Christmas Caroling at The GreenHouse

Q:  What do you get when you mix various ages, languages, ethnicities, income levels, and religious backgrounds in a group of about 100 people and send them all off singing Christmas songs with one another in a community that they all care about?

A.  A whole lot of fun, laughs, and Christmas cheer! 

Let's do it again next year! 

Melvin's Hope Christmas Store

Our Melvin's Hope Christmas Store was open this past Friday evening and Saturday and it was a big success!  There was a line around the building the entire time and everyone left the store with big smiles on their faces.

We had several awesome parent volunteers who worked hard both days at the store, as well as an amazing group of other volunteers from Sanctuary, Adventure, and Bridge of Life who served as personal shoppers, re-stockers, and gift wrappers.

I honestly loved everything about it and had so much fun!  The whole experience filled my heart with joy. I'm so glad we revamped the project this year - there were many confirmations along the way that we had made the right decision.  Thank you to everyone who donated or volunteered!

Let the Family Festivities Begin...

On Tuesday, Steve finished his last final. Five semesters down, ONE to go! The end of finals came just as a flurry of Christmas activities was ramping at The GreenHouse - making for a nutty (intense, grueling) couple of weeks in our household. But once again, we made it out alive. Marriage still intact. Children still breathing. Stress levels back to normal.

The kids could not wait for their Daddy to be done with his "big tests" so that we could go and get a Christmas tree. Poor Jonah was distraught over the fact that we didn't have one yet! So on Wednesday night, we shimmied over to the tree lot just down the street and let the boys pick out the one they wanted.

That same night, we headed over to The GreenHouse for the Oasis Christmas Party where a large group of people from Sanctuary was gathering to go caroling with the teens. We had a blast! (more on that event in a subsequent post).

And today, the kids got to perform some Christmas songs at church.  Riley was much too grumpy to participate.  Nicolas was cute as a button and did everything he was asked to do.  And Jonah hammed it up like the rock-star that he is.  Classic.   

It feels good to finally be able to partake in some Christmas festivities together as a family - just in the nick of time!

Being Present during Advent

Throughout this season of Advent, our church is reading a daily devotional book that was written by our pastor called Living the Christmas Story.  The book is challenging us to let Christmas be a season of Prayer (closeness with God), Presence (connectedness with others), and Participation in God's love.

I read this post on another blog yesterday and thought it correlated very well with the devotional.  (plus, I love Henri Nouwen):

The Ministry of Presence
More and more, the desire grows in me simply to walk around, greet people, enter their homes, sit on their doorsteps, play ball, throw water, and be known as someone who wants to live with them. It is a privilege to have the time to practice this simple ministry of presence. Still, it is not as simple as it seems.

My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or to be part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings, conferences, study groups, and workshops that prevent me from walking the streets. It is difficult not to have plans, not to organize people around an urgent cause, and not to feel that you are working directly for social progress. But I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn’t be to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own, and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs that you do not simply like them, but truly love them.

- Henri Nouwen

Betterment vs. Development

This fall we've been shaking things up at The GreenHouse!  The combination of some excellent training we've been receiving from the Christian Community Development Association (and others) + a number of years of in the trenches doing trial and error + time away this summer to think and dream up new ideas = just the right timing to make some significant changes.   

We're now viewing everything we do from a new lens.  We're asking if what we are doing:

1.  Respects the dignity of the people involved

2.  Strengthens the community in sustainable ways

3.  Promotes freedom from dependency

4.  Allows people to use their own resources and be self-determining

We're focusing on assets rather than deficits.

We're acknowledging that each and every person is created in the image of God - each one with gifts, strengths, and abilities - just waiting to be utilized for Him. 

We're tweaking each program, shifting them from Betterment activities to Development activity.  (A betterment activity is focused on doing for others, while a development activity is focused on enabling others to do for themselves.  A betterment activity improves conditions, while a development activity strengthens capacity.  Betterment activities are event-oriented; development activities are relationship-oriented.)

It's hard to shift from Betterment to Development!  It's a lot easier to hand out clothes than it is to set-up a thrift store, right?  But, slowly we're making progress with these changes and it's exciting to see.

Last month we made some good changes to our Harvest Carnival and this month we did an overhaul on the manner in which we delivered food to families for Thanksgiving.  Rather than just handing out food boxes to families like we've done in the past, we set up the "Thankful Hearts Food Store."  

A number of our youth leaders and a handful of parents helped set-up and run the store.  Three moms were also on a planning committee to help decide how the store should run and what food items should be included.

The families who came to shop in the store each contributed $5 for a box of food which included a turkey, potatoes, rolls, pies, drinks, and an assortment of canned foods. 

Everyone was pleased with the selection of food items and left the store with smiles on their faces. 

Altogether, 66 families were served through the Thankful Hearts Food Store - more families than we've ever served in the past through our Thanksgiving food efforts!  Even better, we deepened our relationships with parents, particularly the three who served on the planning committee.  They got to use their gifts and talents...and they each held their heads a little bit higher that day. 

One youth at a time.  One parent at a time.  God's love is being seen and felt.  Leaders are emerging.  Dreams are being realized.  Hope is being restored.  A community is being renewed.     

Happy Thanksgiving!

GreenHouse News

(The latest GreenHouse Newsletter...)

Help Stock our Thankful Hearts Food Store
Throughout the month of November, The Church Volunteer Network, in collaboration with The GreenHouse, will be collecting food donations for our new "Thankful Hearts Food Store." The Store will be open in our community on Saturday, November 20 from 1:00-4:00 and will offer our neighbors an opportunity to select the food items they need and want to make a special Thanksgiving meal for their families.

Each family that comes to shop in the Thankful Hearts Store will contribute $5 towards their food basket. All of the money raised will be sent to a charity that they care about. So, they will not only be receiving with thankful hearts, but giving as well!

You can help with this Thanksgiving project in one of two ways:

1. Donate food and bring it to The GreenHouse between now and November 19th. We are specifically collecting the following items, but will also accept any other non-perishable items.

Frozen Turkeys (or gift card to buy a turkey)
Bagged Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Canned Green Beans
Canned Corn
Stuffing Mix
Gravy Packets
Butter
Canned Chicken Broth
Rolls
Pumpkin and Apple Pies
Fruit Punch Mix
Tortillas
Rice
Beans
Other non-perishable food items

2. Volunteer on Saturday, November 20 to help set-up and/or manage the Store. Set-up will begin at 11:00; Clean-up will end at 5:00.

To find out more information about donating food or volunteering on the 20th, please contact Sade Williams at sade@thegreenhousecenter.org. Food donations can be dropped off at The GreenHouse (inside the River Garden Estates apartment complex: 2201 Northview Dr. 95833) Monday through Friday 10-5:30.

10th Annual Harvest Carnival Draws Crowd and Smiles
THANK YOU to everyone who braved the rain to come out and celebrate our 10th Annual Harvest Carnival at Ninos Park. The weather didn't dampen spirits or attendance as families still came out in droves to enjoy this special day with their neighbors. Everyone had a terrific time carving pumpkins, getting their faces painted, winning cupcakes from the cupcake walk, playing carnival games, making crafts, listening to the incredible sounds of Hans Eberbach, and watching the vibrant costumes of Miktlantekuhtli.

A very special thank you to all of our event sponsors as well as to all of our volunteers, especially those from Sanctuary Covenant Church and Bridge of Life Church. We appreciate you!

Presenting Sponsor: Councilmember Ray Tretheway

Station Sponsors: River City Bank, Sacramento Mutual Housing Association

In-Kind Sponsors: What's McCracken Design, Hans Eberbach, Miktlantekuhtli, J-Dogs Hotdogs, Looking Glass Photography, AliveMedia, Malcom Butler from Better Images Barber Shop, FoodsCo, 7 Eleven on Northgate, and Baskin Robbins on Northgate.

The GreenHouse Recognized as a Pillar of Promise
On October 14, The GreenHouse was recognized with a Pillar of Promise Award by e:merge - a coalition of community leaders from education, government, philanthropy, business and the nonprofit sector working together to ensure that all youth enter adulthood ready to lead healthy lives. The GreenHouse was one of 12 agencies and/or individuals who were given a Pillar of Promise Award for demonstrating exemplary service towards supporting youth, and ultimately, the goals of e:merge and the America's Promise Alliance.

Study Buddies Needed for After-School Programs
We are seeking a few more caring adults who can volunteer two hours per week in our after-school programs. Volunteer Study Buddies assist students with homework, help them improve reading and math skills, and form a mentoring relationship with them. To find out more about how you can make a significant impact on the life of a young person (while having a whole lot of fun!), please contact Sade Williams at sade@thegreenhousecenter.org.