Updated Needs

I hope this blog finds you well :)

Here is an updated list of our current needs. They can also be found posted as "notes" on our Facebook page. They are organized by category to make things easier to navigate! If an item is donated, I will place an "x" in the parentheses. If you have an item you would like to donate, please email Todd, Eddie, or myself (Katie), comment here, or comment on our Facebook page. An email will get the fastest response, as yours truly sometimes does not remember to check the Facebook page and blog every day :)

Thanks again everyone!

Katie

katie.c.mcneal@gmail.com

Furniture Needs List

( )         Hide-A-Bed (excellent condition)

( )         Throw rugs

( )         Bassinet

( )         Crib

( )         Dinette set

( )         Small sofa

( )         Recliner or other living room chair

( )         2 to 3 sets of bunk beds

( )         New mattresses

Electronics Needs List

( )         2 wall-mounted televisions

( )         Wii/Xbox/Playstation (and games)

(x)        Nintendo GameCube

( )         GameCube Games

( )         Nintendo DS

( )         Portable projector

( )         Computer speakers

Misc. Needs for Children

( )         Bedding

( )         Sheets

( )         Pillows

( )         Clothing (all sizes for a newborn to a 12 year-old)

( )         Craft supplies

( )         Board games

( )         Towels and wash cloths

( )         Age-appropriate hygiene kits (soap, toothbrushes, deodorant, etc.)

( )         Diapers

( )         Toys (new or in excellent condition)

( )         Books

Misc. Needs for the Facility

( )         2 safes

( )         Lock box

( )         First aid kits

Volunteers Needed

( )         Brochure writers

( )         Photographers

( )         Videographers

( )         Fundraisers

( )         Shoppers

( )         Childcare workers

( )         Medical Assistants

( )         Construction workers

( )         Lawyers

( )         CPAs

( )         Meal Coordinators

A Little Update

First things first, here is the long-ago promised link to the message from June 20th:
http://www.mc4s.org/index.php?nid=41983&s=gl
Sorry that took so long!

At the informational meeting on the 27th at MC4Square, many more people came than we expected! It was a huge blessing. Everyone who attended had unique talents and perspectives that I can't wait to see utilized in this ministry. Some are moving forward with the foster licensing process, and others are going to use their administrative and organization skills to help us get Safe Place up and running. Thank you so much to all who attended! It was so great to meet all of you :)

Now, for an update on the Safe Place facility. We received permission to start construction on the building, and the owner of the building is even giving us some extra space to use for our homework club that we do in the same complex. This is even better than we expected! In a few weeks, there will be a work party to get construction started, but an exact date has not been set yet. Keep an eye out for an email regarding that - we would love any skilled or unskilled help with labor!

As far as licensing goes, things are moving along smoothly. We applied for insurance for the building, and are meeting with a licensor next week. Once we are officially licensed, things can really get rolling!

We also have an updated needs list. I am planning on posting these needs on Facebook in the form of "notes". Once an item has been purchased, I will check it off of the list. For those without a Facebook, I'll be sure to also post those need lists here as well! They will be organized in different categories (furniture, electronics, etc.) to make it easier to sort through. If you know right now that you have a bed or something that you would like to donate, contact Eddie, Todd, or myself and we'll come take a look! You can also write us a message through the Facebook page if you prefer!

Okay, so maybe this wasn't as "little" of an update as I had originally thought! Too much exciting stuff is happening I guess :) Thank you again for all of your prayers and support!

-Katie
katie.c.mcneal@gmail.com

Will You Be One?

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
-James 1:27

Yesterday, we were given the opportunity to give a presentation at Mill Creek Foursquare Church. Our pastor there, Chris Manginelli, and entire church family are incredibly welcoming and passionate about helping today's orphans. The message given by Pastor Chris was about caring for the weak - the widows and orphans around us. At the end of his teaching, he invited a woman named Shannon up on stage. My dad met Shannon a couple of months back, and wow, she has an incredible story. She grew up in the foster system after suffering abuse while living with biological family. After bouncing from home to home for years, she was taken in by a family who didn't give up on her. Her foster parents gave her the unconditional love and support that she had not been given, and they brought her to church on Sundays. Now, as an adult, she is a beautiful wife and mother. Shannon's story was incredibly inspiring to me and I am so in awe of the amazing person she has become despite the hardships she experienced in her childhood.

The main message that Shannon wanted to get across was this: All it took was ONE family to save her life. One family took in one foster child, and in turn changed an entire generation of people. We were challenged yesterday to think of what we can accomplish as one person or one family in today's foster system. Not every person may be in a position to foster, but everyone can do something.

The audio for the service yesterday is not posted online yet, but I will post the link when it is available. In the meantime, take a look at this video, and ask yourself if you can be "one". 

Hand-In-Hand Video

(Thank you to Heidi and Johannes Happonen for putting this video together!)

-Katie

Eastern Time is Not My Friend

A little after 9pm on May 31st, I logged into the Pepsi Refresh website and found that they were no longer accepting entries for the month of June. I was incredibly confused, since you can't enter your idea in until midnight. As you have probably realized by now, I neglected to realize that Pepsi was operating on Eastern time! While I am a little sad (and quite frankly embarrassed that I missed this detail!), I think that this could be a good thing.

This blog, the facebook page, and our website are brand new, so not too much is on any of them. By having another month to get some "followers", we can more effectively spread the word during the month of July. In addition, people browsing the Pepsi entries (who don't know about us) will be directed to a blog with more than one entry, which could also work in our benefit. Hopefully we get the opportunity in July! As Eddie Carter says, it's all in God's timing!

Also, a blog will be coming soon to update you all on the process. We are hoping to start construction on the facility in July and have recently begun the process to become licensed! More details will be coming soon! Thank you all SO MUCH for your support of Hand-in-Hand!

-Katie

Pepsi Refresh Project

On Tuesday at 12am, I will be attempting to put us in the running for a $250,000 grant from Pepsi. It is a hard contest to get into, as they only accept 1000 submissions (and they all have the same idea that we do regarding logging on at midnight!).

If we were to gain entrance into the Refresh Project website, and further, if we were chosen, we could open up Safe Place and run for possibly two years. This would be huge! While we have faith that money will come our way, it would be incredible to know that we have $250,000 to use for helping our community's foster children.

Once we submit our idea, people will log into Pepsi's website and vote on ones they think deserve the money. This is where you lovely people come in. I will be posting instructions here on the blog as well as on our Facebook page telling you how to vote and where to find us on the site. We could use your help voting and spreading the word to other friends and family you have that may be interested in voting for us!

While this grant would be amazing, we know that there is always the possibility that we will not receive it, as there are many other nonprofits out there doing fantastic work. As I mentioned before, if we don't win the Pepsi Refresh Project, we have faith that other funding will come our way! Please be praying for us as we continue on this journey, and keep looking for updates on how to vote. Thank you for your support! Hand-in-Hand would not be here if it wasn't for our fabulous support system!

-Katie

Welcome!

Welcome to the Hand-in-Hand Ministries blog! Follow us for important updates to our emergency housing facility for incoming foster children (Safe Place) that we plan to open on October 1, 2010. Also to be posted are interesting articles regarding today's foster system, inspiring stories from community partners, and work that this Ministry hopes to accomplish.

"Like" us on Facebook too! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hand-in-Hand-Ministries/122242481143355


-Katie