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.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Christmas 2007
All I can say is that I am AMAZED at the people that God has brought to Christian HELP. We have been so blessed with volunteers and donors at this special time of year. It is because of all of these wonderfull people that we were able to bless about 600 familes with Christmas gifts and Holiday meals this year.
One story worth sharing is about JC. He is a 16 year old boy that heard about our adoption program on Z88.3. He sent them a letter which they faxed to us. He wanted to help his family with Christmas. You see, his mother passed away and he and his siblings are cared for by his Aunt. He has Cystic Fibrosis and is sick alot, but feels that she care for them well. He wanted help for the 9 and 11 year olds in his family. He asked for nothing for himself. What a noble person at such a young age. We decided to "adopt" JC's family for Christmas. When his grandmother got the message, she just cried. Of course we included gifts for JC as well.
Tracy came to me in tears to tell me how she thought that she would have no financial issues this year, but unexpectedly her son was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The medical bills were mounting with no end in sight. She was able to come through our toy room and pick out gifts for all of her children. My son Nathan got to be her "elf" and really bonded with her. Her family is in our prayers. She was so thankful not only for the gifts, but to share her story.
The list goes on. So many were blessed with the generosity of others. We had enough toys to call about 1/2 of our reserve list and give to several other charities and churches. Our biggest need was food. It still is. Our cupboard is bare after helping all of these people. HOPE Foundation and Central Florida Dream Center came to our rescue along with several Publix locations. We still need to rebuild our stores for the clients who continue to come in.
Next year will be more challenging. The hard to employ will become even harder to employ. There is a great deal of competition with our job fairs and our job board. The market is tougher and unemployment may rise. We have faith that God will continue to see us through as we embark on our 2008 journey. We ask that you keep Christian HELP is your prayers. Thank you for all you do.
-and God Bless!
One story worth sharing is about JC. He is a 16 year old boy that heard about our adoption program on Z88.3. He sent them a letter which they faxed to us. He wanted to help his family with Christmas. You see, his mother passed away and he and his siblings are cared for by his Aunt. He has Cystic Fibrosis and is sick alot, but feels that she care for them well. He wanted help for the 9 and 11 year olds in his family. He asked for nothing for himself. What a noble person at such a young age. We decided to "adopt" JC's family for Christmas. When his grandmother got the message, she just cried. Of course we included gifts for JC as well.
Tracy came to me in tears to tell me how she thought that she would have no financial issues this year, but unexpectedly her son was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The medical bills were mounting with no end in sight. She was able to come through our toy room and pick out gifts for all of her children. My son Nathan got to be her "elf" and really bonded with her. Her family is in our prayers. She was so thankful not only for the gifts, but to share her story.
The list goes on. So many were blessed with the generosity of others. We had enough toys to call about 1/2 of our reserve list and give to several other charities and churches. Our biggest need was food. It still is. Our cupboard is bare after helping all of these people. HOPE Foundation and Central Florida Dream Center came to our rescue along with several Publix locations. We still need to rebuild our stores for the clients who continue to come in.
Next year will be more challenging. The hard to employ will become even harder to employ. There is a great deal of competition with our job fairs and our job board. The market is tougher and unemployment may rise. We have faith that God will continue to see us through as we embark on our 2008 journey. We ask that you keep Christian HELP is your prayers. Thank you for all you do.
-and God Bless!
Friday, November 30, 2007
Christmas is coming
I just got word today that over 80 families have already been adopted for Christmas. We have even more families who will be coming in to "shop" in our toy room during our distribution week. We have people lined up in the morning when we arrive...
The need is great.
As the economy softens, more and more people are finding it hard to make ends meet. When you are poor or on a fixed income, it becomes even more difficult to pay for necessities like gas, food, and utilities, not to mention rent.
We have been helping families all over Central Florida to stretch their dollars a bit further by providing Christmas. Our Client Services Administrator Phyllis even put together a package for a family in India! It is because of the generosity of people like you that we are able to provide this blessing.
There are so many ways to help out:
The need is great.
As the economy softens, more and more people are finding it hard to make ends meet. When you are poor or on a fixed income, it becomes even more difficult to pay for necessities like gas, food, and utilities, not to mention rent.
We have been helping families all over Central Florida to stretch their dollars a bit further by providing Christmas. Our Client Services Administrator Phyllis even put together a package for a family in India! It is because of the generosity of people like you that we are able to provide this blessing.
There are so many ways to help out:
- Sponsor a family for $40.00, this provides a holiday meal, and toys for the children.
- Adopt a family- call us or e-mail christmas@christianhelp.org and we can fax you profiles
- Do a toy, food, or battery drive
- Volunteer
Please consider joining with Christian HELP to HELP Give Christmas to those in need.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
God is Great
As I listened to Dick Wilson, one of the founders of Christian HELP, speak at our annual Harvest of Hope, his message was clear- God is Great!
Over the past 15 years, God has taken ordinary people to extraordinary places in this ministry. The numbers alone http://www.christianhelp.org/ speak for themselves, but it is the stories of the people we have ministered to that really have an impact.
The team and volunteers who came together just for this event to happen continue to amaze me. When God laid it on my heart to do a video, I thought I would have to find outside talent. Little did I know, that Lech, our IT guy had such talent. He put together a video that brings tears to my eyes everytime I watch it. God brought Kristy Owens back to us as a volunteer coordinator. She was able to pull off our silent auction. (Not without some hiccups, but we wont go there!) Phyllis Mabery gave her testimony (I cry every time!), and organized and obtained so many items for the auction that we ran out of space. Way to go Phyllis! Chris Whitehead did all of the decorating and with her daughter Kim and a whole army of volunteers and team helpers made the place look amazing. Vicky and her husband Christian took care of the signs, Madge and Rob made sure our guests had snacks and punch. Ken (our extreme makeover guy) made sure everyone knew where to go. Jackie, our development coordinator made all of this happen!
My thanks goes out to the table captains who secured all of the guests. Without you, we would have had empty chairs. And to Karen- talk about calm under fire!- who made sure everyone had a seat...
And to all of the others- too many to name- you know who you are. My sincere appreciation goes to all of you for making this event so successful.
I was talking to someone the other day about giving. When you are a Christian, you understand the phrase that it is better to give than to receive... I believe when you give, you truly receive more than you give. God blesses those who give cheerfully. The smiles (through the moments of stress) on the faces of those who gave of their talents, and those who gave of their treasures, and those who shared both, were proof that this is true.
It is my prayer that we will continue to reach out to the community and change lives through the direction of the Holy spirit. If you have not seen our ministry and would like to, please e-mail jackie@christianhelp.org. If you would like to support us financially, please go to the main Christian HELP page and hit donate now. I really believe that you will be blessed.
God is GREAT!
-amen
Over the past 15 years, God has taken ordinary people to extraordinary places in this ministry. The numbers alone http://www.christianhelp.org/ speak for themselves, but it is the stories of the people we have ministered to that really have an impact.
The team and volunteers who came together just for this event to happen continue to amaze me. When God laid it on my heart to do a video, I thought I would have to find outside talent. Little did I know, that Lech, our IT guy had such talent. He put together a video that brings tears to my eyes everytime I watch it. God brought Kristy Owens back to us as a volunteer coordinator. She was able to pull off our silent auction. (Not without some hiccups, but we wont go there!) Phyllis Mabery gave her testimony (I cry every time!), and organized and obtained so many items for the auction that we ran out of space. Way to go Phyllis! Chris Whitehead did all of the decorating and with her daughter Kim and a whole army of volunteers and team helpers made the place look amazing. Vicky and her husband Christian took care of the signs, Madge and Rob made sure our guests had snacks and punch. Ken (our extreme makeover guy) made sure everyone knew where to go. Jackie, our development coordinator made all of this happen!
My thanks goes out to the table captains who secured all of the guests. Without you, we would have had empty chairs. And to Karen- talk about calm under fire!- who made sure everyone had a seat...
And to all of the others- too many to name- you know who you are. My sincere appreciation goes to all of you for making this event so successful.
I was talking to someone the other day about giving. When you are a Christian, you understand the phrase that it is better to give than to receive... I believe when you give, you truly receive more than you give. God blesses those who give cheerfully. The smiles (through the moments of stress) on the faces of those who gave of their talents, and those who gave of their treasures, and those who shared both, were proof that this is true.
It is my prayer that we will continue to reach out to the community and change lives through the direction of the Holy spirit. If you have not seen our ministry and would like to, please e-mail jackie@christianhelp.org. If you would like to support us financially, please go to the main Christian HELP page and hit donate now. I really believe that you will be blessed.
God is GREAT!
-amen
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Time for hope
The bible tells us in Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, " declares the Lord, "plans to give you a hope and a future."
Next week is our Harvest of Hope annual fundraiser. It is the single largest event (other than the job fairs) that we put on each year. It is our wish to be able to continue to give hope to those around us who have lost their jobs or do not have enough income to make ends meet. Sometimes hope is lost to illness, sometimes to other tragedies. Each day our counselors pray with clients and try to help them to restore their hope. Please pray about how you can be a part of this event.
We are reaching out to people who want to make a difference in the lives of their neighbors. By providing job leads, supplemental food, and other services, we can make a difference. If you want to be part of this process of transforming lives- please let us know...
There are many ways to serve:
Next week is our Harvest of Hope annual fundraiser. It is the single largest event (other than the job fairs) that we put on each year. It is our wish to be able to continue to give hope to those around us who have lost their jobs or do not have enough income to make ends meet. Sometimes hope is lost to illness, sometimes to other tragedies. Each day our counselors pray with clients and try to help them to restore their hope. Please pray about how you can be a part of this event.
We are reaching out to people who want to make a difference in the lives of their neighbors. By providing job leads, supplemental food, and other services, we can make a difference. If you want to be part of this process of transforming lives- please let us know...
There are many ways to serve:
- Volunteer your time and your talents at Christian HELP or from home
- Support us financially through one time or automatic giving
- Bid on our silent auction items or donate an item for bidding
- Adopt or sponsor a family for Christmas
- Pick up a Dove card at a participating location (Chik-fil-a, Qdoba, Centra-care, some area churches) and buy a gift for a needy child
- Donate food to our pantry
- Adopt a room (2008) and help us to finish our makeover project
- MOST IMPORTANTLY- PRAY for our ministry daily
We appreciate all of the people who make this ministry successful. God is in control of everything we do and we give him the highest praise. His word gives us the hope that we can be an instrument to help those in need find the future He has planned for us.
Call us or e-mail today - 407-834-4022 forhelp@christianhelp.org
Monday, October 1, 2007
Read about us
Christian HELP is starting to get noticed. We are regular contributors to Look UP Orlando Magazine (available in many Churches and in our Lobby), we have an article on the Insight Business website http://www.insightbusinessupdate.com/human-resources/hire-better-for-less.html, we have a weekly employment column in the Winter Springs/Oviedo Voice, we have been featured in the East Orlando Sun, and we have an article coming up in the Seminole Neighbors newspaper.
What does all this mean? It seems to mean that we are getting busier and busier. A typical Tuesday now can bring 45 job seekers looking for assistance. As we start rolling into Christmas, it means that we will need families, churches, and businesses to help us with family adoptions and sponsorships. We will need volunteers to help with picking up gifts, sorting gifts, and being Christmas elves.
If you are interested in helping out- please call us at 407-834-4022 or e-mail forhelp@christianhelp.org.
What does all this mean? It seems to mean that we are getting busier and busier. A typical Tuesday now can bring 45 job seekers looking for assistance. As we start rolling into Christmas, it means that we will need families, churches, and businesses to help us with family adoptions and sponsorships. We will need volunteers to help with picking up gifts, sorting gifts, and being Christmas elves.
If you are interested in helping out- please call us at 407-834-4022 or e-mail forhelp@christianhelp.org.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
New Services
Christian HELP has added a new resume review service. This service is avaliable both by e-mail and in our office. We have volunteers from local companies coming in to our office on September 18, 21, 25, 27, & 28 from 11AM-1PM to review resumes and make suggestions for changes. Resumes can be brought in as a hard copy or electronically.
We hope to add more job seeker training including computer classes, interviewing techniques, job search help, and more early next year. Look at our www.cfec.org and www.christianhelp.org websites for updates.
Once again, Christian HELP is excited about being an avenue to connect job seekers with employers. With our in office counseling, online job board, and 6 job fairs (next one November 7th), we connected over 8,000 people with jobs last year. Are you next?
We hope to add more job seeker training including computer classes, interviewing techniques, job search help, and more early next year. Look at our www.cfec.org and www.christianhelp.org websites for updates.
Once again, Christian HELP is excited about being an avenue to connect job seekers with employers. With our in office counseling, online job board, and 6 job fairs (next one November 7th), we connected over 8,000 people with jobs last year. Are you next?
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