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January 20, 2008

Christmas “adoptions” brought help to 7 families over the holiday. One family was overjoyed to get a food gift card to shop for their Christmas dinner.  “It was so nice not to have to shop for food without stress and pick out what we wanted for our Christmas meal! ”  Cooking a Christmas meal together was this families’ only wish.  Another family invited their “adopted family” to church and included them in their family celebration. It was a great experience for both families. The children played together and the givers’ children learned how much fun it is to give and share with others.

We got a call from a family as they were told to leave their rental property. The family said that the police had arrived to board up the home because it was a foreclosed home and they would probably be in a shelter. Someone had told them that they had through the weekend to find a new place but this visit was three days early. New landlords weren’t following up on applications that were filled out for other rental homes. We’re still waiting to hear where this family ended up. Please pray that they will find a good place with a decent landlord! The kids were in school when all of this happened and heard the news when the day was over. 

One morning a neighbor of a friend who volunteers with R&R called and offered to be a Life Preserver.  She is an older woman who likes to be busy and loves people. That same afternoon we got a referral who is a widow and needs a friend as she deals with big changes in her life. That is a God connection!  The two haven’t met yet but pray that this becomes a positive thing for both of them providing hope, friendship and healing.

A crib and baby items were requested by one of our swimmer families as she was due to deliver a baby soon. God provided exactly what was requested and the family was contacted a few weeks later. When the call was made to make arrangements for a drop off of the crib and baby clothes we found out that the baby was to be induced the next day!  That was amazing timing. Please pray for this large family as they adjust. Their food situation is always quite tough and adding this little surprise miracle is adding stress on each family member and a few of the kids are angry.

A referral was made the other day for a woman who was just about to sign a lease with someone and the other person had a huge health issue right there and is now in assisted care. Now the woman has no where to live, is scheduled for hip surgery and now has to find a place for her cat.  There wasn’t much we could do but a neat idea came to mind.  A few months ago one of our other swimmers was expressing how lonely she was and how much she wanted a pet to help keep her spirits up. The social worker will be calling her to see if she’ll watch the cat while the woman is recovering from surgery! This would save the cat from being put down and let the young gal test the pet ownership dream at the same time.  Waiting for an update on this…

A gentleman was connected with a church in his area for getting help as he becomes independent for the first time. He is handicapped and will be moving to his first place without any household things Feb. 1st.  The pastor of the church said he would work on this with his congregation. Please pray that this man sees Jesus through this connection and people come together to be His hands and feet.

It’s been so cold out there, it’s hard to ask for delivery help. Blessings to those who have been delivering in this weather!   Three deliveries were made this past weekend to new families who were without basic items due to tough circumstances.  A single mom living in a studio apt needed a loveseat or twin bed for her 5 year old to sleep on. God provided both!  A woman donated a loveseat that pulls out into a twin bed!  You don’t hear of that sized pull out often!  Kitchen items were also delivered.  The family wishes to thank all who helped and donated.

A gal due to have her first baby soon just got into her first place and needed help. She didn’t have a bed or household things and had been having false labor last week.  She had a baby crib and some clothes but no blankets, sheets, diapers, kitchen things etc.  A few days ago she was blessed by donations and her stress is reduced greatly!  

A couch and love seat were donated just as we were sorting for that family and another. We were able to split the set and bless two families with it in one day!  The other family that received a couch and beds had been sleeping on blankets in their empty apt. since the beginning of the month. The kids didn’t have boots or coats!  We were short a bed for them but provided an air mattress temporarily to get someone off of the floor.  God can use us to bring relief to those who are without simple resources that are all around us!  

We’ll be working on gathering items for two more families now. Our greatest need right now is beds. We are searching for 7.  Two are needed right away and 5 are needed at the end of the month.

God has provided through generous supporters. Thank you. If you would like to be involved by getting to know a swimmer in the future, give us a call!  God uses ordinary people like you and me! 

 

 

 

 

December 26, 2007

Merry Christmas! 

It’s been really busy the past month around here.

One week we were coordinating three different deliveries which was tough-especially when the weather threw all plans out the window.

Our storage area is on a farm property which isn’t necessarily plowed every time it snows. After the first “big” snowfall, which was an amount that would have gotten someone stuck, this became a dilemma.

In fact, it was the same week of the three deliveries. God provided a connection that took care of it! We got in there and sorted what was needed for the three families with no glitches. A single mom got beds for her two kids, a senior citizen got a bed and other household items and another family who was moving received two needed beds and bedding.  It was incredible to see how God provided that week. 

A referral was received from the food shelf which actually came to them from the local grocery store manager a week before Christmas. His wife had left him for someone else and then he was in a car accident that injured him. He was in a nursing home recovering through October and now was living in his car and had no place to live or work.  Because of his accident injuries, he was not able to go back to the work he had skills for but we were able to give him a lead on housing.  

Another new referral from the food shelf was helped this week. They needed beds and kitchen things too. The woman was embarrassed  to say she needed a can opener. This is something we’ve learned to always ask because when food is coming from the food shelf, a can opener is essential!  Praise God that the beds were provided again.  Most of our beds come to us without knowledge of the need. Other times we request the need for a bed online and a stranger will call with what is needed. Often they say ” I got over 100 responses for this but I saw you are helping someone who really needs it so I called you back”.  That’s God at work, don’t you think?

One of our families was not sure if they’d be homeless or not on the 19th. It’s a long story but basically, the Section 8 landlord has not done the required repairs to make the rental home “legal” for Section 8, even with the deadlines and warnings. The family can not leave or they’ll lose their Section 8 status, which takes years to get, and the lease would be broken which means bad rental history on the record.  They were all ready to move to nowhere and then were told the landlord has 60 more days to fix the home and won’t get the Section 8 money until it’s done. This was bittersweet news for the family. They were able to have Christmas in their place but have to live with the disrepair for another two months. We would love to help them with some of the repairs to make the place safer and more comfortable but can’t touch it. Please pray that a new Section 8 property will be located on the west side of town so her children can attend better schools too.  The mom calls us her “angels”.

A few weeks before Christmas R&R had an open invitation to “adopt” a family for Christmas.  Seven families were served in various ways.  Praise God!  One family even attended the Christmas service with the family that adopted them!  Beautiful! Thank you to all who stepped up and made a difference in someone’s life. 

Two Christmas trees were given to two different families that were adopted. One woman was asked if she had everything she needed now (she had nothing a few weeks before and her help from us came gradually due to delivery glitches) and she dropped her head and said, “this will sound selfish cause it’s something I don’t really need but I would really like flour and sugar so I can make my daughter her favorite cookies for Christmas”.  

A trip was made to ICA to see if they had any ingredients for cookies. The case worker there whom is a great resource for us personally took a look and found flour, sugar, brown sugar, chocolate chips and baking soda!  She said this is very unusual. They rarely have those items because they are perishable.  Always an adventure…

 

 

December 1, 2007

So much to write!

Hearts are being stirred and new crew members are jumping on board! Praise God! After working together in the storage room, one of them said,  “It was so much fun. I feel like I have a purpose now”. 

One of our swimmers is in rehab at Fairview- at the request of her Life Preserver. Praise God! She sounds so much better than before. Now she has been diagnosed and is being counseled. Please pray that she will have strength and trust in the Lord while she battles with her past.

Another swimmer was moved from a motel to an apartment last week. She asked for a prayer of blessing on her new place as she starts her life fresh. She is trying to quit smoking and during the whole move she was praising God. What a beautiful thing! Please pray that she also finds rest in the Lord and is renewed. She is interested in attending church again too. The R&R delivery crew was awesome as they rescued her things from storage (the locks had been changed and somehow she  found someone with a new key while the delivery crew was there) and brought essential donated furniture to her new place.

A Reach & Restore family went to court to fight a landlord dispute and the landlord didn’t show. It’s looking good for the R&R family and the deposit plus some will probably be returned. This is a huge answer to prayer. With only a few hundred dollars to live on a month, this payment is very important!

A family that was without beds and other basic furnishings since mid summer was blessed by donations from R&R. Five beds were donated and now they can sleep soundly. They also received a washer and dryer. “My faith in people and God has been renewed. I wish there was a way to repay you. Our place finally feels like home.”  Nothing is expected back when we give. It is a blessing to see lives changed by very simple things.  When the washer and dryer were dropped off the kids were literally dancing and doing back flips in the front yard! 

A woman that we are trying to help organize her home has been sick so that project is delayed for now. There is some depression too. “Thank you for all of your thoughts. They really help me”. she said. Please pray for a window of opportunity to finish the goal or she will lose her home without the reverse mortgage which is leaning on this. The stress and anxiety is freezing things for her.  

Some new referrals too… one last week and 4 this week!

Tomorrow we will be delivering a bed and household items to a 23 year old who is basically escaping her family and on her own for the first time. Her family will not allow her access to her things so R&R is stepping in. She also had knee surgery last week and her air mattress sprung a leak a few days ago. She said she is bored out of her mind with nothing in her place. A tea pot and a few plastic cups, a borrowed tv that changed channels by itself and a few other items.   She is so excited to be able to sit on furniture she can hardly stand it! She said she has felt so lonely and is glad to have someone to ask for advice.

 Two of the new referrals will be needing everything to start over also. One is a family of 9 who had a house fire. Hence the long list of clothing needed on the front page of this website. We are waiting to see where they will end up.  Another is someone who is new to the area and we’ll be learning more soon.

We got a call about a family who is going through foreclosure and has to be out of their home by Wed.  R&R was asked if we knew of any resources for them. The dad just abandoned the mom and 2 kids taking all of their money with him. The mom is in shock and now has to deal with the situation alone without any money available. We got in touch with Families Moving Forward and a miracle happened… there is usually a waiting list for new families to go to this unique shelter but that same day a family of 3 had just left the shelter leaving a spot for 3 to come!  There will be the normal screening process but please pray that this will be the answer to their temporary homelessness! A time to sort out what will be next and for the mom to find work.  R&R may be helping with packing/moving. Not sure yet, but God is at work! 

 In the near future a few ladies will be helping a new R&R family straighten out their apt.  They just had to move from a 3 bedroom to a 2 bedroom and the mom is depressed from post pardom and is currently pregnant with another. Overwhelmed and tired with toddlers running around and limited space, she needs support.  Please pray for this opportunity to shine a ray of hope and peace into this family.  

A few families were helped with housing leads, winter coats, and another family was connected with a church for Christmas Dinner Food. That was their Christmas wish. To have a nice meal for her kids! Was that ever humbling to hear. A church was called in their area and hopefully they will follow through. It was interesting that the associate pastor didn’t know that their church was helping with that sort of thing and their secretary did… hmmm. 

A local women’s shelter will be writing a little blurb about R&R soon. This is very encouraging!Evidently the workers and clients feel that R&R is a great resource for them and what has been done is very appreciated. It’s so neat to have these connections in the community! 

Next week we will be asking for families to “adopt” specific R&R people or families for Christmas.