the throne.

We have been blessed with food supplies, with many wonderful volunteers, and many terrific partners who have blessed us with pro-bono services. We see God in motion daily as our clients are connected with jobs, kept off the streets, and come to know Christ.

We seek God's wisdom in all we do, and we are so thankful for His guidance.

Will you join us in God's work? We need your prayers, your talents, and financial blessings as you are able.

Thank you for serving the Lord...

Christmas in July and updates

We had a wonderful event on Friday the 18th. It was our 1st annual Christmas in July. Melony McKaye was the mistress of ceremonies, we had wonderful entertainment, and were blessed to have over 100 guests. Metro Life church was a wonderful host.

We are looking forward to being able to bless the community again this Christmas. I know it is early, but we have to plan in advance. Many people are suffering now because of the economy. People I personally know are losing their homes and cars. It is tough out there.

Jobs are harder to come by. Our counselors are working harder than ever. If you love to help people and have the gift of counseling, we could use some help. Employment knowledge is helpful, but the ability to pray with others is a must. Prayer is the first place we need to go in these times.

We know that more people need more help. We pray that those who have are willing to help those who have not. If God has blessed you, please consider us as a place to bless others. $15.00 will feed a family of 4 for a week and $100.00 puts a family on the road to self sufficiency through job counseling, food, and prayer.

Most of all, keep us in prayer and your community in prayer. God Bless-

The Lord is My Shepherd

As I look at what is going on in the world around me, I have to keep it in perspective. What is really important? What does God want for us?

Being in a non-profit where our focus is preventing homelessness by helping people find jobs, we see so much pain. Job loss is devastating to individuals and families. I read somewhere that people find their sense of self in their jobs. When you lose your job, you not only lose that sense of self, but community and security as well. When you lose your job, you go through all of the same stages of grief as any other loss. According to the numbers 95.6% of the people in Central Florida have jobs, but there are still many without jobs.

When my husband lost his job many years ago, I wondered why God allowed it to happen. I did not blame God, but I was at a loss. We went through all the stages of panic and grief. We thought the job search would be easier and take less time. We realized the importance of education and persistence. I also learned how to downsize our lives, how to rely more on God, and how to relate to people who are going through what we experienced.

God teaches us to rely fully on him. We tend to think that we can do it on our own. He has told us that He will never leave or forsake us, but we tend to leave Him.

If you are going through job loss, crisis, or something that is bigger than you. Surrender yourself to Him today. Pray about what your next steps should be. Ask Him what He is trying to teach you. Ask God to take care of your needs daily like He did with the Israelites when He sent manna down. Take your eyes off the material things and spend time in His word.

If you are not part of a church community, look for one that is healthy and well balanced. If they welcome you with open arms and pray with you and for you, you can identify with a community and not just a job. My prayers reach out to all the people who are going through a job loss or crisis, or just wondering what to do next. Grow closer to God and He will grow closer to you.

Challenges

Life seems to be getting more and more challenging. With gas at over $3.50 a gallon and food prices increasing, even the middle class are squeezed. I had a lady in my office the other day who had just gotten a new job, but did not have enough money to get to training. Once she had a paycheck, she would be OK, but she did not know what to do in the meantime.

I read that the housing market probably will not rebound until 2010. That is over a year and a half away. What can we do in the meantime?

If you are thinking about changing jobs and you have a job, keep it until you find another one. DON'T quit and think it will be easy to get hired quickly even if you have a good resume. I know many people with great job histories who are searching for jobs months after leaving the one. If you even suspect that you might get laid off, silently update your resume and your network.

If you do lose your job, get on the bus quickly to find another one. It may be like a full time job to find one, but they are still out there. The most important thing is to stay positive. One Recruiter we refer to, referred someone to us because he was so down in the dumps that no one would hire him even though he had great skills. He would get the interviews and then depress the Recruiter with his tales of sadness and sorrow.

The important thing to remember in all hard times (and easy ones too) is that God loves us and He is with us every moment of the day. He tells us that He will never leave us or forsake us. We can trust Him at His word. If you do not know Jesus as your savior, He wants you to. His gift of life is free. It is by Grace we are saved. Read Romans 10:9 and 10:13. They are 2 verses that say it all.

Say a prayer today for yourself, our leaders, and those around you. With God on our side, we can be a light in this world of challenges.

A True "Servant" of God

Last Friday night, I had the privilege of attending a memorial service for Jesse Garcia with some of my friends from Christian HELP. After a long battle with cancer, he went home to be with the Lord. I believe with all of my heart that Jesse is rejoicing in his new found home. He is where he belongs, but we will miss him greatly.

It is not often that some one makes a profound impact on your life. Jesse was that type of person. When he got saved, his daughter said to him " I know God exists, because I can see Him in you". What a statement. Jesse was a servant of God in every sense of the word. He lived to serve. He even had a nameplate on his desk that said "Jesse Garcia, servant".

Jesse never complained about being sick. Whenever asked how he was feeling, he would say, "I am blessed". We would sit at the prayer table in the morning and he would pray fervently for others. He met many people at the job fair and kept them all on his prayer list.

Jesse was a wonderful family man, great co-worker, and a true friend to those around him. Everyone could agree that he truly loved the Lord.

We will miss him here at Christian HELP, but we will never forget him. His presence and servant's heart will always be with us. The office he used will always be "Jesse's office".

I can almost hear him praying for us all now.

Thank you Jesse for your testimony. We love you!

Breaking down walls

God laid it on my heart and the hearts of several others that we need to work together and break down walls. As a Christian based organization, Christian HELP has a great responsibility to reach out into the community and be a light. We have to find all possible means to help our clients. We are not a one stop shop for most people. In order to really restore people, we MUST partner with Churches, Businesses, and other non-profits. By networking, communicating, and taking away the fear of competition, we CAN meet the needs of our community.

I am asking you to pray that we can be successful in our mission to draw the community closer. We have an amazing community and some fantastic people inside and outside the church who are on the same page. By coming together, we can educate better, share resources, and help to alleviate pain.

If you want to know more, please e-mail me at sandi@christianhelp.org.

In His Service-

Sandi

Job Fair Today

If you are a job seeker, please join us at the Central Florida Fairgrounds today from 12-4 for a fantastic job fair. We have 97 employers and schools ready to talk to you. Networking is key in your job search and the job fair is a great tool for networking.

The children

I think the thing that bothers me the most is how the children suffer when their parents go through a financial crisis. When a family is uprooted because of the loss of a home through eviction or foreclosure it may mean that the child has to change schools. It may also increase their stress because they feel what their parents are going through.

We have two clients who live in my area who are facing crisis and have expressed the toll it is taking on their children. The result is sometimes manifested in behavioral issues, other times it causes the child to withdraw socially. These issues are sometimes more than we are able to help with.

By helping individuals to find jobs and connecting them with other resources for additional needs, we can benefit the entire family. Christian HELP has been a refuge for so many people who are hurting because of the loss of a job or other circumstances that are too big for them to handle alone.

Please continue to keep us in prayer as we minister to those who are hurting. Just listening to someone can make a difference sometimes.

Making a Difference

This week we had our first job fair of the year. It was insane! The numbers are adding up to 5060 people who walked through the doors at the fairgrounds on Wednesday seeking jobs. The need is becoming even greater this year than it was in the past.

All the news of doom and gloom can be quite scary, but we need to keep our heads up! One of the best ways to stay positive is to make a difference in the lives of others. My new friend Cara Eule at HOME in Kissimmee had a great idea for helping local food pantries. Her idea is that whenever you go to your local grocery store and they have a BOGO (buy one get one) sale, buy one for yourself and one for your local food pantry.

Here at Christian HELP, we serve about 100-150 people a week with their food needs. The need to keep the pantry stocked is great. We rely totally on the generosity of others to accomplish this.

Our goal this year is to make a difference in the lives of as many people as we can, one at a time. We can only do this with your help.

Stay positive and have a wonderful start to the new year.

Making a Difference

Well, it is a new year and we have a new outlook. Last year we started working on our new look. The building has been painted inside and out. We added a couple of new people in key areas. We are talking about upgrading our computers... but the bottom line is that we want to MAKE A DIFFERENCE in the lives of others in our community.

Jesus tells us to be salt and light. We want to help as many people as we can. Our mission remains to prevent homelessness by helping people find jobs while providing for them materially and spiritually. We know that we see people every day who have jobs, but still can't make ends meet. We are finding that we can make a difference for many of them as well.

This year we are really striving to build on the partnerships we started building last year. We helped connect over 7, 748 people with jobs last year. This year we hope to connect even more. We receive referrals from other agencies and we refer people to them as well. This year we hope to partner with more businesses and churches too. We need more job leads for Seminole county, and we need to share more resources.

I am looking forward to the plans God has for us. He has always been a part of Christian HELP and will continue to be our focus. When people are in need and hurting, the best referral we can give them is to seek out God. A good well balanced Church is always a start.

We hope to visit many Churches this year and have more Church groups visit us. We can be an extension of the outreach ministry for a church. There are many projects we can do together.

Together we can make a difference in our community. We can make this a better place one life at a time.

Please keep us in your prayers.

If you want to help us HELP others, please call us at 407-834-4022 or e-mail forinfo@christianhelp.org.