I just wanted to take a moment to give my heartfelt thanks...

I just wanted to take a moment to give my heartfelt thanks to everyone who had a part in the Christian HELP Christmas program this year. We were truly blessed and overwhelmed by the generosity of the community and individuals who brought in toys, volunteered, did toy and food drives, and gave financially. Those of you who gave your time through volunteering left such an impression on our team. Your generosity with your time and willingness to go the extra mile amazed us daily. We saw angels in action.

The clients who experienced the program saw the goodness in people who made a difference in their lives for just a short time. Adopted families were blessed as they saw other families who did not even know them embrace their families and make Christmas special.

Our team at Christian HELP went above and beyond to make this event successful. I appreciate each and every one of them so much.
I saw God in action daily. I pray you did too.
Thank you and God Bless-

Sandi Vidal
Executive Director

P.S. Christian HELP works with People all year round to help them move forward and obtain jobs. If you would like to make a tax deductible donation, please click the Donate Now or the Contact Us link on the http://christianhelp.org site.

Thank you for your Prayers and Support!

Fridays were a stressful day at Ronnie's company. That was the day layoffs were announced. After making it through a few Friday's of layoffs and even being told he was doing a great job, Ronnie learned on a Thursday 2 weeks before Thanksgiving that his job of 12 years was gone.


Depression, anger, shock, and fear were just a few of the emotions this father of 2 teenagers felt when he heard the news. How would he be able to provide for his family? What was he supposed to do now? He hadn't looked for a job in 12 years.


This year was a tough one for Ronnie. He had surgery on his back 6 months ago and then his wife announced she was leaving and filed for divorce. There was a bitter custody battle resulting in lawyer fees, alimony, and child support. The house was sold for what they owed and all extras were given up. Forced back to work from leave too soon, to take care of the kids, Ronnie pushed himself to make ends meet.


In less than 6 months, Ronnie felt his entire world crash down. As he moved into a small apartment and sold off all of his things, he felt a chapter of his life close. Losing his job was the icing on the cake. At $275 a week (unemployment), with child support and alimony payments there is literally nothing left. Fortunate to have a sister in town, he is moving in to her house in January, but there is not much room for him there.


To make matters worse, his insurance ended November 30th for him and the kids. He is waiting to see what cobra will cost. Trying to be strong every day for the kids, he is melting inside. His role is to be the provider and he is struggling to provide. He has reached out to his networking contacts and is updating his resume and looking for a job. He has heard it takes longer and salaries are lower these days.

Fortunately he has God, some family, and Christian HELP to see him through this time. His kids will have Christmas due to the generosity of strangers. There is food on his table and he can stay in his apartment one more month because of your's and others kindness. It is primarily through the support of individuals Christian HELP can be here to meet the needs of people like Ronnie.

Christian HELP relies almost entirely on the support of individuals, remaining independent of any government money. Please donate now if you can, and help ease the pain of those going through tough times.

Toy Drive Drop Off Locations

Thank you for blessing a child in need with Christmas this year. Toys can be dropped off at any of the following Dove Tree locations by December 15th. After December 15th, please drop off at the main Christian HELP office.

Christian HELP 450 Seminola Blvd, Casselberry, FL 32707
Demetree Chiropractic – 3 locations Altamonte, Oviedo, Sanford
Willow Creek Church, Winter Springs
Starling Chevrolet, Kissimmee and St. Cloud
First Baptist Church Longwood
Northland, a Church Distributed, Longwood
Wekiva Presbyterian Church, Longwood
Gulf States Credit Union, HWY 17-92, Maitland
Big Ten Tires, Waterford Lakes
Cruise Adventure Travel, Downtown Orlando
Aloma Baptist Church
Victorio’s Restaurant Casselberry and Winter Springs
Jason’s Deli, Altamonte
WonderWorks - $5.00 off admission with a TOY!
City Arts, Downtown Orlando
Qdoba Mexican Grill, 3 locations in Orlando, Altamonte, Maitland, or Sanford
Mechanics Plus - Casselberry
Red Brick Pizza Kissimmee and Altamonte Locations

Pick up Dove Cards at M&M Vitamins- Lake Mary Blvd

Ministry Wish List

People often ask the questions "How can I help?" and "What more do you need?" This is a list of some of the areas we can use help with. Thank you!

 Non-perishable food and baby items for our pantry
 Turkeys and Hams for Christmas
 Toys & Gifts (0-17), batteries (all sizes), and gift wrap for Christmas
 Toiletries and cleaning supplies for our clients
 Office Supplies- paper, pens, black markers, tape, clipboards
 Bibles for our clients- can be purchased for just over $2.00 from American Bible publishers
 White boards in good condition; white board markers
 Tissues, paper products, cleaning supplies, zip lock bags
 Plastic grocery bags, egg cartons
 Prizes for Charity Challenge and Christmas in July Silent Auction
 Employment Leads- are you hiring- know anyone who is? We would like to know!
 Graphic designer for posters and flyers
 Printing
 We are in need of additional space- if you know of someone who can help us with this, please let us know
 Volunteers- Employment Counseling, Food Pantry, Special Projects, Public Relations/Marketing, Dove Tree Drivers, Christmas volunteers
 Prayer- we are always in need of prayer

Contact our office at 407-834-4022 Jackie Bradley for Volunteers, Jackie Normand for other interests.

We appreciate you thinking of us!

Creating your job search plan

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Creating your job search plan

View more presentations from sandividal.

Happy Thanksgiving from Christian HELP

Can you believe it is that time of year already? 2010 has been a really difficult year and yet we were constantly reminded how great our God is. Below we wanted to list a few things we have been thankful for this year.



CHRISTIAN HELP IS THANKFUL FOR:


•God - who is the CEO of Christian HELP
•The supporters, volunteers and staff who give of themselves each day
•The Doctor who brings us eggs for our clients
•The Business leaders who spread the word about us
•The Moms who drop in grocery bags, diapers and whatever else they think we need
•Our team who are so close - literally sharing office space
•Churches who invest in our Mission
•YOU!


And lastly we are so thankful we are able to serve those in need and show the love and compassion of our Saviour Jesus Christ!!!

Our Christian HELP staff wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving!




http://christianhelp.org

A local Christmas Story- can you help?

An adoption application from one of our clients today:

I came here in hopes for getting a better a better job, so that I can provide a basic standard of living for my son. I was in a bad marriage. We came to Florida for a new life. He was 10 then. We lived humbly sleeping on a floor and eating oatmeal for dinner. My son’s response was “Mom, I thank God for you.”

He has a 3.5 GPA and is studying to be an engineer. He was accepted at Bishop Moore, but I lost my job. He is a tall, gentle, skinny kid. He tells me to put one slice of meat in the bread because our food has to last, and pretends to be full, so that I will eat more.

I want his remaining teenage years with me to be comfortable. Since losing my job we are down to humble means again, but ALIVE with the Spirit of the Lord. We pray together and that’s what keeps us going.

He needs a computer with enough RAM memory to keep up with his school. I am really surprised that you offer to help with gifts. I cannot provide this for him. My number one concern is for food and rent. Whether we are gifted or not, I am humbled and truly appreciative just for your kindness in asking and caring. TS

Can you HELP at Christmas?

Imagine a little 8 year old girl, waiting for Christmas to come with youthful anticipation, waking up on Christmas morning not only to see there are no gifts under the tree, but there is no tree.

Imagine a single dad doing all he can to provide for his family having to make do with a Christmas dinner of Ramen noodles.

Imagine a wife who has lost her husband after 20 years of marriage because he “doesn’t love her anymore”, trying to wrestle with her own issues and provide a nice Christmas for her children when she hasn’t had a job in several years.

Christian HELP has been providing Christmas to families in need for 15 years through the generous support of the community. This year the need is even bigger than ever. Unemployment is up, salaries are down, and underemployment is at an all time high. People are suffering. Some don’t even want to think about Christmas because it puts a knot in their stomach knowing that they cannot provide for their families. They dread the sadness in their children’s eyes when the kids say “Mommy it is ok, we can do without.”

Each Christmas we work with businesses, churches, and individuals to provide Christmas for needy families in the Central Florida area. This year we have a new challenge as one of our large sponsors will not be able to participate with us. This makes it even more challenging to provide for all of the need. The families we see are experiencing unemployment or under-employment as a result of the economy. We are working with them at Christian HELP to provide skills training, resume assistance, and coaching in order to help them obtain employment.

We are asking you to consider placing a Dove Tree in your location or Collection box for a toy drive for our HELP GIVE Christmas event. The Dove tree comes with Dove cards labeled from newborn to age 17. Each card has 3 gift suggestions people can select from and return the unwrapped gifts to your location. Volunteer drivers will come and pick up the gifts to be distributed at Christian HELP. Generally the tree goes up the week of Thanksgiving until the week before distribution.

Volunteers are welcome to come and participate in the Distribution process in December. Please consider helping us to help our community. We can make a difference, one family at a time.

About us:
Christian HELP is a non profit devoted to preventing homelessness by helping the unemployed find jobs while providing for them materially and spiritually. Last year, we were able to help over 6,000 people find jobs, we gave away over half a million pounds of food, helped 644 families to have Christmas, and spent $56,000 keeping people in their homes and the lights on.

Additionally, if you would like to get involved in other ways, please visit our website at www.Christianhelp.org or come and see us at one of our Monthly luncheons.

We appreciate your generosity.

Why Christian HELP is Unique

One of our team members sent this to me as we deal with all sorts of distractions each day as a reminder of why we are so unique.

There is no other like us, and we do what we do to glorify God's name.

We are not just a food pantry.
We are not just a ministry that prays and cares for people.
We are not just a non profit that has a Christmas Program that helps hundreds and hundred of families.
We are not just a placement agency that has employment counselors, computer resource center, job skills class, and resume coaches.
We are not just networking group for hundreds of employers in Central Florida We are not just a ministry that outreaches to central Florida's unemployed through seminars and job fairs.
We are not just a ministry that has an online job board with some jobs and a website with resources.
We are not just a agency that partners to specialize in helping Central Florida residents get back to work.
We are not just a non profit that has hundreds of volunteers who help us with God's mission.
We are not just a ministry that will work tons of extra hours to get God's work done and do all that it takes to get the work done AND help the unemployed feel encouraged.
We are not just a ministry that does all of this with 19 employees where nearly half are part time.

What we are is God's servants who are directed to serve his people and to do it in such a way that glorifies his name and to carry out his vision.

Sandi

Harvest of Hope 2010

For those of you who are new to Christian HELP, we were established in 1992 when 3 individuals came together to form a ministry to reach the lost by providing hope, encouragement, love, and prayer to the unemployed. 18 years later many lives have been touched and changed thanks to Dick and Madge Wilson following the call of God along with their friend Harry Kunisch. Over 71,000 people have been connected with jobs and over 6.8 million pounds of food have been distributed. This is the equivalent of 10 acres of grocery bags filled with 8lbs of food side by side. Another way of looking at it would be if we put the bags side by side they would stretch from Orlando to the North side of Jacksonville.

I don’t have to tell you unemployment is 11.9%. I don’t have to tell you the economy is bad and people are suffering. I don’t have to tell you how people are struggling to find jobs. I don’t have to tell you how frustrating it is to send out resume after resume and hear nothing back. I don’t have to tell you as the job search goes on and stretches longer and longer that people are losing hope. I don’t have to tell you the financial consequences of losing your job and possibly losing your house. I don’t have to tell you there are children in Central Florida missing meals because their parents have to choose between groceries and a roof over their head.

I don’t have to tell you how frustrating it is when you don’t hear back from employers and how difficult it can be to apply online especially when you have never had to use a computer before. I don’t have to tell you about the person who worked at the same company for 17 years only to have all of their belongings taken out in a box when the company closed their doors. I don’t have to tell you that these people are your neighbors and they are hurting, they are scared, and they are hungry, and some of you I know are in this room right now. I don’t have to tell you these are not stories, they are people, these are lives. What I can tell you, is that we care about them and we want to help, and we can’t do it alone. It takes a community to help the unemployed, to help the hurting, to help the hopeless, to help the scared. It takes all of us to come together in prayer and action to make a difference.

When people enter the doors of Christian HELP, they don’t always know what to expect. What they get is a listening ear, help with their job search, food if they need it, and an opportunity for prayer and if they are open to it an invitation to learn more about God, about Jesus. I fell in love with Christian HELP many years ago when I saw the passion the people here had to help others. As I see evidence of God every day through His actions, my love continues to grow stronger for Him and for this ministry.

We love to celebrate as people connect with jobs. Recently, Danielle, a volunteer we met through facebook landed a job through a lead we provided. We had held an Employment Seminar at College Park Baptist Church earlier this year and one of our friends there has an e-mail she sends out with job leads. I sent a job lead to Danielle and she applied and was interviewed. They did not choose her for that job, but they were impressed enough that they created a job for her. By networking with others and partnering in the community, we become stronger and it helps us to help others. As you hear about job openings, please share them with us so we can continue to help more people like Danielle.

As we go forward, we need to do more. We identified a few years ago as the economy got rough that more was needed. We had to teach people about how to find jobs, how to improve their resumes, how to create a plan for their search. We added employment seminars, we added more resources to our job fairs, and we continue to train our counselors on new trends. We continue to seek new ways to improve our services, but it is not enough. We are literally out of space with 3 of our staff telecommuting. We have more than one desk in each office. Our technology is antiquated for our vision. We have plans to expand, but we cannot do it without your help. It takes a community to educate job seekers, to build a future for our children as we help our neighbors to secure better jobs. We need resources, we need volunteers, and we need the finances to keep the dream alive of continuing to be a safe place for job seekers to come.

It is my prayer, that you will keep Christian HELP on your prayer list and lift us up daily, but even more that you will seek ways to invest in this important ministry in Central Florida. It takes a community to help the unemployed, to help the hurting, to help the hopeless, to help the scared. It takes all of us to come together in prayer and action to make a difference.

I encourage you to watch our short youtube video we shared at our event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8BsCapC85w

Thank you for your support!

Blessings,

Sandi Vidal
Executive Director
Christian HELP Foundation, Inc.
http://www.ChristianHELP.org

Join in the Harvest

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9 (NIV)

We would love to have you join us at our annual fundraiser "Harvest of Hope" this year at First Baptist Winter Park on October 6th from 11:30 am-1:00 pm. It will be an inspiring event sharing the impact of Christian HELP in the community over the past 18 years and looking towards the future.

We need your help now more than ever. Our clients are your friends, and your neighbors. They are the people you sit next to at church. Here in Florida, many people do not have a strong family support system. When they reach the end of their rope they have nowhere to turn.

Christian HELP provides hope, encouragement, love, and prayer. More than just job leads, it is a place of compassion. Christ is at the center of all we do and we do our best to shine His light to those who walk in to our doors. We try to provide rest for the weary and broken hearted through tangible support and prayer.

Please HELP us HELP them. Consider attending our event or donating today. You will be blessed.

Successes

Sometimes we spend so much time thinking about all the people we work with who are still struggling to find a job, keep food on the table, and try to make ends meet that we forget to stop and celebrate the successes.

This week three people I have been working with and praying with landed jobs. One as a bank manager, one in non-profit, and one in marketing. It was so wonderful to celebrate with them as the offers came in.

Our jobs at Christian HELP can be challenging and some days it seems like we can't do enough for people. God always let's us know that He can.

Many tears flow here with sadness, but some days we get to have the happy tears as well.

Please continue to pray for us and help us to chip away at joblessness in Central Florida. Thank you!

Sandi

A letter to the politicians running for election in Florida 8/12

This is a letter I wrote after hearing many of the candidates for office speaking at the Christian Chamber Hob Nob. I expanded out my e-mail list after the event to all of those running for major positions. To date I have received 6 responses.

I recently heard you speak at the Christian Chamber Candidate Forum and Hob Nob. I found the event to be a great way to see and hear in person where you stand on many of the issues. Thank you for participating.

As I make my decisions personally on voting and encourage others to vote, I did want to take a moment to talk about what I am seeing in my work daily. Since mid 2008, I have seen people losing their jobs. Job losses are still continuing today. A good friend of mine was recently profiled in the Orlando Sentinel after having to resort to coming to our food pantry to provide for his children. He was one of 10 people laid off from a Casselberry Construction firm in May. I have seen a single mother who HAS A JOB suffering because she is not making commission selling supplemental health insurance because people are waiting to see what happens with the healthcare bill. I have seen many people who are told they are “overqualified” for jobs they are applying for and won’t even be considered because the employer is afraid they will leave if things get better. I have also seen people doing everything right. They have excellent resumes, take classes, network, have interviews and come in as the second or third choice for a job.

I see hearts break and tears flow daily as former Vice President’s of HR can’t put food on their tables, as donors to our Ministry become clients, and as the common working man can’t figure out how to apply online because he has never had to do that before.

Job seekers are volunteering, they are giving back in other ways. They are us. They are hurting and they are scared. They go to churches and non-profits only to be turned away because the non-profit is at fire code capacity. They go to job fairs and open house events willing to take anything. They use their precious last drops of gas putting all of their pride aside to walk into a food pantry to ask for help.

Here are some startling statistics-

Source- Second harvest hunger survey 2009

731,900 people accessed food pantries last year

47% are children

48.4% from single parent households

32% chose between eating and medical care

50% chose between food and transportation

49% choose between food and rent/mortgage payments

Source- Families in Transition Seminole County Public Schools

1357 homeless children were registered in Seminole County public schools
for the 2009-2010 year

Source- Bureau of Labor Statistics/Department of Labor

Florida has the 5th highest unemployment rate in the country at 11.4%

44.9% of the unemployed have been out of work over 27 weeks

34.2 is the average number of weeks a person is out of work

$275 (with $25 of that being stimulus dollars) is the maximum amount of unemployment compensation a person gets in a week in Florida. This is $6.85/hr for a 40 hour week of looking for a job. It is lower than minimum wage.

We recently had a candidate for State Senate come to our office to talk to about 10 of our unemployed clients. They were articulate and engaged. They had great questions. One haunting thing was there was no answer when I asked how we can help now.

Christian HELP is devoted to preventing homelessness by helping people find jobs while providing for them materially and spiritually. We offer one on one employment counseling, job skills classes, and free resume assistance. Our Central Florida Employment Council Division (CFEC) hosts an online job board, 6 major job fairs including the 2 Mayor’s (Orlando and Orange County), Governor’s, and President’s job fair, and has a network of employers who meet monthly to network and learn. Additionally, Christian HELP provides qualified referrals to other agencies for additional help. We also have a 2000 square foot food pantry so that our clients do not have to choose between eating and paying their bills.

Recognized in as a model faith based program by the White House in 2003 and as one of the top ten Social Entrepreneurial organizations in the United States by the Manhattan Institute in 2004, Christian HELP runs on just over $700,000 a year, has no debt and has been recognized as the most productive private permanent placement agency in Central Florida by the Orlando Business Journal Since 1999 with over 71,000 people connected with jobs.

Some of the issues we need to address include keeping jobs in the United States, creating a friendly environment for both large and small businesses, and what happens to the unemployed when their resources run out. Retirement accounts are being used for living expenses, and people are forced to sell all they have just to have somewhere to stay.

While there are some who abuse the system, there are many job seekers who just want to work.

In today’s paper was a solemn reminder of just how competitive the job market is. Here is a quote about the job fair just held at the Peabody hotel for 300 positions. “About 6,500 people came out for the hotel's four-day job fair, which ended Tuesday, said Alan Villaverde, managing director of Peabody Hotel Group. It was a pretty emotional experience for all of us, Villaverde said. We saw firsthand how the economic downturn is affecting the residents of Orange County.”

I would like to invite you to come and see first hand how this small ministry works so efficiently with so little waste. Please call or e-mail me if you would like to schedule a tour. sandi@christianhelp.org 407-834-4022.

Thank you for your time and desire to serve.

Sandi Vidal

"God Provides"

I worked in the Pantry on Friday and experienced how the disciples felt when Jesus fed thousands with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.(Matthew 14) The fridge on the right shows what I saw when filling food orders for our clients. We seemed to be low on food and the clients kept coming and yet no-one was turned away empty handed. I saw how our drivers kept going out in our vans and coming back numerous times with boxes and boxes of food. I worked side by side with volunteers who have served with Christian HELP for 10+ years and who still have that love and compassion for each and every client, a compassion that only can come from our Savior. I asked one volunteer what she felt about being able to help in the Pantry and she gave me the title to this article she said she can sum it up in two words - "God Provides".

One of our clients, "Maria", was so excited as this was the last time she was having to come and get food as her new job was starting on Monday. She had two boys and one of them was having a birthday. We were able to give her Batman Cupcakes and a box of individually wrapped fruities which she was going to give to her son's friends who were coming round to celebrate the birthday.

The hardest part of my day in the pantry was when I had a client's food order to fill who asked me to be careful what I gave her as she came on foot and had to be able to make it back to the bus stop. It felt like a 100 degrees outside and I wondered how desperate one must be to still have to make the trip out to us under those conditions. It is hard to understand the hardship some must endure and I can only turn to God at those times and remember this verse in Psalm 44 vs 3 "...it was not their own strong arm that gave them victory. It was your right hand and strong arm and the blinding light from your face that helped them, for you loved them."

We thank all who donate to this humble Ministry! There are many of you out there, from churches, grocery stores and individuals who are affecting peoples lives through us - I hope this gave you a little glimpse of how you are helping our community.

God Bless,

Jackie Normand
Development Director

Christmas In July 2010 Final

Be still and know...

Psalm 46 is a great psalm to read when you are experiencing times of trouble. One of my favorite verses is verse 10. I truly believe God speaks to me when I stop and listen to Him. It is so important to know that when we are experiencing trials, He is with us. The bible tells us that God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. The problem is we don't always listen. I know without a doubt that if i think for a minute that I am in charge here or in my life, God will let me try to handle things on my own. If I turn to Him and follow His guidings, He always blesses. Not always the way I think He should, but the way He knows it should be. I just have to remember to take time out of my busy day to be still and know that He is God and he is my strength.

Every day at Christian HELP we meet people who are going through really tough times. They have lost jobs, health, homes, and sometimes even loved ones. We can provide a listening ear, coaching and job leads, food to keep them full, but most of all we can pray for their needs.

Sometimes we just need to spend time alone in prayer and ask God to guide our steps as we search for a job or move on to the next steps of our lives. Know that He is listening.

We are so thankful for all of the prayer warriors out there praying for the Christian HELP team.

Relying on God

Helping people can be tough. The needs are diverse and many times much bigger than one person or one agency can handle. Throw in a wrench like losing a contributing grocery store to a change in company policy or a supporting church to declining donations and it becomes harder. The good news is God is in control and He always provides.

Tomorrow I am speaking about trends in the economy and hiring. In May Central Florida lost 135,000 jobs and unemployment is still in the double digits at 11.1%. We are desparately trying to find a silver lining in the economy and an end to all of the tough times.

You are still providing hope, encouragement, love, and prayer to the unemployed. Still providing job seekers with job leads, coaching, skills classes, and free resumes. The pantry may have less some days, but like the loaves and fishes, God stretches what we have and you provide the prayers and the means.

I am encouraged every time a job seeker lands a job. Every time someone gives us good news and lets us know how much your support of Christian HELP helped them. We recently profiled James in our e-newletter. At 59, he thought he would never land a job, but HE DID. He is now on his way back to stability. There are so many others who have landed jobs and we celebrate.

Our work is not done. It is through you and others like you, God provides for Christian HELP. Thank you for your support.

I hope you will join us at Christmas in July on the 23rd. It is certain to be a great event!

Be blessed,

Sandi

A note from our Development Director about her day of counseling

I had planned on spending the morning at Christian HELP answering phones to learn what needs were in our community at this time. God had another plan for me.

I arrived at Christian HELP at 9:15am - just in time for their morning gathering round the little table in the kitchen to pray. We lifted each other up in prayer and the clients that would be coming in for various needs. As I made my way to the front desk to man the phones, Kristy Owens, our Director of Operations asked if I would be willing to do some Employment Counseling with the clients as we were short staffed. When something unexpected happens I am keenly aware that God may have something to show me and I jumped at the chance.

I only saw four clients today but what a cross-section of our community.

My first client was a lovely young lady who was attending college to get her degree but was looking for a part-time job to help her with her basic bills. We did a job search and I found two leads for her to walk away with and she was able to get some groceries from our pantry.

My next client was an elderly couple (65+). They had both been out of work for a year and his unemployment checks had once again stopped and they were hungry and scared. They had no family, only each other. We did a job search and found some leads but my hope for them was small. Who is going to hire someone that age? The husband looked frail and was asking for mechanical leads. He had his resume with him and was so earnest about finding something. Our volunteer who assists with resumes was there so I asked him to help my client as well. We prayed and they received bags of food to put in their car. Later I spoke to Kristy saying I felt we were not able to help them and she explained to me that we were. Christian HELP is independent and we have the discretion to serve those who we feel are in need. The groceries that we were able to give this couple was a dire need that we were filling and one we are able to continue to fill, the other need was just spending time with them, listening to them and praying with them. There are not many places out there where this couple can go and receive that much needed attention.

My third client was a lady who was able to help herself but was not doing so. She had been seeing us for over a year and was not following up on the job leads we were giving her. I had to explain to her that we were not helping her move forward and that she needed to seek out other agencies that may be a better fit for her.

Lastly I had a well dressed, educated women who came in for the first time. She had been out of work for 4 months and was feeling a little discouraged. Her experience was good and we were able to find very promising leads for her - it was rewarding to see her leave feeling more encouraged.

I love things to be black and white. I love to know if you are looking for a job we help you - if you are not we don't. Well guess what.....life is gray......there are people out there who don't fall into certain categories. This does not mean they do not deserve to be helped. I am totally against enabling people to be dependant but seeing this need this morning helped me to understand that God has us here for many reasons, not just one and we need to let him guide us to show where He wants to use us.

I also realized our logo - Christian HELP (Hope, Encourage, Love & Prayer) was right on the mark and being carried out every day!

Jackie Normand

Ministry Development Director

Thank You

Thank your to all our donors who make this Ministry possible. Please feel free to visit us to see God's work in action.

Upcoming Events at Christian HELP

Each month from January to September Christian HELP holds a lunch and tour so you can "Come and See" what God is doing at Christian HELP. The next tour will be June 7th and we would love to have you attend. The lunch starts at noon and ends around 1:00 PM. You can RSVP to jackie@christianhelp.org.

We have the 14th Annual Job fair this week on May 19th Featuring over 70 employers, educational opportunities, and job seeker resources. This is a great way to meet employers face to face. Details and registration are online at http://cfec.org.

On May 26th at 3:00 PM at the Christian HELP office, we will have our online search tips class with Michael Johnson as the trainer. The class helps job seekers to prepare for job search online.

The next day on May 27th we have our 4th Re-Charge and Re-Energize your job search seminar sponsored by WESH Channel 2. This seminar will help job seekers with interviewing, job search survival, and image. Job seeker resources will be available. Register online at http://cfec.org.

In July we will have our 3rd Annual Christmas in July event featuring musical entertainment, Melony McKaye from Z88.3 Radio, a Silent Auction, and a Dessert social. All are welcome to attend. Proceeds from the auction benefit the Christian HELP community Christmas Program.

Check our website often for other upcoming events and tell your friends!

Be a lifeline for someone in need...

In our last e-mail newsletter we shared with readers some of the success stories we have experienced recently at Christian HELP, we are so blessed when clients come in and share how our services and our team have helped to connect them with a job, keep food on their tables and provide them with hope.

Behind each success story is another soul who is still a work in progress struggling to make ends meet, wondering if they will make it to their next meal. There are stories of depression and despair, hurt and rejection as they apply for job after job only to hear that they have not been chosen or maybe not even hearing back at all.

Every day we see people like Cora who lost her professional job because she refused to be unethical and was told "there is no place for you here anymore", and Amy a single mom whose husband left her after 20 years of marriage, and she was laid off from her job. We see people like Jennifer who has one more night in her extended stay hotel before she ends up on the street with her 11 year old daughter if they can't find a shelter bed, after she lost her job and could no longer afford the rent.

It is hard to believe that I am officially celebrating my 3rd anniversary with Christian HELP this month. So much has changed with our economy and we have had to change with it. We are continuously working to improve our services to provide our clients with all of the tools we can to help them move forward. We have solidified partnerships with other agencies and resources in an effort to compliment our services. We have engaged the Human Resources community to provide hands-on interaction with our clients to share their knowledge and tips with job seekers. It is such a blessing when a job seeker tells us we helped them to get the job!

In this economy our services are needed now more than ever. It is people like you who provide the majority of the funding for our services. We cannot do what we do without God's blessing and your help.

Just as a reminder, in April your funds will be matched by the Alan S. Feinstein Foundation, Charity Challenge, and a few generous donors. Your donation of $30 will become $60 and will feed a family of 4 for a month, Your donation of $100 will become $200 and will keep the lights on for a family, Your donation of $1000 will help place 20 clients in jobs. Your donation is a a lifeline for a job seeker in need. We cannot thank you enough for helping us to continue to do what we do.

God is in Control and He is active at Christian HELP. We are so glad to have you as part of our "family here". I personally feel so blessed for all of the prayers and support we have received. Please do not hesitate to call or e-mail me anytime.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us financially, prayerfully, and with your words of encouragement. We appreciate you.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Double Your Impact With Local Giving

I am finding it a bit harder to ask for support as I see tragedies happen around the world. The devestating earthquakes in Haiti and Chile just tear your heart out. Images of hurting people are sometimes too much to bear. They need our support, but there is still hurt and pain here at home too.

Unemployment is at record highs and people are just paralyzed in their job search. Even well networked people are having a harder time finding a job. We saw over 10,000 clients last year at Christian HELP and we are averaging 12-15 more each day than this time last year.

The most disturbing thing is how many people come in hungry. Really hungry. We have cookies in the lobby each day and the plate is empty minutes after it is set out. A few times counselors have run to the back to get someone food just so they can talk to them about employment.

There is a chance unemployment benefits may not be extended. Unemployment benefits of just $275 a week run 26 weeks. According to the Department of Labor a job search can take an average of 33.5 weeks. What do you do in between? Throw in a health issue and it is a disaster in the making.

People are mad, they are scared, they don't know where to turn. No one gets back to them after they spend 2 hours working on an application online. They feel like a number.

At Christian HELP, we still answer our phones with a live person. We offer a warm and welcoming safe place for people to come and share their stories. We have volunteers who dedicate a day or more a week EVERY week to making sure clients are cared for. We offer Hope, Encouragement, Love, and Prayer.

Help us continue to help these clients. They are your friends and your neighbors. We have seen so many people these past 2 years go from comfortable to choosing between rent and food. Beside almost every unemployed person is a child or a family to support.

In March and April through the generosity of the Feinstein Foundation, some generous directors and donors, and Charity Challenge every dollar donated to Christian HELP is doubled; $25 becomes $50, $500 becomes $1000 and so on. Will you please consider a donation at this time.

Thank you so much for your prayers and generosity.

The Mayor's Job Fair

Today was the first job fair of the year for Christian HELP and the Central Florida Employment Council. Over 60 companies were represented and many job openings were available. Thousands of people came out in hopes of finding a job. I stopped and spoke to one gentleman who was very professionally dressed and I told him that we did have links to all of the employers on our website and he could also apply for jobs online when he got home. He simply said to me "I don't have a home." Wow...

This man was not someone who looked homeless. He was clean, he was professional, and he was very humble and nice. Kristy Owens, our Operations Director had a chance to speak with him and hopefully we can find him a place to stay. At least he still has his truck.

Another lady came, desparate for a job. The shelter she is in gave her notice that if she cannot find a job, she will not be able to stay. She has 2 kids.

Last year over 6,000 people found jobs at our job fairs. It is my prayer that we will help connect more this year. These are our friends and neighbors. They need our help. If you know about jobs, please share them with us so we can share them with others.