Living Ministries would like to extend a standing ovation to those of you that helped us bless Hearts For Homeless with $400 and almost 200 lbs of donated survival gear at the summation of Survival Drive 2013. Bless you as you have blessed others!
Anytime you start something new it is a surprise to see early success. Our goal was 500 lbs of donated items like Backpacks, Sleeping Bags, Underwear, Socks, Tarps, Bottled Water, Fresh Fruit and other easy to pack foods and survival items, as well as $500 to hand to Lynn Brown, Executive Director of Hearts For Homeless, to purchase needed items and provide hot meals. In the end we collected 176 lbs of items and were able to give $415.07 to Hearts For Homeless. I am super excited because reaching 35% and 83% of goals in the first run is AMAZING!
We could never have done this with out help from a lot of people. First I would like to give a shout out to Gary C. who donated online every week and was our largest financial benefactor. We also had a sizable financial donation from Jennifer B. She too, gave online. Thank you so much!
Second, but only because someone had to be…I want to give a HUGE thank you to the businesses in town that hosted donation bins! Jacobson’s Chevron Auto Center, Rightway RV, The Pet Works and Three Rivers Christian School facilitated major drop spots for donated items and money jars. Chinese Garden, Copies Today Speedy Litho, Post & Parcel Services, ProGraphyx, The Electric Bean, The UPS Store and ZoJo Coffee were hosts to money containers, most of these businesses were also donation hotspots for Pet LOVE Drive 2013! We are so grateful to you!
Now for winners of the most successful Drop Spots! We would like to congratulate Rightway RV for bringing in the most donated items and The Electric Bean for having the heaviest money jar! Hooray!
Also kudos go to our President, Karen Gidderon who did a lot of pick ups and negotiating! I want to shine light on Debra Lawson-Bean, fellow committee member and Executive Director for Angel Wings Rescue, our other Affiliate Ministry. Debra spent the day in Vancouver with her friend after they had hunted Craig’s List and Goodwill for used items in great shape. Those two ladies delivered about 70 lbs of sleeping bags, clothes, water and other essential survival items to our storage unit. And all our Committee Members helped tell people about our event, shared flyers and information on line and helped keep our attitudes positive! I love our team!
I can’t tell you how choked up I was when the final numbers came in. Thank you for all your prayers and to everyone that placed items in the collection jars.
If you are interested in learning more about Hearts For Homeless you may contact them at 360-270-7899 or visit them online at HeartsForHomeless.us. If you would like to give financially to this ministry, you may donate online at their website or at LivingMinistries.org. If you donate from Living Ministries’ site please include a note letting us know that you want your money to go to their ministry, otherwise the money will go to our general fund and be used by the ministry that needs it first.
Hearts For Homeless has some specific needs right now that I wanted to let you know about. The storage shed that houses donated items until they can be distributed, needs some repairs to protect it from the elements before we go into full-blown winter. We need:
- 1 gallon of paint (we don’t care about color or even matching)
- 8 dowels for hanging clothes up (metal shower curtain rods could also be used, Goodwill often has these)
- 2 Drizairs and refill crystals
- 4 Cinder blocks
- Paint brushes
- 8 support brackets for the hanging area
- 1 small portable heater to be used when someone is sorting
- Hangers
- Storage Containers
- Volunteers
- Prayer (We accept prayer requests too!)
We appreciate anything you can supply. We never can have too many prayers and even the smallest financial donations are a blessing and combined with other donations can do GREAT things.
Thank you for supporting us during Living Ministries’ Survival Drive 2013 and throughout the year as we Build Relationships & Fill Needs in Our Community.
PS. Before I could even post this blog, our VP, Linda, negotiated 8 gallons of paint out of someone! Rock on team Living Ministries!
“If you take away the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
If you extend your soul to the hungry
And satisfy the afflicted soul,
Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
And your darkness shall be as noonday.
The Lord will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”
Isaiah 58:9-11
