July 2026 Newsletter

We Help Families Start Over

Hello New Life Warehouse Friends! And Happy Birthday America! As we reflect on all of the blessings God has given us as Americans, we are reminded of Galatians 5:13, which says "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love." We’ve had a VERY busy summer in the warehouse, hosting many volunteer groups who helped us serve dozens of families. We also received big mattress donations from USF and from UT, which is a huge blessing and a tremendous help to the ministry. As the summer flies by we’re starting to prepare for our annual Fall Fundraiser. This is our only fundraising event of the year and is what allows us to keep operating and serving nearly 90 families each month. Mark your calendars - our Home for the Holidays Fundraiser is scheduled for Friday, November 6th at Soiree Estates in Lutz.

"In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8

In June NLW was asked by St. Vincent de Paul to help furnish 19 apartments for individuals who had literally been living on the streets - some for many years. This particular delivery made a deep impression on some of our seasoned volunteers because of the extreme cycle of poverty and sadness that some of these folks have experienced. Lavene Martin spoke with a recipient who had been sleeping on the ground for the past ten years. Circumstances and family illness caused him to lose his business in Indiana and he ended up in Florida. He was choosing not to run the air conditioner in his new apartment because he said he was just used to sleeping outside. He said it will take him a while to adjust to all of the "creature comforts", like having a bed to sleep in and a chair to sit in.

Social Worker Brandie Grizzel shared the following:

"The partnership with New Life Warehouse made an incredible impact on our community by furnishing 19 apartments for individuals transitioning out of homelessness. For many of these residents, moving into permanent housing meant starting over with little to nothing. Having a safe place to call home is only the first step—turning that space into a comfortable, livable home is what truly supports long-term stability.

Because of New Life Warehouse’s generosity, these individuals received essential furniture and household items. Instead of worrying about how they would afford a bed to sleep on, a table to eat at, or basic furnishings, they were able to focus on rebuilding their lives, maintaining housing stability, improving their health, and creating a fresh start.

This partnership provided more than furniture—it restored dignity, offered hope, and reminded each resident that their community believes in them.

We are deeply grateful for New Life Warehouse’s commitment to serving our community and helping transform houses into homes. Their generosity has made a lasting difference in the lives of those we serve."

SAVE THE DATE - Home for the Holidays - Nov 6th

Mark your calendar

We are very excited to announce the date for our annual fundraiser in November. The event will be held on Friday, November 6th at Soiree Estates in Lutz. Join us for an evening of holiday festivities as we celebrate all of God’s blessings and raise money so we can continue to help others. Tickets and event sponsorships will be available soon.

We Are The Church

Something amazing happened in June. We got EVERY delivery out on each of our Delivery Saturdays. We can't remember the last time this has happened - usually there are deliveries that are left over that have to be done during the week. We were able to get all of the deliveries out because we had a number of wonderful churches come and serve with us. We are especially grateful to Faith Covenant Church, Radiant Odessa, Journey Church, Harborside, and Grace Family Church for helping us be the hands and feet of Jesus. Grace Family Church had over 100 people sign up to help at NLW during Serve Week. It was amazing!

We love to equip churches to go out and serve the local community by providing opportunities to change someone's life in just a few hours. Serving with NLW is like going on a mini-mission trip.

If your church is looking for service opportunities, please contact us. It doesn't matter if you are a big group or small group - there's always something for everyone to do.

His Faithfulness

NLW has been working closely with Church World Services (CWS) this year to assist resettled refugees from South Africa. We received this lovely message last week from a couple whom we had the privilege of serving:

"Thank you for everything you do for the Lord and your obedience to His Word. You are showing your faith by your works as James wrote in James 2:15-18.

We flew from South Africa at the end of April and were placed in Tampa (CWS) and moved into a Boot Ranch apartment on May 15th. We were very blessed with every donation we received from New Life Warehouse and will always be grateful. The reclining sofas are such a treat. God is faithful! He sure does answer prayer. He has given us so many promises and hearing His voice and listening to His direction is exhilarating.

Thank you for sharing the Gospel of Jesus in such a profound way.

Big thanks to every volunteer and everyone on this mission.

Be blessed!"

Volunteer Spotlight - Sharon and Ron Kishen

Many volunteers enter the doors of NLW and most of these volunteers are absolutely amazing, but there are some who go the extra mile to show families that they are loved. Sharon Kishen has been a part of helping families start over for many years now and in that time she has worn many hats.

She volunteers as a screener and calls the families, making sure they receive the items that they need. Sometimes she searches out the perfect items that they need to help them live a more productive life, and she also checks in on them to see how they’re doing long after delivery day. She has seen some baptized and others who went on to get an education or a well paying job. She found out that one of her recipients that she screened loved the Lakers so she got someone to sign a poster for him because she knew someone who played on the team (see picture).

She stages, and she sorts and organizes in the kitchen area of the warehouse. As a stager, she is one of the last ones to leave each Friday, making sure that all of the families homes are ready to go for delivery on Saturday. She always adds that personal touch.

Ron, her husband is also seen moving furniture in the warehouse on any given day and helping Sharon with staging and deliveries. Thank you Ron and Sharon !!! You all are an integral and awesome part of the NLW family!