You Do Good Work

I speak to many people on a daily basis and it seems like more and more people have heard of Christian HELP (finally!), and it seems like we often end the conversation with them saying "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

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!

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.