People always call me out on my love of the grinch. Really, I love him because when he saw the true meaning of Christmas his heart swelled 3 sizes. I love how he became part of the story rather than trying to rob the people of their joy like he was originally trying to do.
For me, Christmas has always been about family. The gifts under the tree are secondary to the love we have for each other. We have had years that were abundant and years that were slim, but none of that matters if you don't have people around you who love you and care for your future.
Jesus is the reason for the season, but even more, He is a symbol of unconditional love. God sent Him as the sacrifice for all of our sins. He tells us in Romans 3:10-12, and 23
“No one is righteous—not even one. No one
is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have
become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” ... For everyone
has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. But He goes on in John 3:16 to tell us "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
I am so thankful to God for His gift to us. Aren't you?
It is so easy to get caught up in the commercialization of Christmas. These days we even have to deal with people who don't like the word Christmas and fight to have it removed from our vocabulary. I find all of this to be so sad.
Each year, the community comes together through various programs to support families in need and make sure their kids have Christmas. Some even sacrifice their own gifts to help others. This warms my heart. Occasionally, we have a family who is not happy with their gifts, seems ungrateful, or wants more than we generally provide. This can be discouraging and take away from the true meaning and reason fro what we do. There are so many families who are grateful and who are just thrilled about how the community supports them. In our program, we get to pray for them as well as provide them with gifts and food. This year, 8 people professed a belief in Christ for the first time. This is what Christmas is about.
As we look forward to 2014, my prayer for you is that you have been open to receiving God's greatest gift, and if you have not; that you will be.
Be blessed in 2014 and beyond.
Sandi
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Monday, November 25, 2013
On Being Thankful...
Thanksgiving is a time of year where we stop and think about what we are thankful for. Some people even do daily thank yous on social media listing the things and people they are thankful for. I have purposed in my heart to be thankful every day and not just in November. It is a great exercise that helps me to appreciate all that I have been blessed with.
"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you
were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell
in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom,
singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your
hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in
the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:15-17
As I go through my daily routine, I lift people up and just say thank you to God for the people he has put into my life. As I meet people who are hurting and in need of jobs, I pray for them, but also thank God for my job. You get the picture. Being prayerful and thankful helps to keep me focused on how blessed I am no matter what is going on.
This Thanksgiving, I give thanks for you. The supporters, and clients of Christian HELP. I give thanks for an amazing staff and team of volunteers who give more of themselves than is expected or required. I give thanks for Jesus, who gives me life.
What are you thankful for? Focus on these things, and you will feel blessed.
Sandi
Thursday, October 10, 2013
This boy has known hunger
As told by Phyllis, one of the Christian HELP team members:
Today
I was coming back from lunch, and as I
was getting out of my car, I heard this little boy crying loudly.
His
mom was holding him and his dad was close by. I went in the office and grabbed
him a Mickey Mouse plush toy, and thought that may calm him down. I
walked up to the family and
asked if I could give him it, the little boy was maybe about 2 or 3 years old would
not take it so I handed it to mom.
She
said he’s hungry, I said oh he hasn’t had lunch yet? Mom said no, he hasn’t
eaten today; I gave him a glass of juice. She
was holding a food ticket, and had a few families in front of her waiting, so I
walked into the food pantry and got a pretzel and cheese snack and an individual
bag of cookies. I walked back to the family and asked the parents, is
this ok for him to have, to hold him over till your food order is
processed? She said yes, Thank you so much for treating us kindly and
like human beings. I went to give him the bag of cookies; he grabbed them
so fast from me, at that moment I knew this little boy has known hunger. No
child ever should. It’s was
heartbreaking.
I am just thankful that I heard his cries and responded,
if only in a small way. It made me think, differently about what we do
here at Christian HELP and why. It must be so demeaning and humbling to
come to a food pantry, fear of being judged or belittled. Our words, and
expressions, have an impact on our clients; we try hard to be aware of that
often. We can get so busy, we miss the opportunities right before our
eyes, if we just take that moment to stop, listen and see. Everyone
has a story and theirs was they have never been in this situation before and
are just numb.
Lord I thank you for meeting this families needs today, through
us. Allow God to use us more daily, and listening for those cries and
unspoken words, the face reveals so much more than words sometimes.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
You Do Good Work
I have been with Christian HELP on staff now 6 1/2 years. Since I came on, we have weathered a recession, had the homeless issue in Central Florida exposed nationally, found our we are ranked #1 for lowest wages in the country, and served thousands of families who might have had nowhere else to turn. One thing I can say through all of those things is we have an amazing team of staff, volunteers, donors, prayer warriors, and community partners who make it all work.
When we wanted to initiate and expand the Central Florida Jobs Initiative, many corporate partners including Bank of America, Wal-Mart, and Wells Fargo said yes to helping to make that happen. Then the Heart of Florida United Way vetted the program and liked what they saw. We were able to expand the program and add some staff, and several collaborative partners including SafeHouse, CredAbility, and Seminole County Legal Aid. One of the most important partners to come along side of us has been Willow Creek Church who has shown a true spirit of community by donating 2 offices and classroom space for our team. They treat us like their own and we are so blessed.
Second Harvest has been a tremendous food partner, as have many churches and individuals who keep our pantry stocked. Approximately 250 families each week come in to get food to help their families to make ends meet. Many are experiencing a short term crisis, others have been unemployed for quite some time.
The employers who support the job board, job fairs, and employment seminars are so important to the work we do. They network with us and attend meetings. They advise us on trends in hiring. They volunteer as instructors and mock interviewers, and resume reviewers for the job fairs and jobs initiative, and most of all, they hire our clients.
The individuals, corporations, and churches who support our Christmas program are amazing. Many times we don't know who put the toy in the box, but we know it ends up with a child who is blessed to be able to have Christmas. We couldn't do the adopt a family program without Z88.3 and the team there. I love that they are so real and wonderful, just like they are on the radio.
So when you say "you do good work", what you are really saying is that we do live in a community that gives hope. There are many people here who do care and are willing to sacrifice for others.
Thank you!
Sandi
Friday, September 27, 2013
We love success stories!
When Carmen Came to Christian HELP, she had been searching for a job for awhile and no one was calling her back. Being part of the Central Florida Jobs Initiative, re-charged and re-energized her job search with the tools she needed to land a job she loves!
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Volunteer Voice
For the first time in my 39 years of life, I met a woman who I want to be when I grow up. When I grow up, I want to be just like Annie Mae Gathers: beautiful, forgiving, focused, generous,
optimistic, and drenched
in the Holy Spirit. Annie Mae has been a volunteer
in the Christian Help food pantry for eight years doing “whatever needs to be done”.
Having raised her own seven children, while working 21 years in janitorial services
with the school system
and 24 years cleaning domestically, Annie Mae is blessed
with 14 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Now, Annie Mae’s 84 years
of fervently serving others has transitioned to a dedication for volunteerism. She tells me, “I get something money can’t buy” when clients
coming to the food pantry
hug her and thank
her she says, “it’s like filling
up my tank with gas.” “At my age,” says Annie Mae, “I’m
feeling like I’m being of help to somebody”. She adds, “if you want a place you feel competent that you are helping, you can come to Christian
Help”. “They show a lot of love, you can feel it when you go into the pantry.”
Annie Mae attributes her motivation and inspiration to her relationship with God. She shares with me, “you’ve
got to have your card activated--that relationship with God-- otherwise nothing
is going to work for you---it makes you love one another.” She tells
me she gets up on Thursdays and prays, “God, you and me are going to the pantry today!” And God never fails to inspire Annie Mae on mornings when the pantry
is bare and the volunteers gather
to pray and just in time a truck pulls up fulfilling all their needs. In addition, on her days away from Christian Help, Annie Mae blends her joy of cooking with her generosity: Just last Monday she made spaghetti and fed three neighborhood families in need!
I will never forget Annie Mae Gathers. She’s the type of person I enjoy just being in the
same room with, soaking up her wisdom,
and watching God’s light emanate from her
eyes. With God’s help, when I am 84 years old, I want to be ....beautiful, forgiving, focused, generous, optimistic, and drenched in the Holy Spirit.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Here are some immediate openings we have:
Food Pantry- Volunteer a whole day or 1/2 day. Afternoons 12-4 are the greatest need. Help to sort, stock, and serve clients. Must be able to stand for long periods of time and lift to 30 lbs. We also need a few people to help break down cardboard boxes daily.
Call Julie at 407-834-4022 or e-mail volunteer@christianhelp.org.
Jobs Initiative Volunteer Needs
-Class Instructors- Teach one or more components of the 6 modules for the Jobs Initiative (JI) Classes. This requires training or teaching experience and the ability to commit to teaching at least one class a month for 2 or more hours. Class days are projected to be Tuesdays and Thursdays, but are subject to change.
-Mock Interviewers- Work with JI Students to insure interview readiness by performing mock interviews and providing feedback to the students. Work with the students to coach them to become comfortable with the interview process and be able to articulate their experience and value to a potential company. Some interviews will take place during class 5, others times may be flexible. Must have previous interviewing experience.
-Mentors- Work with JI graduates once they have completed the program and been hired by partner employers. The mentor will be the liaison between the employer and the graduate to continue to coach the graduate and moderate any issues. Ideally, mentors will be at the partner locations, but they can also be outside influencers.
-Class Facilitators- One to two people per class to set up the class, put together class materials, set up snacks, and be a support to the instruction team. No experience needed. Must be able to commit to a 6-8 hour class period one or more days a week.
To indicate an interest in any of these positions call 407-834-4022 for Zeynep or e-mail zeynep@christianhelp.org
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Job Resources - FREE! Coaching, Resume help, Job Skills Classes
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Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Re-Charge and Re-Energize Your Job Search Seminar
If you have not sent us your RSVP already,
we still have seats available for THIS Thursday's FREE seminar for job seekers
- feel free to invite a friend....
Presented by Christian HELP / Central Florida Employment Council
This Thursday Evening, April 4, 2013 ~ 6:00-9:00pm
"Whether you are a professional, mid, or entry level job
seeker, you can expect to be re-charged, encouraged and engaged. You will have
an opportunity to meet up and network with other people, presenters, and
helpful service providers over refreshments. Expect to be able to get back into
the game after you are re-energized for your job search. We know the best way
to find a job is to have help!"
(Refreshments and door prizes are included)
Location:
College Park Baptist Church/Fellowship Hall 1914 Edgewater Dr.,
Orlando, FL 32804 (Located just south of the intersection of Princeton Avenue
and Edgewater Drive in College Park. It is accessible from Interstate 4,
Colonial Drive (Highway 50), and Lee Road)
Attire:
Professional/Business
SCHEDULE OF SESSIONS/SPEAKERS:
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Social
Media - Who's Watching?
Christine Jacob, Manager of Client Services, VACO Orlando, LLC |
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Signs
of a Great Résumé: How to Write a Resume that Speaks for Itself Scott Vedder, a Fortune 100 Recruiter
and Best-Selling Author of Signs of a Great Résumé
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"How
to Wow them at the interview"? The chemistry of the interview Farnaz Namin-Hedayati, Ph.D., Doctor of
Corporate Psychology Strategist and Peak Performance Coach, Center For Work
Life, LLC
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