Projections for the Centers' Future
May 5, 2008
Dear Friends:
The Lord Jesus took us from a 20 X 40 Ft. Building handing out food on saturday mornings to now 11 different programs - who would have ever imagined - BUT GOD!!
BUT GOD - saw the needs of the people coming in for help with food and expanded the community lunch from 1 day per week to 6 days per week. And the spirit that began the CCC has even multiplied to other Churches. An evangelist, Brother Kevin Smith saw the same people on our parking lot every Sunday. When he found out they were living there he asked how do you eat on Sunday when the CCC is closed - they answered,” we wait till monday” Brother Smith went to his church, Friendship AME and now they feed every Sunday. They saw a need and Just did it!
BUT GOD - saw the needs of the homeless in our area, So the CCC JUST DID IT!-and started going to the woods on 2 days per week, then the Lord through the CCC opened a 4-bed men’s shelter. Last year we were able to renovate the shelter to be completely handicap accessable, and now has 5 beds to house homeless men; where we could allow God to take men like Bill Britton, who was in the woods, then sleeping under our food storage trailer, to the JSMES, to a paying job through the Department of Labor Job training program. Now Bill Britton is the shelter manager and a voting member of the County CEAS committee (an advisor board on homeless issues to the County Freeholders.
BUT GOD - has given the Board of Director’s the vision to expand that program to open another 4-bed men’s shelter, a 1 single family unit, a 4-bed women’s shelter, and an office for supportive services: like Support groups for survivors of domestic violence, AA and NA meetings just for teenagers, expanded job training, and bible study. Pray for us as we seek funds to JUST DO IT!
BUT GOD - still saw the overwhelming needs of the homeless... And when the County CEAS board caught on to the "JUST DO IT!", we developed the Code Blue Shelters for homeless people, these are no-questions-asked shelters for men, women, and families. The CCC, along with Tabernacle of Praise Church, -JUST DID IT-and together, serve as one of the single men and women shelters. We hold a 12-Step Bible Study every wednesday night where most of the attendees come from the Code Blue Shelter.
BUT GOD - saw the lives to be restored through that program and this year alone people were helped to obtain permanent shelter, restored family relationships, 3 men were placed at the JSMES, one man became our volunteer webmaster, and through the discipleship of the CCC staff, Rick and Rev Andreas Gautier, a new non-profit company will be officially incorporated tomorrow to provide shelter to themselves and to start flipping houses to generate funds to help house other homeless people. They all saw a need and through the power of God - JUST DID IT!
I would just like to share that through the generosity of the Danellie Foundation, we will be moving the Thrift Store and most of the Job Training services, down the street, within walking distance of our existing Center. This will open up space at the existing Center for the Case Management Services and interviewing up stairs and quadruple the Community Lunch Serving Area. We are just so excited- to JUST DO IT!!
We should always be careful to remember that God can do a whole lot with a little, BUT HE CAN DO EVERYTHING WITH NOTHING!
Abiding in Him,
Madelyn C. Mears-Sheldon,
Executive Director
May 5, 2008
Dear Friends:
The Lord Jesus took us from a 20 X 40 Ft. Building handing out food on saturday mornings to now 11 different programs - who would have ever imagined - BUT GOD!!
BUT GOD - saw the needs of the people coming in for help with food and expanded the community lunch from 1 day per week to 6 days per week. And the spirit that began the CCC has even multiplied to other Churches. An evangelist, Brother Kevin Smith saw the same people on our parking lot every Sunday. When he found out they were living there he asked how do you eat on Sunday when the CCC is closed - they answered,” we wait till monday” Brother Smith went to his church, Friendship AME and now they feed every Sunday. They saw a need and Just did it!
BUT GOD - saw the needs of the homeless in our area, So the CCC JUST DID IT!-and started going to the woods on 2 days per week, then the Lord through the CCC opened a 4-bed men’s shelter. Last year we were able to renovate the shelter to be completely handicap accessable, and now has 5 beds to house homeless men; where we could allow God to take men like Bill Britton, who was in the woods, then sleeping under our food storage trailer, to the JSMES, to a paying job through the Department of Labor Job training program. Now Bill Britton is the shelter manager and a voting member of the County CEAS committee (an advisor board on homeless issues to the County Freeholders.
BUT GOD - has given the Board of Director’s the vision to expand that program to open another 4-bed men’s shelter, a 1 single family unit, a 4-bed women’s shelter, and an office for supportive services: like Support groups for survivors of domestic violence, AA and NA meetings just for teenagers, expanded job training, and bible study. Pray for us as we seek funds to JUST DO IT!
BUT GOD - still saw the overwhelming needs of the homeless... And when the County CEAS board caught on to the "JUST DO IT!", we developed the Code Blue Shelters for homeless people, these are no-questions-asked shelters for men, women, and families. The CCC, along with Tabernacle of Praise Church, -JUST DID IT-and together, serve as one of the single men and women shelters. We hold a 12-Step Bible Study every wednesday night where most of the attendees come from the Code Blue Shelter.
BUT GOD - saw the lives to be restored through that program and this year alone people were helped to obtain permanent shelter, restored family relationships, 3 men were placed at the JSMES, one man became our volunteer webmaster, and through the discipleship of the CCC staff, Rick and Rev Andreas Gautier, a new non-profit company will be officially incorporated tomorrow to provide shelter to themselves and to start flipping houses to generate funds to help house other homeless people. They all saw a need and through the power of God - JUST DID IT!
I would just like to share that through the generosity of the Danellie Foundation, we will be moving the Thrift Store and most of the Job Training services, down the street, within walking distance of our existing Center. This will open up space at the existing Center for the Case Management Services and interviewing up stairs and quadruple the Community Lunch Serving Area. We are just so excited- to JUST DO IT!!
We should always be careful to remember that God can do a whole lot with a little, BUT HE CAN DO EVERYTHING WITH NOTHING!
Abiding in Him,
Madelyn C. Mears-Sheldon,
Executive Director
