The staff is laser-focused on mission

Every Christmas, our staff has a party to celebrate the year and exchange "white elephant" gifts. Pictured above is Karen Holloman wearing her new scarf, with Michelle Baker and Nia Simmons on either side of her.

During the party, we went around the room and shared moments in which each of us experienced CCSC's mission firsthand. Finance Director Judie Kochenower helped screen the vision of pre-schoolers earlier this year, and it touched her heart to see these vulnerable children because her daughter is the same age.

Carla, the Assistant Manager at Emergency Services-Central, told of an elderly client we help regularly with food and clothing. Her limited income is stretched because she has voluntarily chosen to provide for a non-family member who is mentally challenged. Carla shared her respect for this woman who is sharing her limited resources to help another person.

Brittni, our Receptionist, said her "mission moment" came this week. She had spoken with several difficult callers, with the last phone call leaving her feeling discouraged. She got off the phone to find a staff member of St. John the Divine Episcopal standing in front of her. The church staff was volunteering that morning at CCSC, and this particular person said, "I'm here to work for Jesus. Where do I go, and by the way, you are blessed to work at CCSC."

Wow. This was just what Brittni needed to hear and a nice reminder to all of us that we are here to do Jesus's work.

The hungry need help

If you're on the CCSC mailing list, you have probably received our year-end letter. I'm sharing the letter below to illustrate how prevalent hunger is as well as how important CCSC's mission is.

If you are a reader of this blog and would like to support our work (thank you!), click on this link to make a secure donation:  https://ssl2.webwize.com/ccsc/donations.html

I want to share an experience one of my neighbors had.  

He and his wife were in line to pay for groceries when the person ahead of them asked the cashier to stop because he had run out of money. There were items left in the cart, and when my neighbor looked in, he saw juice and bread and lunchmeat. This troubled him, so he quietly paid for the remaining food.  

When recounting the story, he shared his surprise at seeing hunger up close as well as his gratitude and understanding of why CCSC exists.  

Most of us are not going to be able to help someone as personally as my neighbor. Instead, we need a trusted system to operate on our behalf.  A system that addresses short-term and long-term needs, building in fairness and kindness.  

CCSC is that system. We maintain a healthy system to support our Christ-centered mission of addressing the effects of poverty: hunger, unemployment, children’s needs. And all this is done with a lean workforce, heavily weighted with volunteers. 

Many of us make our charitable gifts at year-end, so I ask for your support of CCSC’s work, pledging excellent stewardship and abundant compassion as we continue to fulfill our mission, one person at a time.

 

 

What is essential to your life?

Some of the clients we've helped remain in my mind because their stories touch something deep within me.

Many years ago we helped an older woman who lived on a limited income and had endured multiple  hardships. As her story unfolded, with loss after loss, I wondered how she had managed to keep from drowning. She shared her story without pity, acknowledging the goodness that had also flowed into her life.

I'm not going to spell out her losses, but they would have broken many of us. So near the end of the interview - when we had taken care of her needs (food, warm clothes, prescription meds) - I leaned over and asked how she had managed to survive all this. 

She said each loss whittled her down to understanding that there were just a few things in life she really needed: "her family, her church, and a little bit of food in the house".

Friends, there is a sermon in her response.

In a world that values things over people, we need to pause and think about what really matters in our own lives. And then cultivate those priorities with our time and energy.

Cicero said, "If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need." Do you agree? What is essential to your own life? Name it, and say "thank you" if you have it.

I recently spoke with a few clients

 

CCSC helps families and individuals who undergo short-term crises. Sometimes we pay part of their rent or utilities, preventing homelessness or substandard living conditions. A volunteer follows up a few months later to check on the family’s well-being and ensure our resources were invested well.

So one day this fall, I made some of those calls. I spoke to an elderly woman who needed assistance paying for her electricity last summer; she lives on a fixed income and had an abnormally high bill. If we hadn't helped her, she would have cut back either on food or prescription medication.

I also spoke with two single parents who’ve made lifestyle adjustments to juggle their children and work. Bob has three children under the age of five, and he works nights to care for them during the day. I referred him to our Client Services Coordinator to see if we could help formulate a plan to further stabilize the family and also reduce his stress.

The other single parent, Kate, was lucky enough to have her mom move in with her, so she now has help with her elementary school-aged children. She works a low wage job in the retail sector, so we referred her to JobNet, hoping an upgrade in skills might increase her income.

And then, while writing this post, a minister reached out to me, saying they have a homeless man sleeping outside, near the church, so she’s sending him to us for help.

You know, if I got into trouble, I’d sleep near a church also, trusting that the people of the church would reach out to me. And that’s CCSC’s mission, to be the church, saying “Yes, come to us. Let us help you.”

 

 

I'm grateful to help a caregiver

By a certain age, most of us have had the responsibility for caring for an aging parent. It is is hard work, no matter whether it is a short or long journey, because it nearly always involves grief as well as many other emotions.

I've found that the journey is not just about caring for our parents, but also what the journey does to and for us.

But this blog is not about the journey. It's about the people who help us care for our parents. The people who do the mundane tasks of feeding, dressing, cleaning and taking care of our parent's basic needs. The right person is a gift from God, for all involved: the parent and the adult children.

So we had a caregiver come to our food pantry. She's had a long work history caring for older people in a skilled nursing facility, but was laid off  because the number of patients in her unit had declined. When she came to us, she had job interviews set up with several other places and was not concerned about finding work, but just needed help during the interim time. Which is exactly what CCSC is set up to do.

We chatted quite a bit during the interview, and what struck me was her quiet dignity and the kindness that emanated from her. Just being in her presence stilled me on a day that was particularly stressful. I would have loved to have had someone like her caring for my parents.

So I am grateful CCSC could help during this time in her life, knowing that when she finds her next job, she will be a gift to other families who are caring for an aging parent.

No canned beets for me, thank you

 

 

Or wax beans either. I would gag if I had to eat either one of those.

This is the season for food drives, and it's great for CCSC because it fills our pantries. Some of you call our office, wanting to know desired food items, so here goes:

• think protein: meaty stews, peanut butter, beans & legumes, canned meat
• avoid carbs: they are already cheap and accessible for families on a limited budget
• include canned fruits and veggies

The other guideline is to give what you would eat. Now if you like canned beets and wax beans, I guess it's okay to donate those items, but I would pause.

Instead, think of corn, green beans, black beans, tomatoes, carrots, and most canned fruits (light syrup, please) - these are more universally liked. I still remember the elderly client who came to an outdoor food fair we hosted several years ago. She was thrilled and almost giddy when we gave her some canned peaches.

Wherever you live, contribute to your local food pantry, and if CCSC is your pantry, thank you for your support. We're grateful for all donations, even those of beets and waxed beans.

Sleigh bells are ringing

At the Sunshine Resale Shop, we sell Christmas decorations almost year-round, but this week we had the above vintage sleigh donated. It's for sale, along with lots of other holiday goodies. The 1960s mannequin sitting in it (we named her Natasha) is not for sale.

It's hard to think of Christmas when it's 90+ degrees in Houston, but CCSC begins planning for its annual Christmas program, Jingle Bell Express", in August. It takes about five months of work by a volunteer committee and our staff to get the event ready. And of course, we're always looking for volunteers, so if you're interested, below is an upcoming opportunity:

CLIENT REGISTRATION

Held at the Blanton Building of St. Luke’s United Methodist (Westheimer campus)

Monday, October 5 from 8:30 A.M. to 2:30 p.m.

Tuesday, October 6 from 8:30A.M. - 1:30P.M.

Wednesday, October 7 from 8:30A.M. - 1:30P.M. 

*Please sign-up with Laurie Fitzpatrick, Youth Services  Manager at 713-961-3993x215