Employment Seminar

I am so excited! We are putting together an Employment Seminar on March 26th at Willow Creek Church in Winter Springs. The speakers are experts in their fields and I really feel like they will add value to any job search. Registration and details are online at www.cfec.org.

The job market is tough right now and at Christian HELP we are really trying to do everything we can to help our clients to find a job.

• We have added several new volunteer counselors. They are all wonderful and are really devoted to making the job search work as well as providing hope and encouragement.
• We have free resume services in our office and remotely
• We have a professional networking group we work with- ProNet Central Florida
• We have a partnership with CPI (Corporate Performance Institute) to help clients determine their career path
• We are continuously searching for new resources
• and of course our new "Get Your Game on" Employment Seminar

Offering Hope

Today I toured a facility my friend Krissy Todd has been envisioning for a few years now. The 7 acre property will be transformed into a Village of Hope. We plan to be there with a satellite office as we start to expand outside our 4 walls and offer not only more locations but more services as well.

In difficult times, we often get down and depressed. The media paints a picture of gloom and doom. We find ourselves being caught up in the frenzy of negativity. In all of this, God is still in control. He knows what the outcome of everything that is going on is. We just need to lean on Him and pray for His guidance.

One of the things I love most about Christian HELP is that we truly try to offer Hope and Encouragement. It is not enough for us just to give a job lead and feed someone physically. We try to offer spiritual guidance when needed or prayer if it is accepted. We would never turn anyone away because they are not Christian or do not want prayer, but we do want to offer it when we can.

A man came in recently who had sent out over 2,000 resumes and heard nothing back. One of our counselors prayed with him and offered words of encouragement. Soon after he had a job offer. I believe that God orchestrates even the little things and this was one of them.

Our future job fairs will have more resources for people to help them with their needs. We are now offering training and employment seminars. We continue to seek out partners who have offerings we do not. Most of all, we want to offer HOPE.

Staying Positive in a Negative Economy

Yesterday we had our first job fair of the year. There were less employers than usual and still a great deal of job seekers came. For some it was a great opportunity to get in front of employers and see what jobs were available, seek other resources, and find out about educational opportunities. For others, it was not what they expected. As I walked the lines outside, some people were in a bad mood before they even walked in the door. One woman jumped down my throat because she had not received a directory yet. I went inside and got her one.

My concern is that as people become more desperate for a job, their attitudes are reflected in front of potential employers. This is not going to help in an already difficult job search. The competition is great out there and everyone has to have their "game on". Resumes have to be perfect, dress has to be professional, and attitudes have to be positive.

How do you stay positive when no one calls you back, when you have been out of a job for several months and face losing your home? When the bills are stacking up? I have to admit, it is difficult. The good news is God is in control and we can turn our cares over to Him.

I spoke to a friend yesterday who is self employed and is facing mounting bills as his sales go down. His mortgage is behind and he is looking for other options. He is a believer and a man of strong faith. He told me that he has a peace because he knows that God is in control.

Another friend is experiencing job loss, but has found that somehow her bills have still been paid.

When everything is crumbling around us, we need to draw closer to God. He tells us that if we draw close to Him he draws close to us. When it seems like there are no answers, reach out to Him. I encourage everyone to spend some time reading Romans.

Christian HELP's counselors do more that just help with a job search. We try to offer Hope. I ran into one of our clients yesterday at the job fair and she just glowed. She was so grateful for the time we talked in my office, but mostly for the prayer. What an honor it is to be able to share a moment with the Lord with a client. I could see how it affected her and it was a blessing for both of us.

These days I pray without ceasing. I know that God is in control and I have to stay positive even when things seem not so bright.

The Challenges Ahead and the Hope...

I knew it was coming with Circuit City, but until it hits you still don't expect it. 30,000 people will be losing their jobs. Some already have. I worked at Circuit City in Human Resources for 3 1/2 years. Many of the people who work in the Distribution Center in Groveland are people I hired. Some of the Managers have been there since they came out of high school 17 years ago. It is really a sad time for all of them.

I keep hearing about more and more people that I know losing their jobs. My friends and colleagues are feeling the hit. What can we do to help? First all PRAY for our country, our leaders, and our economic health. Second, we need to be there to listen. Third, share your connections. The best way to the next job is through networks.

We hear about Hope of the news and all over the television. Our new leadership is coming in talking about Hope and Change. What does that really mean? Should we put our faith in the government to solve our issues? God is still on His throne and still in control. He provides the Hope that we need through his son's death on the cross. When everything is going wrong and challenges abound, we need to seek His will for us. We need to place our Hope in him.

The bible tells us that "...whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:13. This is one of my favorite verses. When all Hope seems gone, we can call upon the Lord.

For those of us who are still employed, we need to think about how we can help our community. How we can be the salt and the light so that others may see Christ in us. While we have great challenges, we still have the Hope that is in Christ.

Today on the National Day of Service we had over 20 volunteers come out and help around the building. They were so full of light and of energy. It was refreshing.

Please continue to lift us up in prayer as we reach out to help others. Helping is harder these days with people more and more in need. We are experiencing some economic challenges. Please help where you can.

Staying Connected

Christmas was an amazing event this year as always. We were so blessed with the outpouring from the community. My hope and prayer is that even after Christmas and the holidays are passed that you will stay connected with our ministry. There are so many families in need as job losses continue to happen daily and homes are lost to foreclosure. We have had several families who were renting lost their homes when the land lord was foreclosed on.

Please continue to share your time, talents, and treasures with us. Let us know how we are doing and how we can help. If you are not already signed up for our e-mail newsletter, sign up at www. christianhelp.org.

We would also like to have you become a fan of Christian HELP on facebook. See the link below.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Casselberry-FL/Christian-HELP/8982234458

Thank you again for all of your support and your prayers!

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.