|
Our mission is intersecting faith and community to empower
Grayson County families to end child homelessness.
| |
MESSAGE FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | |
|
Dear friends,
You have done it again! Thanks to your acts of kindness, generosity, love, time, energy, hospitality, and prayers, it has been another amazing year! You have made our community better by helping families facing or experiencing homelessness. Thank you!
With your assistance, all of the families served this year in our Rotation program have worked hard and found homes. That's huge! Perry Como's, "No Place Like Home for the Holidays" will have special meaning for the five boys you hosted most recently!
I cannot say enough nice things about our Board of Directors. Each member brings talent, energy, and passion for our mission. Outgoing Chair Becky Frank and Treasurer Chris Butler selflessly gave countless hours of their time writing grant requests, budgeting, organizing, paying bills, and being supportive in many ways. While we surely will miss them, we will be in competent hands with incoming Co-Chairs Jessica Wright and Maureen Kane Stevenson and Treasurer Carin Monk. Be sure to read next month's newsletter to learn who our new Board members will be! (Hint: It's a great Board, too!)
You can be proud of all the ways you have made a positive difference this year. Thank you. Together we are Family Promise!
Joy and peace,
Leigh
| |
|
We are so grateful for our ongoing relationship with SSMC Lone Star! For the past six years, this kind and generous motorcycle club has helped us provide Thanksgiving assistance to area families. Those (including the Whitaker family, pictured) who came to watch this wonderful group roar into the parking lot of the Day Center were thrilled by the sights and sounds! It is rumored that in a few weeks, the club will escort Santa and Mrs. Claus (and maybe some gifts?!) to the home of one of our guest families!
SSMC Lone Star is a non-profit organization comprised of law enforcement, veterans, and others that support social, educational and charitable programs such as Family Promise. THANK YOU, SSMC Lone Star!! Special thanks to Kris and David Gilbert for coordinating!
| |
SSMC Lone Star President Bull (AKA friend Grant Perkins) presenting a generous check to Executive Director Leigh Walker | |
A dozen 6th graders from Texoma Christian School recently spent a morning doing service at the Family Promise Day Center as part of the annual TCS Care-a-thon. Not only did these compassionate students accomplish an entire list of helpful tasks, but also they brought a carload of supplies to donate! Bottles of bleach and laundry soap and huge packages of toilet paper and paper towels will bless many families! We appreciate this class SO much! If you know these kind folks, please thank them for caring, and thank them for doing such a great job! | |
Sorting donated clothing, organizing books, shelves, drawers, and toys, and sorting containers and lids | |
Mitsuko Lee, Amy Huckle, Lori Beth Brown, Peyton, Ashton, Josephine, Allie, Kristen, SK, Tyler, Lily, Emilia, Lucy, LeAura, and Madison pose in front of the Christmas tree they decorated at the Day Center. | |
HOLIDAY SPENDING & MAKING CHANGE(S) | A record 21 people attended the final financial literacy class of 2024, held a couple of weeks ago at the Day Center! Independent Financial has hosted these monthly classes all year, covering topics such as credit scores, savings plans, and budgeting. In November, the adults discussed holiday spending, while the school age children read fun books about money, learned the values of coins, and practiced making change. Resource Advocates Kristi and Tara provided supervision for preschoolers in the nursery. Special thanks to Independent Financial and Larsha' Thomas for providing snacks each month and to Joshua Whitworth for leading the discussion most months! Classes are open to the public and will resume in January. | |
Independent Financial representatives Joshua and Amber leading the discussion about holiday spending | |
|
KNIGHT FAMILY CHIROPRACTIC: THEY ARE BACK! | |
Several members of the Knight Family Chiropractic team spent an afternoon making adjustments to the Day Center. They graciously volunteered to move furniture, sort clothing, reconnect computers, rearrange the playroom and organize books. As a result, several families we assist received the sizes of clothing they needed, space at the Day Center was repurposed and reorganized, and some shabby blankets and towels were donated to the animal shelter! We are so impressed with and appreciative of the Knight Family Chiropractic group's commitment to service! They seem to love families as much as we do! Thank you! | |
|
As always, we want to celebrate our Host congregations! The kind words you speak and the encouragement you give are so uplifting to our guests. You truly are loving your neighbor as yourself.
Congregations hosting in December include: Fairview Baptist and First United Methodist in Sherman and Grace Lutheran and Park Avenue Church of Christ in Denison. We are so grateful to our congregations for welcoming, hosting, feeding, and loving our guests so graciously!
| |
SPEAKING OF CELEBRATING... | |
|
On Thursday, December 12, from 4-6 PM, we will have a come and go Christmas party to thank our volunteers. If you have brought a meal for our families, hosted, served on the Board, participated in the Corn Hole tournament, taught a class, been an Office Angel, made a donation, or said a prayer for our guests or staff, you are invited!
Please come by the Day Center (901 E. Houston Street in Sherman) and have a treat! We know this is a busy time of year, so if you can stay only a few minutes, that's fine. If you want to stay visit a while, we would love to catch up! Hope to see you there!
| |
|
SET TO ARRIVE IN 2025
Volunteer training is scheduled tentatively for Thursday, January 9th from 5:30-7:30 PM at Elmont Baptist church in Van Alstyne. Start the new year off well by making new friends while you get an overview of our programs and learn some helpful tips for being the best volunteer possible for our guests. This is a one-and-done training that we ask all of our volunteers to attend. There may even be snacks! Please RSVP to Leigh at 903-271-1088. Hope to see you there!
If you have an interest in learning more about simple home maintenance and repairs, or if you know someone who does, you are in luck! Jason Barrett graciously has offered to teach his Tool Time class again. He covers basic plumbing, electric, and drywall repair, among other things. This class likely will start mid-January and will be one hour per week in the evening at the Day Center in Sherman. (We will try to schedule the time that accommodates the most people.) For more information or to sign up, please call Leigh at 903-271-1088.
| |
THE REASON FOR THE SEASON | |
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6 | |
MAY YOUR DAYS BE MERRY AND BRIGHT! | |
If you would like to learn more about Family Promise of Grayson County including:
- How to participate
- How to volunteer
- How to support through donations
Didn’t get this newsletter directly? Join our mailing list by sending an email to the newsletter editor. Be sure to forward this to a friend!
| | | | |
