Before the earthquake in Haiti, I knew very little about the country. I didn't know that it is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with 80% of its people living below the poverty line. I didn't know about its painful history, frequent natural disasters, or its hundreds of thousands of orphans (which now might be close to a million?). I didn't know about its utter void in basic infrastructure. How did I not know these things? Has my head been completely in the sand?
When you don't know about something, it's easy to dismiss it.
But now I know...we all know. And, now I can't dismiss it. I can't erase the images I've seen over the last few weeks from my mind. They've left quite an impression on my heart.
I have no idea how to process all of this or what this means going forward. But, I do know that I (we) can't forget about Haiti. As the stories on the news turn to something else, we need to remember the beautiful people of Haiti, as well as those who are on the ground, working day and night to bring love and healing to a country in pain.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
GreenHouse News
In the off chance that there is someone who reads this blog that is not on The GreenHouse's e-newsletter mailing list, I thought I'd post our latest newsletter here. It gives a good overview of the latest happenings at The GreenHouse.
(And, if you're not on the e-list, but would like to be, send us your email address. It's a great way to stay connected to what's going on around The GH!)
Thank You!
With sincere gratitude, we’d like to say “thank you” to everyone who donated to The GreenHouse in 2009. Despite the recession, the generosity of our donors allowed us to finish 2009 “in the black” without cutting any of our programs. In fact, we are looking forward to expanding some of our programs in 2010, as you will read below. What a testament to God’s provision and your commitment to the youth in our community!
Two AmeriCorps VISTA Positions – NOW AVAILABLE
Looking for an opportunity to gain excellent work experience, while serving and improving a low-income community? The GreenHouse and New Hope Community Development Corporation are now accepting resumes from individuals who are interested in serving as VISTA members. The positions are full-time for one year and start on April 13, 2010. The VISTA members will work on resource development, volunteer recruitment, outreach, partnership development, and capacity building for our two organizations. To apply for one of the positions, please see the attached Job Descriptions. Resumes will be accepted until February 17, 2010. For more information about the positions, please contact Kacie Stratton at kacie@thegreenhousecenter.org or Enoch Yeung at enochy@gmail.com. To learn more about AmeriCorps VISTA, visit http://www.americorps.gov/about/programs/vista.asp.
GreenHouse Youth are Getting in on the Action
The GreenHouse is one of four organizations city-wide that has been selected to host a Youth Action Team. The purpose of this pilot project is to give youth an opportunity to have their voices heard in discussing ways to address gang activity in our city. This project, supported by the Youth Development Network and the City of Sacramento Office of Youth Development, will be a terrific opportunity for our teens to gain valuable skills while using their gifts in a significant way. We can’t wait to see what they accomplish for the city of Sacramento.
Two Grant Awards Started the New Year off with Bang!
At the end of December, The GreenHouse received a $10,000 grant from the M and M Whitmire Family Foundation for the staffing and curriculum needed to run our Evergreen and R4 after-school programs. Thank you Whitmire Family for your continued support of The GreenHouse over the past four years!
We’re also very excited to announce that The GreenHouse will be receiving a grant this year from the Office of Youth Development in the amount of $26,250. This funding will allow us to increase the number of weekly hours for our current teen programs and add a new Saturday program. The teens can’t wait for the Saturday program which will include service projects, skill-building workshops, field trips, and youth leadership trainings (see Youth Action Team above). We are honored to have been selected for this grant and look forward to partnering with the Office of Youth Development to provide high-quality youth services.
New Volunteer Opportunity
If you’ve always wanted to volunteer at the GreenHouse, but couldn’t get away on a weekday, now is your opportunity! We are now seeking volunteers for our new teen program on Saturdays. Volunteers will form mentoring relationships with the teens while assisting with service projects, field trips, training opportunities and skill-building workshops. If you are interested in making a significant impact on the life of young person and are available on Saturdays, please contact Tim Coburn at tim@thegreenhousecenter.org . Volunteers must complete an application, be fingerprinted and attend a training meeting. Upcoming trainings for all programs are scheduled for January 26th from 7:00-8:30 pm and February 6th from 10:00-11:30 am. To sign up for one of the trainings, go to http://www.doodle.com/ceu2cneqg2g7xz9h.
“Kids at Heart 2010” Planning Committee Forming Now
If you have a knack for event planning, marketing, or fundraising, we could use your talent on our “Kids at Heart” Planning Committee. “Kids at Heart” is our annual fundraising Dinner, Silent Auction, and Community Awards to benefit the youth programs of The GreenHouse. For more information about serving on this committee, please contact event co-chairs Heather Haight at heathorock@gmail.com or Shannon Sturgess at ssturgess@gmail.com.
This year’s event will be held on Sunday, June 6th, 2010 at 5:30 pm so mark your calendar and plan to join us for this very special evening!
The GreenHouse in the Press
Check out this article in Comstock’s magazine about The GreenHouse: http://www.comstocksmag.com/Articles/1209_SR_Cap-Cares--GreenHouse-Grows.aspx.
Contact Us:
For more information, contact us at:
The GreenHouse
PO Box 348138
Sacramento, CA 95834
(916)402-7978
http://www.thegreenhousecenter.org/
Thank you for your interest and support!
(And, if you're not on the e-list, but would like to be, send us your email address. It's a great way to stay connected to what's going on around The GH!)
Thank You!
With sincere gratitude, we’d like to say “thank you” to everyone who donated to The GreenHouse in 2009. Despite the recession, the generosity of our donors allowed us to finish 2009 “in the black” without cutting any of our programs. In fact, we are looking forward to expanding some of our programs in 2010, as you will read below. What a testament to God’s provision and your commitment to the youth in our community!
Two AmeriCorps VISTA Positions – NOW AVAILABLE
Looking for an opportunity to gain excellent work experience, while serving and improving a low-income community? The GreenHouse and New Hope Community Development Corporation are now accepting resumes from individuals who are interested in serving as VISTA members. The positions are full-time for one year and start on April 13, 2010. The VISTA members will work on resource development, volunteer recruitment, outreach, partnership development, and capacity building for our two organizations. To apply for one of the positions, please see the attached Job Descriptions. Resumes will be accepted until February 17, 2010. For more information about the positions, please contact Kacie Stratton at kacie@thegreenhousecenter.org or Enoch Yeung at enochy@gmail.com. To learn more about AmeriCorps VISTA, visit http://www.americorps.gov/about/programs/vista.asp.
GreenHouse Youth are Getting in on the Action
The GreenHouse is one of four organizations city-wide that has been selected to host a Youth Action Team. The purpose of this pilot project is to give youth an opportunity to have their voices heard in discussing ways to address gang activity in our city. This project, supported by the Youth Development Network and the City of Sacramento Office of Youth Development, will be a terrific opportunity for our teens to gain valuable skills while using their gifts in a significant way. We can’t wait to see what they accomplish for the city of Sacramento.
Two Grant Awards Started the New Year off with Bang!
At the end of December, The GreenHouse received a $10,000 grant from the M and M Whitmire Family Foundation for the staffing and curriculum needed to run our Evergreen and R4 after-school programs. Thank you Whitmire Family for your continued support of The GreenHouse over the past four years!
We’re also very excited to announce that The GreenHouse will be receiving a grant this year from the Office of Youth Development in the amount of $26,250. This funding will allow us to increase the number of weekly hours for our current teen programs and add a new Saturday program. The teens can’t wait for the Saturday program which will include service projects, skill-building workshops, field trips, and youth leadership trainings (see Youth Action Team above). We are honored to have been selected for this grant and look forward to partnering with the Office of Youth Development to provide high-quality youth services.
New Volunteer Opportunity
If you’ve always wanted to volunteer at the GreenHouse, but couldn’t get away on a weekday, now is your opportunity! We are now seeking volunteers for our new teen program on Saturdays. Volunteers will form mentoring relationships with the teens while assisting with service projects, field trips, training opportunities and skill-building workshops. If you are interested in making a significant impact on the life of young person and are available on Saturdays, please contact Tim Coburn at tim@thegreenhousecenter.org . Volunteers must complete an application, be fingerprinted and attend a training meeting. Upcoming trainings for all programs are scheduled for January 26th from 7:00-8:30 pm and February 6th from 10:00-11:30 am. To sign up for one of the trainings, go to http://www.doodle.com/ceu2cneqg2g7xz9h.
“Kids at Heart 2010” Planning Committee Forming Now
If you have a knack for event planning, marketing, or fundraising, we could use your talent on our “Kids at Heart” Planning Committee. “Kids at Heart” is our annual fundraising Dinner, Silent Auction, and Community Awards to benefit the youth programs of The GreenHouse. For more information about serving on this committee, please contact event co-chairs Heather Haight at heathorock@gmail.com or Shannon Sturgess at ssturgess@gmail.com.
This year’s event will be held on Sunday, June 6th, 2010 at 5:30 pm so mark your calendar and plan to join us for this very special evening!
The GreenHouse in the Press
Check out this article in Comstock’s magazine about The GreenHouse: http://www.comstocksmag.com/Articles/1209_SR_Cap-Cares--GreenHouse-Grows.aspx.
Contact Us:
For more information, contact us at:
The GreenHouse
PO Box 348138
Sacramento, CA 95834
(916)402-7978
http://www.thegreenhousecenter.org/
Thank you for your interest and support!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Links to some MLK posts
The boys and I have enjoyed reading "A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr" by David Adler this past week, a children's book that we picked up from the library. It's been fun to read it together and learn a bit about Martin Luther King, Jr. I'll admit, I am learning about this great leader, right along with my kids. I wish I knew more and am inspired to read some of his speeches.
Some of the pastor blogs that I read have had terrific posts about MLK today. I thought I'd pass along the links in case anyone else wants to learn a bit more about his life and legacy.
Eugene Cho
Charles Lee
David Swanson
Some of the pastor blogs that I read have had terrific posts about MLK today. I thought I'd pass along the links in case anyone else wants to learn a bit more about his life and legacy.
Eugene Cho
Charles Lee
David Swanson
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Canceled Debt
About a month ago, a supporter of The GreenHouse told me that she and her husband wanted to give a financial gift to a family in need and they wondered if there was anyone in our community that might need assistance paying rent. They had heard about the high number of families who have recently moved out of the apartments due to unemployment/inability to pay rent and wondered if they could perhaps provide a safety net for a family in danger of being evicted.
This was the first time anyone had ever approached me about giving directly to a family so it was new territory for me. I told her that I was fairly certain I could find such a family, but that I would need to do a little research and get back to her.
In the meantime, a second supporter of The GreenHouse, independent of the first one, approached me with the same idea. This couple also wanted to help out a family with a financial gift at Christmas time. I couldn't help but chuckle because I knew that God was up to something. I told the second donor that I was already planning to find a family that needed help with rent and asked her if she and her husband would be interested in combining their gift with the other donors' gift to be a blessing to one family. She agreed and that began my quest to make a match between the two donors and a family in need.
In the process of finding that match, there were starts and stops. I'm so thankful for the stops! It's as if God was guiding my footsteps- so gently, but so clearly - and leading me to the person that He wanted to receive these gifts. He closed the doors that needed to be closed and opened the ones that needed to be open.
The week after Christmas, when I finally had a chance to talk to the manager of the apartment complex, the person who was to receive the gifts was clearly revealed: a single mother of four children who this past year finally had the courage to separate from her husband after 18 long years of abuse. Not long after leaving her husband, she was injured in a car accident. And while she had been able to work off and on since the accident, her minimum wage job made it very difficult for her to afford her rent on her own. For the last few months of 2009, she had only been able to pay partial rent and now had a balance of $1064 in delinquent rent. A notification of eviction had already been delivered.
What a tremendous gift it was for me to visit her and tell her that some generous people wanted to help her wipe out her debt! And, what a miracle it was that the amount given by the two donors (in a check written to the apartment complex), was in the amount of $1160, almost exactly the amount that she owed (with $96 to be carried over for February!).
As I shared the news of the financial gift that was coming her way, I told her that the gift reminded me of Jesus. He wipes out the "debt" of our sin. He cancels the whole thing. It's gone! He gives us a fresh start. And, it's not because of anything that we've done. It's a free gift.
This deserving and worthy mom's debt was canceled - it's gone! She gets a fresh start. What a practical and tangible way for her to hear, understand, and experience the gospel. What a blessing for the donors to be able to be used in such a way. And what an honor for me to have a front row seat in the process.
This was the first time anyone had ever approached me about giving directly to a family so it was new territory for me. I told her that I was fairly certain I could find such a family, but that I would need to do a little research and get back to her.
In the meantime, a second supporter of The GreenHouse, independent of the first one, approached me with the same idea. This couple also wanted to help out a family with a financial gift at Christmas time. I couldn't help but chuckle because I knew that God was up to something. I told the second donor that I was already planning to find a family that needed help with rent and asked her if she and her husband would be interested in combining their gift with the other donors' gift to be a blessing to one family. She agreed and that began my quest to make a match between the two donors and a family in need.
In the process of finding that match, there were starts and stops. I'm so thankful for the stops! It's as if God was guiding my footsteps- so gently, but so clearly - and leading me to the person that He wanted to receive these gifts. He closed the doors that needed to be closed and opened the ones that needed to be open.
The week after Christmas, when I finally had a chance to talk to the manager of the apartment complex, the person who was to receive the gifts was clearly revealed: a single mother of four children who this past year finally had the courage to separate from her husband after 18 long years of abuse. Not long after leaving her husband, she was injured in a car accident. And while she had been able to work off and on since the accident, her minimum wage job made it very difficult for her to afford her rent on her own. For the last few months of 2009, she had only been able to pay partial rent and now had a balance of $1064 in delinquent rent. A notification of eviction had already been delivered.
What a tremendous gift it was for me to visit her and tell her that some generous people wanted to help her wipe out her debt! And, what a miracle it was that the amount given by the two donors (in a check written to the apartment complex), was in the amount of $1160, almost exactly the amount that she owed (with $96 to be carried over for February!).
As I shared the news of the financial gift that was coming her way, I told her that the gift reminded me of Jesus. He wipes out the "debt" of our sin. He cancels the whole thing. It's gone! He gives us a fresh start. And, it's not because of anything that we've done. It's a free gift.
This deserving and worthy mom's debt was canceled - it's gone! She gets a fresh start. What a practical and tangible way for her to hear, understand, and experience the gospel. What a blessing for the donors to be able to be used in such a way. And what an honor for me to have a front row seat in the process.
Happy Birthday Jonah!
I blinked and my baby turned five.
at Chuck E Cheese tonight for his birthday party
Happy Birthday Jonah. I love every ounce of your being.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Christmas Recap
Hope you all enjoyed Christmas with your loved ones! Here's a recap of how we spent ours:
On Christmas Eve, we went to the evening service at Valley Hi Covenant, followed by dinner and presents at Steve's parents' home.
My dad came over to our house on Christmas morning to join us for presents, breakfast, playtime, and more playtime.
In the afternoon, we drove down to Danville and had dinner, a book exchange, and lots of visiting with my mom, stepdad, brother, and sister-in-law.
The boys stayed in their Christmas jammies all day long, reveled in all the attention they got from grandparents, aunts, and uncles, and delighted in opening up presents!
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