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 

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. 

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.

September Jobs Initiative Classes

Volunteering is a great way to get involved and give back to your community. At Christian HELP, we consider our volunteers to be Angels to those we serve. 

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