These are excerpts from a letter we received from Andrea, one of our clients:
"Since CCA was introduced to my life, it has completely changed. I first came for help in one of the most traumatic times of my life. I was a 33 year old mom of three children and had just found out that my 33 year old husband had stage 4 cancer and was soon to die. I was used to my husband being the breadwinner; my job waiting tables was just for supplemental income. In addition to being a fulltime caregiver and mother, I now was the breadwinner. The CCA staff was so understanding and supportive in what we had to walk through. I began to first see the glimpse of the love of Christ in others. My child was enrolled in affordable daycare at CCA's New Hope Learning Center. When I had no idea of how we could buy the medications for my husband and still buy groceries, I was introduced to the food pantry. My philosophy was "only enough for my children," as I could eat at work and my husband was no longer able to tolerate food because of the pain. I was watching this man I so desperately loved wither into nothing in front of my eyes and felt lost and alone. Nobody knew the pain inside me, but God did.
When my husband was close to the end, Jolene, my CCA caseworker, told me that CCA could help. I was given a voucher for Flower Mound Funeral Home to bury my husband, and it covered a large portion of the cost. CCA also allowed me to move into one of their houses in Old Town Crossing, and the calm and peace of God began resting on our lives. Through grief counseling at CCA, we began to start the healing process, and our neighborhood was a healthy place to raise my children. My toddler began to "adopt" some of our elderly neighbors as people to love, and I began to let go of some of my pain. And for the first time in a long time, I was able to pay my own way. The place was affordable and I was able to move into a fulltime salaried position.
Through CCA's help and guidance, I now have a savings account so I can build a prudent reserve when I move out of CCA's housing. In one year it will be time for us to move and for the first time in a long time I have great hope and purpose for my life. With the savings we might actually be able to put a down payment on a home of our own! The wonderful love of God has been shown to me through CCA and i could only hope to someday volunteer and share what has been so freely given to me. I thank you for all you do and for all that I have still not yet experienced. Christ is alive and living through your work. Thank you for giving my life back to me and guiding us to a better way of living."
Praise God indeed!
Monday, May 18, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Matching Gift Funds for the Pantry!
Awesome news! CCA has been selected to join in the Feinstein Foundation Challenge to Help End Hunger in America. We are thrilled to take part in the challenge to m
atch the dollars we raise from the community with funding from the generous Feinstein Foundation. More than $1 million will be shared between a number of agencies nationwide. And the more we raise for CCA, the bigger our share of the matching funds will be.
With the economy sliding over the past year, we have seen a significant increase in the demands on our food pantry. As the largest pantry in North Texas, we are providing the majority of the food needs for more than 800 families (or approximately 3,000 individuals) each week. Providing the food for these needy families is a huge financial undertaking, and the amazing generosity of the Feinstein Foundation is a wonderful boost to our efforts to help all who walk through our doors. Please join us by making a gift of money or canned food (b
oth count toward the goal). The more we raise the higher our match will be.
I've heard several stories from CCA clients who tell us that they are saving hundreds of dollars each month by not having to shop at the grocery store, and those savings are the main thing allowing them to keep their heads above water. Please join us in giving deeply for those who have been hit hardest in these difficult times. We will all be blessed and God will be glorified in the process.
atch the dollars we raise from the community with funding from the generous Feinstein Foundation. More than $1 million will be shared between a number of agencies nationwide. And the more we raise for CCA, the bigger our share of the matching funds will be.With the economy sliding over the past year, we have seen a significant increase in the demands on our food pantry. As the largest pantry in North Texas, we are providing the majority of the food needs for more than 800 families (or approximately 3,000 individuals) each week. Providing the food for these needy families is a huge financial undertaking, and the amazing generosity of the Feinstein Foundation is a wonderful boost to our efforts to help all who walk through our doors. Please join us by making a gift of money or canned food (b
oth count toward the goal). The more we raise the higher our match will be.I've heard several stories from CCA clients who tell us that they are saving hundreds of dollars each month by not having to shop at the grocery store, and those savings are the main thing allowing them to keep their heads above water. Please join us in giving deeply for those who have been hit hardest in these difficult times. We will all be blessed and God will be glorified in the process.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Caring for the Elderly
A story from Alma, our Director of Family Services:
85 year-old Edna has been widowed since the mid-80s. She has one daughter, 68 year-old Brenda.
Early this year, Edna had a severe stroke that damaged her brain and paralyzed her left side. There was so much brain damage that Edna is like a child again. From the hospital, Edna was admitted to a rehabilitation center but released a few months later with no hope of improvement.
Brenda’s adult children talked her into admitting Edna to a nursing home when she was released from the rehab center. The nursing home only lasted a month. Brenda said she found her mother in dirty clothing and in a soiled bed too many times, so she took her home.
I went on a home visit recently to qualify Brenda for housing repair. Brenda has had to turn off her hot water due to leaky pipes. Both women are on a low-fixed income and they can’t afford a plumber. For two weeks now, Brenda has heated water on the stove to bathe her mother, wash dishes and bathe herself.
When I told Brenda that she looked as if she was about to drop, she burst into tears. Just like an infant, Edna wakes up every few hours and calls for Brenda. Edna calls her “Momma” now. I asked Brenda if her church could send volunteers to help sit with Edna so she could get some rest now and then. Between sobs, Brenda said she had been asking for relief, but was afraid the church would be unable to help.
I told Brenda to keep on praying for a solution and I would do the same. Today when I went back, Brenda told me her church had organized to send volunteers twice a week from now on to give Brenda some much needed relief. God listened to our prayers and took great pity on Brenda.
CCA's Housing Restoration program will be repairing the extensive plumbing problem at her house at no expense to Edna and Brenda, and she is now signed up with the food pantry which reduces her food bill by $160 and makes more room in her tight budget. Another CCA grant will be paying a round of utility bills to get these two ladies caught up and take the financial pressure off.
Praise be to God for answering our prayers and providing the resources to make difference--both financially and through the church. We are so thankful to be there to help those that most need us.
85 year-old Edna has been widowed since the mid-80s. She has one daughter, 68 year-old Brenda.
Early this year, Edna had a severe stroke that damaged her brain and paralyzed her left side. There was so much brain damage that Edna is like a child again. From the hospital, Edna was admitted to a rehabilitation center but released a few months later with no hope of improvement.
Brenda’s adult children talked her into admitting Edna to a nursing home when she was released from the rehab center. The nursing home only lasted a month. Brenda said she found her mother in dirty clothing and in a soiled bed too many times, so she took her home.
I went on a home visit recently to qualify Brenda for housing repair. Brenda has had to turn off her hot water due to leaky pipes. Both women are on a low-fixed income and they can’t afford a plumber. For two weeks now, Brenda has heated water on the stove to bathe her mother, wash dishes and bathe herself.
When I told Brenda that she looked as if she was about to drop, she burst into tears. Just like an infant, Edna wakes up every few hours and calls for Brenda. Edna calls her “Momma” now. I asked Brenda if her church could send volunteers to help sit with Edna so she could get some rest now and then. Between sobs, Brenda said she had been asking for relief, but was afraid the church would be unable to help.
I told Brenda to keep on praying for a solution and I would do the same. Today when I went back, Brenda told me her church had organized to send volunteers twice a week from now on to give Brenda some much needed relief. God listened to our prayers and took great pity on Brenda.
CCA's Housing Restoration program will be repairing the extensive plumbing problem at her house at no expense to Edna and Brenda, and she is now signed up with the food pantry which reduces her food bill by $160 and makes more room in her tight budget. Another CCA grant will be paying a round of utility bills to get these two ladies caught up and take the financial pressure off.
Praise be to God for answering our prayers and providing the resources to make difference--both financially and through the church. We are so thankful to be there to help those that most need us.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Farewell to a Wonderful Man
CCA recently lost a good friend and supporter. J.L. Huffines, a charter member of our Advisory Board, went to be with the Lord last week after losing his battle with prostate cancer. In his 85 years, however, he won many victories--not only in business, but more importantly in living a life of service and amazing generosity to others. J.L. was always an encouragement to our work at CCA. More than once I was thrilled to sit in his office
at his nearby dealership and hear stories from his past and fill him in on the good works we were trying to do in the community. I enjoyed hearing of his love for Texas A&M and admiring his amazing collection of Aggie memorabilia, but even more I was impressed by the depth of his love and pride in his family, especially his many grandchildren. Because of his strong response to a CCA Christmas card we sent out a couple of years ago that was illustrated by a young child, we have continued to make it an annual tradition to have children decorate our holiday correspondence. The card touched his heart because it reminded him of one of his dear granddaughters who at the time was struggling with an illness.
Last Friday as I stood with the thousands of well-wishers who attended his memorial service at Highland Park United Methodist Church, I was struck by the tremendous outpouring of love from so many influential people. It was so obvious that he lived his life in a way that inspired others and brought out the best in everyone around him. Because of the location of my seat in the sanctuary, I was able to see many of the faces in the crowd as the Singing Cadets of Texas A&M sang "The Spirit of Aggieland" over his casket. Tears were streaming down my face, as they were for virtually every person in that room, including Governor Rick Perry. I'm sure that they were feeling, as I was, the sheer emotional power in recognizing a life dedicated to God and others. The close harmonies of the cadets' a cappella voices beautifully expressed the enormous gratitude of the school he loved, and more broadly expressed the thankfulness of the extended community on which he left such an indelible impact. I left the church thankful to have known him in a small way and with a renewed resolve to live my life in the same exemplary fashion.
at his nearby dealership and hear stories from his past and fill him in on the good works we were trying to do in the community. I enjoyed hearing of his love for Texas A&M and admiring his amazing collection of Aggie memorabilia, but even more I was impressed by the depth of his love and pride in his family, especially his many grandchildren. Because of his strong response to a CCA Christmas card we sent out a couple of years ago that was illustrated by a young child, we have continued to make it an annual tradition to have children decorate our holiday correspondence. The card touched his heart because it reminded him of one of his dear granddaughters who at the time was struggling with an illness.Last Friday as I stood with the thousands of well-wishers who attended his memorial service at Highland Park United Methodist Church, I was struck by the tremendous outpouring of love from so many influential people. It was so obvious that he lived his life in a way that inspired others and brought out the best in everyone around him. Because of the location of my seat in the sanctuary, I was able to see many of the faces in the crowd as the Singing Cadets of Texas A&M sang "The Spirit of Aggieland" over his casket. Tears were streaming down my face, as they were for virtually every person in that room, including Governor Rick Perry. I'm sure that they were feeling, as I was, the sheer emotional power in recognizing a life dedicated to God and others. The close harmonies of the cadets' a cappella voices beautifully expressed the enormous gratitude of the school he loved, and more broadly expressed the thankfulness of the extended community on which he left such an indelible impact. I left the church thankful to have known him in a small way and with a renewed resolve to live my life in the same exemplary fashion.
Monday, January 05, 2009
Real Life at Christmas
As we start another new year, I can't help but look back at the many good works God led CCA and our supporters to accomplish this past year. While we help thousands of families throughout the year, it is often the special times at Christmas that are the most poignant for me.
Out of the many amazing partners we have in the community who contribute to the success of our programs, I was especially touched by the efforts of the chiropractic office of Drs. Clark and Brenda Byroad here in Lewisville. Brenda contacted me before Christmas to find out if we had any "special family situations" they could help with. We generally discourage people from "adopting" families at Christmas time, since we truly want all of our families to be able to shop for themselves in our Christmas toy store (see posts below). However, when I checked with Alma, CCA's Director of Family Services, she came up with a few needs of a couple of families that went beyond the typical things that could be picked out in our store.
The list she gave me reminded me that Christmas is not a time when we can escape real life. In addition to the "normal" requests for items like shoes, pants, coats and Spiderman toys or "pink girly things" for the young children, other needs stood out: "a little more help with utilites so I can get some breathing room" or "a gift certificate for an oil change and new tires." But the most heart-breaking request came from a now-single mom whose husband died earlier in the year: "Please help me buy a headstone for my husband's grave, because I have never been able to afford one."
Some people may have been put off by the raw nature of this type of request, but the wonderful staff and patients at the Byroads' office came through with phenomenal generosity. Not only were many gifts purchased and wrapped and moneys provided, but one patient stepped up to fund a beautiful marker for the grave of a beloved husband.
These are real life needs, and the inspirational actions by the gracious hearts of the Byroads and their staff and patients is the real life response that God prompts so many to faithfully offer.
Out of the many amazing partners we have in the community who contribute to the success of our programs, I was especially touched by the efforts of the chiropractic office of Drs. Clark and Brenda Byroad here in Lewisville. Brenda contacted me before Christmas to find out if we had any "special family situations" they could help with. We generally discourage people from "adopting" families at Christmas time, since we truly want all of our families to be able to shop for themselves in our Christmas toy store (see posts below). However, when I checked with Alma, CCA's Director of Family Services, she came up with a few needs of a couple of families that went beyond the typical things that could be picked out in our store.
The list she gave me reminded me that Christmas is not a time when we can escape real life. In addition to the "normal" requests for items like shoes, pants, coats and Spiderman toys or "pink girly things" for the young children, other needs stood out: "a little more help with utilites so I can get some breathing room" or "a gift certificate for an oil change and new tires." But the most heart-breaking request came from a now-single mom whose husband died earlier in the year: "Please help me buy a headstone for my husband's grave, because I have never been able to afford one."
Some people may have been put off by the raw nature of this type of request, but the wonderful staff and patients at the Byroads' office came through with phenomenal generosity. Not only were many gifts purchased and wrapped and moneys provided, but one patient stepped up to fund a beautiful marker for the grave of a beloved husband.
These are real life needs, and the inspirational actions by the gracious hearts of the Byroads and their staff and patients is the real life response that God prompts so many to faithfully offer.
Friday, December 19, 2008
The Heart of a Giver
CCA could not survive a day without the wonderful hearts shown to us by those who truly want to give of themselves to help others. A perfect example of these servant hearts was shown last week at the Stonebriar Mall. The mall graciously allows us to set up an "Angel Tree" with tags attached to allow everyone t
o purchase gifts for our Christmas Toy Store. These trees are a valuable source of the new toys and gift cards which are made available to our families that "shop" for their children at our store each Christmas.
A young father approached our table near closing time with several gifts purchased by him and his daughter for our tree. He said that he was having a difficult Christmas himself, but knew that others were much worse off, so God had placed it on his heart to come buy toys for CCA's families. As he dropped his gifts off, his 12 year old daughter reached into her purse and pulled out $5, which she wanted to donate "in case the child didn't like their toy and wanted to get something else."
Like the biblical story of the widow with the two mites, this sacrificial act of giving by a young girl touches me to the core. She even went farther and pulled out a WalMart gift card that she had received for her birthday and offered up the unused balance. "It probably only has a few dollars left on it, but I want you to have it" was her generous explanation as she handed it to us.
With tears in his eyes, her father gave her a proud hug as they walked away from the mall and back toward their car--perhaps a few dollars poorer financially, but exponentially richer in spirit and fulfillment as they headed home. God blesses us all, and seeing His love portrayed so simply and purely through the actions of a father and young daughter is a blessing it its purest form.
o purchase gifts for our Christmas Toy Store. These trees are a valuable source of the new toys and gift cards which are made available to our families that "shop" for their children at our store each Christmas.A young father approached our table near closing time with several gifts purchased by him and his daughter for our tree. He said that he was having a difficult Christmas himself, but knew that others were much worse off, so God had placed it on his heart to come buy toys for CCA's families. As he dropped his gifts off, his 12 year old daughter reached into her purse and pulled out $5, which she wanted to donate "in case the child didn't like their toy and wanted to get something else."
Like the biblical story of the widow with the two mites, this sacrificial act of giving by a young girl touches me to the core. She even went farther and pulled out a WalMart gift card that she had received for her birthday and offered up the unused balance. "It probably only has a few dollars left on it, but I want you to have it" was her generous explanation as she handed it to us.
With tears in his eyes, her father gave her a proud hug as they walked away from the mall and back toward their car--perhaps a few dollars poorer financially, but exponentially richer in spirit and fulfillment as they headed home. God blesses us all, and seeing His love portrayed so simply and purely through the actions of a father and young daughter is a blessing it its purest form.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Making a Difference at Christmas
Our Christmas Toy Store program is going strong. Each year we turn our community room into a mini "Toys R Us" filled with brand new toys so that our clients can provide gifts for their children at Christmas. We don't allow the children into the store, because we want the parents to "shop" (by use of a voucher) for each child and pick out what they want. Th
e parents are then able to take the presents and lots of wrapping paper and decorations home in a huge black bag so that they can put the gifts under the tree at Christmas time. In that way THEY are the heroes in the eyes of the children and the dignity of the family is lifted up.
This past Monday as I passed through the lobby I found a woman "Doris" waiting for her apppointment to shop in the toy store. I said hello and she said to me quietly, "Hello. This is my first time to do this." Something about her timid demeanor led me to sit down with her and try to give her a little encouragement. I asked about her family. "I have three boys and I lost my husband recently," she said. "Our Christmas last year wasn't very good and I've been afraid I wouldn't be able to do much again this year. My 9 year old has never had his own bike. He's been learning from a neighbor on their bike, but all he wants is to have his own blue bicycle. My older son just wants some cool jeans, and my younger guy wants a football." I assured her that she'd be able to find all of that and more once she got inside, and I on purpose made a point to head back through the store a little while later when I thought she might still be there.
Sure enough I was able to witness her come around the corner and see her face when she saw the array of brand new bikes we had available--many of them shiny blue. She immediately burst into tears. And of course I did too! Seeing the thankfulness on her face and the additional gifts she had in her cart touched me deeply. That's why we're here. Doing the small things to support her and her family.
I don't know what programs she is taking advantage of here at CCA, but I hope we're doing much more than just giving her gifts at Christmas--as important as that is to her. Hopefully she's enrolled in vocational classes and using our clinic and attending our job search training so that one day she'll be financially independant--and maybe she'll even come back to volunteer at a future Christmas and help another young single mom find that perfect bike for HER son.
It's a poignant and wonderful blessing to be involved in these matters of the heart.
e parents are then able to take the presents and lots of wrapping paper and decorations home in a huge black bag so that they can put the gifts under the tree at Christmas time. In that way THEY are the heroes in the eyes of the children and the dignity of the family is lifted up.This past Monday as I passed through the lobby I found a woman "Doris" waiting for her apppointment to shop in the toy store. I said hello and she said to me quietly, "Hello. This is my first time to do this." Something about her timid demeanor led me to sit down with her and try to give her a little encouragement. I asked about her family. "I have three boys and I lost my husband recently," she said. "Our Christmas last year wasn't very good and I've been afraid I wouldn't be able to do much again this year. My 9 year old has never had his own bike. He's been learning from a neighbor on their bike, but all he wants is to have his own blue bicycle. My older son just wants some cool jeans, and my younger guy wants a football." I assured her that she'd be able to find all of that and more once she got inside, and I on purpose made a point to head back through the store a little while later when I thought she might still be there.
Sure enough I was able to witness her come around the corner and see her face when she saw the array of brand new bikes we had available--many of them shiny blue. She immediately burst into tears. And of course I did too! Seeing the thankfulness on her face and the additional gifts she had in her cart touched me deeply. That's why we're here. Doing the small things to support her and her family.
I don't know what programs she is taking advantage of here at CCA, but I hope we're doing much more than just giving her gifts at Christmas--as important as that is to her. Hopefully she's enrolled in vocational classes and using our clinic and attending our job search training so that one day she'll be financially independant--and maybe she'll even come back to volunteer at a future Christmas and help another young single mom find that perfect bike for HER son.
It's a poignant and wonderful blessing to be involved in these matters of the heart.
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