Giving Tuesday

Today is Giving Tuesday, people are invited to participate in a global generosity movement and unleash the power of radical generosity. Whether you donate your time, talent, and or treasure, you get to help reimagine a world of shared humanity. Since its inception in 2012, Giving Tuesday has grown into a movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity. And this year I would like to encourage you to specifically make a difference in your community- find a local nonprofit, organization, or neighbor and find a way to bless them this year.

Hear Andrew speak about Giving Tuesday

Job Opening:

Griswold Street Baptist Church is currently seeking a part-time Office Administrator. Experience working in a professional office setting with strong computer skills and proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word & PowerPoint). Must be able to establish and maintain positive working relationships and be highly motivated with strong organizational skills; able to coordinate multiple tasks at one time; ability to work independently. Strong telephone and interpersonal communication skills. 

Inquires to be made at Griswold Street Baptist 810-984-1539 or email resume to sara_achatz@sbcglobal.net.

Christmas Outreaches

Operation Transformation is doing several outreaches this Christmas season:

• OT is collecting faith Christmas cards, wrapped mints, and stamps for the inmates incarcerated at the local jail. Each inmate will receive a signed card with a mint, as well as a stamped card for them to mail to their family. Donation items are due Monday December 5^th.
• We will be blessing officers of the Port Huron Police Department and St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office with a Christmas devotional and signed card.
• We are collecting items for children in foster care this season. We are looking to stuff backpacks for toddler (5 and under) and youth (6-10 years) boys and girls. Items we are collecting include: backpacks, shirts, underwear, diapers, toiletries, toys, and books. The drop-off deadline for these items is December 5^th to the OT office.
• OT is scheduling a day of bell-ringing to raise funds for the Salvation Army campaign. We will have Saturday, December 10th in Birchwood Mall at JC Penney’s from 10am-9pm in 1 hour time slots. Call or email OT if you’d like to sign up for a time to volunteer that day!

Giddy-up, giddy-up, giddy-up, let’s go….

It’s the MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR! The Michigan Youth Opportunities Initiative is doing its annual Christmas gift collection for youth who have aged out of the foster care system in St. Clair and Sanilac Counties. Please see below for details on how you can help. Thanks in advance everyone! If you’d like more information on the MYOI Program, go to https://www.michigan.gov/fyit/resources/youth-alum/michigan-youth-opportunities-initiative-myoi.

THREE WAYS TO HELP OUT:

1. MYOI currently has 29 MYOI youth that need donors for the Christmas season. These youth are enrolled in the savings/banking program, attend MYOI events, are between the ages of 14-22 and have also exited out of foster care. Some of them have children, are in school/college, live independently, are working, etc. Their foster care cases are closed, so they are not eligible for the DHHS Christmas Program for foster children. If you are interested in signing up to buy gifts for a youth, please email Sunshine Ratliff at ratliffs2@michigan.gov. I will then send you the link to the SignUp website that will show you which youth still need donors and gift ideas for each youth. Our goal is to provide about $100 in gifts or gift cards for each youth. If $100 is more than you are able to contribute, please email me and I can team you up with another donor.
2. I am looking to collect SIXTY-FIVE $25 gift cards to provide all the open case youth who are currently enrolled and participating in MYOI a gift card this Christmas. If this option interests you, then please email Sunshine Ratliff at ratliffs2@michigan.gov.
3. I am collecting funds that will be used to provide quarters for MYOI youth to use to play arcade games during our Annual MYOI Holiday Party on 12/16 at Sperry’s Arcadehouse. MYOI can cover a lot of the costs for hosting this event, but cannot provide quarters for the foster youth to enjoy arcade games during the party. Providing some quarters to each youth who attends will take some of the financial burden off the foster parents. If you’d like to help with this, please email Sunshine Ratliff at ratliffs2@michigan.gov to discuss the options for donating.

All gifts, gift cards, and quarter money donations are due to Sunshine by 12/13. Arrangements will be made individually with each donor for how to get the gifts, gift cards, or quarter funds to Sunshine for distribution.

Ring-a-ling-ling-ling….

Thank you,

Sunshine Ratliff

MYOI Coordinator

St. Clair County Department of Health & Human Services

Life in Christ Fellowship is hosting 2 Christmas Eve Services, 4 or 6pm @ Life In Christ Fellowship, 950 Wadhams Rd., St. Clair, MI 48079. Call 810-367-4248 if you have any questions. Everyone is welcome.