Do you use a lawn service?

Lawn care is a good business in Houston with our year-round growing season. CCSC sometimes helps families who operate a lawn service, and recently we helped a single man who brings in about $1,300/month with his business. Because he lives frugally and only has to provide for himself, he says the income is adequate.

Unfortunately his mother (who lives outside of Houston) died, so he naturally needed to return home. He and his siblings planned the funeral, paid for the burial, and took care of all the tasks that arise when a loved one dies. He was gone three weeks, losing nearly a month of income. He pulled from savings to make his car payment and rent, but couldn't pay the electricity bill. So we helped with the bill, knowing this would return him to stable footing.

It humbles me to see people living without complaint on a limited income, especially when coping with normal life situations.

My mother died 18 months ago, so I understand the grief and the work it takes to settle someone's affairs. So with this client, I wondered how I would have coped with my mother's death, knowing I would return to a financially dire situation for myself.

I imagine I would have called my church for help because the church would have done its best to care for me. Among other things, I'm fairly sure they would have sent me to CCSC for help. So CCSC's response to clients is on behalf of my church and the other 40 churches who comprise our coalition.

We are the church in society, meeting basic, human needs and providing a safety net for those whose lives are economically fragile.

It's a new academic year

My children have returned to school, so our family is back to the structured, school-year routine that we hunger for in August but happily abandon in May.

I thought we had all the needed school supplies, but some additional items were added to the list, so we had to return to the store again. It was inconvenient only in making time to run the errand, not in purchasing the items.  I note that because this is one of the times of year I see a starkness between families who struggle financially and those who don't.

Buying new clothing, school supplies and paying for activity fees is easy for some of us but burdensome for others. We see many working families at our food pantries who are living on a meager income and just barely squeaking by. These August purchases set them back, which is why CCSC created the "Back To School" program in 1986.

This year we gave 6,518 needy children brand new school supplies and clothing, and below is a picture of some of the supplies. At the event, I visited with a 5th grade girl who was bursting with happiness. She told me she was excited to go home and organize the supplies and couldn't wait to meet her teacher. I thought of her on Monday, when HISD classes began, hoping her first day went well.

Thank you to the many in our community who volunteered at the event and/or sponsored a student.  And thanks to the many in our community who support the food pantries, employment programs and other areas of CCSC. Our organization is strong because of the many individuals who support it.

Happy Labor Day!

Some people make powerful impressions

I can't stop thinking about a family we helped a few weeks ago. The family is comprised of a mom with three children ranging in age from 16-22. Two of the children are in high school, and the other attends a local university. The two oldest work for their own college expenses, and the youngest just turned 16 and is now looking for work.

They live on about $1,400/month, and it was clear during the interview  process that the mother has exceptional budgeting skills. It was also clear that she has passed on her work ethic to her children.

The family came to CCSC needing food because they run out occasionally, so of course we helped and let them know how we can continue to help.

The children are impressive, but the person who has stayed in my mind has been the mother. She doesn't have much discretionary time or money, but she has intentionally passed on her values and her vision for her children's future.  That vision, I imagine, is what keeps them all moving forward in difficult circumstances.

I'm grateful to have met this mother, and I'm really grateful that CCSC had the opportunity to make a small investment in this family's life.

Has your office changed over the years?

My grandfather worked for a health care company and had a secretary who took dictation, typed up his correspondence, and answered his phone. I imagine that office would have had a mimeograph machine and lots of paper files. He could not have imagined how technological advances would change basic office functions.

CCSC's office has changed with technology over the years, allowing us to manage our work flow more and more efficiently. 

A few years ago, we realized the software in our program areas had become dated and wasn't providing the depth of information needed.  So we are launching new software for our two food pantries, and then rolling it out in the employment and youth services areas this fall. Once established, it will give us higher quality data in client trends and demographics, which helps us to better serve the clients.

Right now, our volunteers and staff are slogging through learning the new system. I was just visiting with two volunteers about the project, and instead of groaning about the extra time it's taking to learn, they noted out how much this will enhance our services.  They have a fabulous attitude.

The machine below would have been in my grandfather's office. I learned to type on this machine, yet my children have never seen one. It was for sale earlier this year at CCSC's Sunshine Resale Shop.

Today was a graduation day

Today we graduated a class from the Martha's Way program. (Click here to learn more about this program: (http://www.ccschouston.org/Programs_Marthas_Way.html). 

I attended the graduation and loved being there.  One graduate has already started her housekeeping business, so our classes gave her new skills to propel it forward.  Another student is the third in her family to graduate from this program, and she exuded confidence in building her business. Yet another student is a refugee who is newly settled in the United States. He is soaking up all the educational opportunities available to him.

How can you help these graduates?  Look at the picture below of cleaning supplies. Does it make your heart sing at the happy thought of cleaning your house?  Not me.  I hired a Martha's Way graduate years ago to help keep our home clean. Interested? Get on our website (see above link) to fill out a homeowner form or email our staff at training@ccschouston.org to start the process of hiring one of our graduates.  You'll not only be freeing up your time but also hiring someone who is eager to work and improve their family's financial future.

Try something new in the church world

Over the years, I have spoken at and worshipped in most of CCSC's 41 coalition churches. Being in all of these churches is easily one of the things I enjoy most about my job.

Naturally, the churches vary by denomination.  But they also vary in theology, worship style, interpretation of the gospel, music, and liturgy (vs. no liturgy).  Some churches prefer praise bands, some prefer an organ, and some prefer a cappella. Some follow the lectionary for scripture readings, and some don't.

When I first began working here, these differences stood out.  Now I barely notice them but instead appreciate them. One Sunday, I was at a church that spoke forcefully on a particular social issue; the following Sunday, I was at a different church that also spoke forcefully on that issue, but from a contrasting viewpoint. I chuckled inside and thought how lucky I am to be able to hear, firsthand, how different communities approach difficult issues.

From my desk, these churches are seeking the same thing: to build community and follow the Gospel as best they can.  In doing this, each church develops its own unique style and way of worshipping and serving together.  So I'm uncomfortable when I hear Christians criticizing other churches (or other Christians) for having a viewpoint or style different from their own. Who of us is right 100% of the time?  Not me.

So my challenge is to suggest that you worship, just once, at another church to try something new.  Select a church that is different from your own, and worship there as an experiment in discovering new ways of experiencing church.  A great starting point is the link below, a listing of CCSC's own member churches:

http://www.ccschouston.org/Member_Churches.html.

Technology is great, but...

I was speaking to a group of students about their careers and was asked an almost rhetorical question: "Being tech savvy is the most important skill to have, right?" 

My answer was "no", responding that solid communication skills (writing and interpersonal) were instead at the top of my list.  The room was silent, and I think the students weren't sure how to react.  So I explained that in most fields, you have to be able to get along well with others, speak clearly when expressing your ideas and thoughts, and write well so the reader can act upon your request, idea or proposal.   

Writing is an under-valued skill.  The age of email, texting and social media has killed punctuation and grammar, and it's rare to see a clean, clearly written proposal, article or other piece of writing. 

What does this have to do with CCSC?  We have a couple of positions currently open, so we're receiving many resumes right now.  And most of the resumes have typos, poorly written emails, and if there is a cover letter, it typically has sloppy errors.  We have screened these out: if someone is not detailed enough to send their best to us, their quality of work is probably below what we consider acceptable. 

The people we hire must have the needed skills for that particular job description, but we also look for exceptional communication skills as well as a passion for CCSC's mission and a strong work ethic.

So if there are high school or college students in your life, help them to develop these other skills.  My guess is that most people under the age of 25 have already mastered technology, so this will not set them apart.  But their work ethic and ability to communicate well with others will.