Loving Others - Project 2 Donations continued

Here are a few more resources and ideas for donations.

Church

We no longer had room to store our swing and exersaucer from our children.  We had used them well and loaned them to several people and now they needed a new home.  I asked our preschool department at church if they needed them in the baby room.  I fully expected them to say, “No, we get more donations of swings than we know what to do with.”   I was shocked then she said, “We would love to have them.  We have some in really bad shape that I would like to get rid of, but can’t because we use them with our babies.”  Although churches cannot take everything, it is a great idea to check and see if they have a need that you can fill.  

Churches may also be interested in books for their library.  Once I gave a small church all the vocal tracks I had used in the past when singing solos in church.

Interfaith Ministries – Refugee help

https://www.imgh.org/refugee-services

This idea is new to me - people fleeing their country in the middle of the night to escape horrible situations.   So I recently began seeking out refugee help centers in Houston. They provide services including housing, English classes, cultural orientation, document application, school enrollment, and job placement.  These places appear to need more household items like couches, mattresses, blankets, small shelves, microwaves, books, computers less than 4 years old, kitchenware, etc.  For acceptable donations see https://www.imgh.org/refugee-services/in-kind-donations

Donations can be dropped off at 3217 Montrose Blvd.  Houston, Texas  77006. Between 8 and 4.  Call 713-533-4900 for more information.

 

Some other places:

 

Help A Sister Out Resale Shop – 3803 Front Street Brookshire TX 77423 M-F 10-5, Sat 10-3

Office # 281-934-1110

 

Loaves and Fishes - http://magnificathouse.org/LoavesFishes.htm Soup kitchen and a temporary shelter for girls at night. 

I began looking up places and am overwhelmed by all the organizations out there helping others.  It’s wonderful.  You may have to do a little research in your area.  Just start asking around or maybe do an Internet search.  If you want to help, there are ample opportunities to assist others in need. 

Loving Others - Opportunity this weekend to help

I just opened up an email from allaboutkaty.net.  It listed a donations event this weekend.  They are having a fundraiser for baby items and the goods are going to several places I blogged about this morning.  http://houstontimeframes.blogspot.com/2013/04/loving-others-project-2-donations.html

Here is the information.  It could be a great way to start blessing others. 

 

Sat April 6th | 10am - 3pm 

That's My Baby: Community Baby Shower 

Hosted by: The Katy Area Parents of Multiples
Villagio Town Center 
22764 Westheimer Parkway @ Peek in Cinco Ranch
Donate new or gently used baby items to help local 

families in need. Don't miss our amazing bake sale 

and raffle!  Satisfy your sweet tooth while trying to win sweet prizes!  All donations will be given to KCM, The Star of Hope and The Houston Area Women's Center.  All funds raised thru the bake sale and raffle will benefit KAPOM and March of Dimes!

 

 

Terms defined in case you don't know what they are:

KCM - Katy Christian Ministries

Star of Hope - Assistance for families experiencing homelessness

KAPOM is Katy Area Parents of Multiples (or something like that).  They are a group of parents with twins and triplets and I guess any number of children born at once.

Loving Others - Project 2 - Donations

*Donations – Don’t just throw away your things or give them to a random resale shop.  Bring it to the people that need it.  See what the needs are and meet them.

We have so many things that sit in our closet and go unused.  I am quick to share if I know a need, but the problem is that I often don’t know people’s needs.  I have been praying for God to open opportunities for me to help.  I could donate the extra things to a thrift store in hopes that someone would be helped, but I wanted to be a little more specific.  Here are a few places to think of when you want to share with others.  Many are specific to Houston, but for other readers, the list may help them think of similar areas they could help in their towns.  You could always call your church and see what organizations they support.

Star of Hope

http://www.sohmission.org/NetCommunity/needs.

Star of Hope is an organization that helps families experiencing homelessness.  There are homeless shelters that help everyone and others  that are specific to men, women, or families.  I chose one that deals mainly with families since I have stuff to share that my small children used. Star of Hope offers childcare for adults while they take parenting classes and get help with jobs. 

Here is a link to see the services they provide. http://www.sohmission.org/NetCommunity/programs-and-services.

They have a list of urgent and ongoing needs.  http://www.sohmission.org/NetCommunity/needs. These needs include coats, jackets, and blankets.  I know I have extra jackets hanging in my closet that I never wear and blankets that I can’t figure out where to store.  I am suddenly aware that there are people cold tonight trying to keep their babies warm and sharing with them is a much better use of my coats than hanging in my closet to be worn twice a year by me. They also mention “women's Clothing - Size 22 & up. Appropriate for job interviews.” I no longer work outside the home and have lots of nice clothes appropriate for a job interview that I never wear.  Could those unworn clothes in my closet help someone get a job and move toward a better life.  I believe that is a better calling than “what if someday I want to wear them again.” I emailed them checking to see if all sizes would be helpful, but have not heard back yet.

They have a list of things they will accept. http://www.sohmission.org/NetCommunity/accepted-donation-list. Use this list to be sure they will accept the items you want to donate before you pack them up.

Anything not on the list that you may still want to donate could be donated to a ministry that has a resale shop like KCM or CAM.(see below)

Star of Hope has other volunteer opportunities if you desire.  However, that would be another post.  Feel free to browse their page at http://www.sohmission.org/NetCommunity/needs.

KCM – Katy Christian ministries

http://ktcm.org/

Their webpage says

 “We are a Social Service non-profit serving the Katy/West Houston, Fulshear & Simonton Areas. We have Social Service Departments that offer emergency financial assistance, Food Pantries, a Crisis Center that houses the Domestic Abuse Center and the Sexual Assault Center, 2 resale stores and 3 Donation Centers”.

When you donate your items to them, you can know they are going to be used to help others. According to their webpage “$0.87 of every dollar goes to provide physical, spiritual and emotional support to our neighbors in the Katy/West Houston area.”

They have 3 drop off stations.  Two are located  in Katy and one in Fulshear. You can also schedule to have some items picked up at your home. Check here for drop-off/pick up information.  http://ktcm.org/donate/wherewhat-can-i-donate/.  Their webpage says,

“Our Donation Centers CAN accept furniture, appliances, electronics, housewares, clothing, mattresses and sleeper sofas in good, working condition with no stains, tears or soiling. We CANNOT accept items that are damaged, dirty, have excessive pet hair, are incomplete, worn-out or not working. We also cannot accept CRT computer monitors or console TVs/Stereos.”

KCM also has a food pantry to which you can donate.  Sometimes when I am shopping, I pick up a few extra things and drop them off.  Also if you shop at HEB they have lots of buy-this,-get-this-free deals.  Often I only want of need part of the deal, so we bring these extra items to the food pantry as well.  Please don’t hear that we give away the bad food that we don’t like.  We give away good quality food that people like to eat.  Remember we are blessing people, not giving them unwanted items.  Here is a list of items they need in their food pantry.  http://ktcm.org/assistance-programs/food-pantry/

KCM also has volunteer opportunities, but again that’s another post.  Feel free to browse on your own here http://ktcm.org/

 

CAM – Cypress Assistance Ministries

http://cypressassistanceministries.com/

Another place that helps is CAM - Cypress Assistance Ministries.  I know that in our church, we supported KCM and BCAM and refer people to these two organizations.  Depending on your zip code, you were referred to either BCAM or KCM. BCAM is not longer, so I think CAM is the new referral.   I know less about CAM, but their webpage says,

“Cypress Assistance Ministries is a faith based organization that serves individuals and families in financial crisis, those on the brink of homelessness, the elderly, the unemployed and anyone that needs hope for a better future. Our goal is to restore our neighbors, regardless of religious or ethnic background, to self sufficiency.”

They have a food pantry, a resale shop, job help, and adult education.  You can donate cell phones here.  That’s something I have that I’ve wanted to find a good place. 

This is the donation information found on their webpage.

“A huge part of our ability to provide family assistance is through donations from the community. Donating your gently used household items including kitchen items, furniture, toys, books, small electrical appliances, and gently used clothing is a terrific way to support CAM! All items need to be clean and in working, sellable condition. Unfortunately, we do not have enough manpower for repairs. Charitable donation receipts will be given for all donations.

*Recycle your used cell phones here! We make money for the ministry by recycling them!”

Times and locations of donations can be found at http://cypressassistanceministries.com/furniture-and-household-donations

 

Other places that could use your items would include

Women’s shelters

Refugee shelters

Pregnancy Centers

Local churches that have food pantries of assistance programs

    

Loving Others - Project 1 - Blessing Bags for People Experiencing Homelessness

Loving others - Project #1

Goodie bags for people experiencing homelessness.

Living in Houston, it is a very normal thing to see people experiencing homelessness.  We pray for these people as we drive by in the car.  Sometimes I use this time to talk to my girls about how God has blessed us and we should be thankful.  Then we decided to do more.  We made up some bags to leave in the car.  Our goal is to pass them out when we see someone who could use them.  While handing out the bag, I roll down all windows and my girls and I tell them hello.  We smile and wave and wish them a good day.  We practice this in the car when no one is around.  We believe it is as important to be kind and loving with our words and smiles as it is to hand out the bag.  We want people we meet to leave with the idea they are special and loved, not matter the circumstances. 

Here are some ideas of items you could include in the goodie bags

Socks
Cups
Peanut butter
Toothbrush and toothpaste (maybe ask a dentist to donate these)
Bottled water
Rice krispi treats
Lotion, shampoo, conditioner, soap (like the little ones you get from a hotel)
Comb
Pictures (my girls ages 3 and 5 colored/decorated a picture for each bag)
A story about Jesus or tract
Books
Playing cards
A puzzle book like Sudoku or crossword

 

I read that they often need bags, so I put mine in Ziploc bags thinking they could reuse them.  You could use leftover plastic bags from the grocery store, but I wanted them to see what I was giving them when I offered it. 


*****Update - May 2013
These have been a great success and I'm not the only one doing this.  One guy asked me if I belonged to the church that gives these out all the time!  A friend of mine rolled down her window to give one out and the car in front of her gave one before she had a chance to!  Yay for people loving other people.  Keep it up. 

Thinks I learned - Do not call them "Bags for the homeless" or your five-year-old will inevitably ask the person receiving the bag if they are homeless and need a homeless bag.  I'm new at this but I'm pretty sure that was offensive.  We discussed what the bag was for and why we give the bags and my children decided to call them "Blessing Bags" instead. 

One person complained because they didn't need soap since there was no way to wash.  Another lady acted like it was Christmas.  One person thanked my kids and asked told them to always obey their mom and be sure to wash behind their ears!  You never know the response you'll get, but 95% of the time it's been positive.  Don't be discouraged.  Just love people. 

To The Roof

I am officially doing this blogging thing all wrong!  I know that to be a good blogger and get followers, you need to have a specific purpose for the blog, blog often, and use lots of words.  Hmmm.  I'm pretty sure you should never change your Blog name, but I just did.  I choose not to use my time to blog really often, and who has time to read lots and lots of words.  It's good for the search engines, but bad for busy people.  I'm grateful to bloggers (I get lots of information from them), but that's probably not what this blog will look like.  So that said, I have a few things to share

I'm throwing away the old photographer dream that began this blog. 

I want to use it this week to help others serve God more tangibly. First things first

To The Roof - Why the name change? 

Recently I coauthored a book.  http://www.amazon.com/The-Uncommon-Church-Making-Common/dp/1480139106/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364237531&sr=8-1&keywords=tiffany+McKinley
In the Uncommon Mindset chapter, Pastor Pete (the other author) brought some material about the men who carried the paralyzed friend to Jesus.  I can imagine them standing there thinking, "what now" after what appeared to be defeat.  Then one stands straight up and yells, "To the roof!" Then he  look around like, "Who said that." I'm sure he knew his mouth said it, but was well aware that the idea was not his own but straight from the heart of God.  Then in excitement the friends continue the mission, overcoming setbacks, and reaching toward the prize - Jesus. 

Here is the excerpt if you want more details.

"During Jesus’ teaching one day, some friends chose hard work in order to get their friend to Jesus.

 

One day as [Jesus] was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick.  18 Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus.  19 When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.  20   When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”  21   The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 22   Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?  23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?  24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. . . .” He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”  25 Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.  26 Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”  Luke 5:17-26 (NIV)   

 

The guys in this passage brought the paralytic to Jesus.  They carried an adult man from where he was to where Jesus was.  That’s hard work.  Then when they could not get into the house, they climbed to the roof.  I’d like to know exactly how they lifted a paralyzed man to the roof of that house.  Once on top, they dug through the roof.  These friends chose to do whatever it took to get their friend to Jesus.  Like these friends, people with an uncommon mindset are ready and willing to do the hard work that others will not. . .

 

 

There was such a large crowd around the house where Jesus taught that they could not enter.  Common men would have said,

“Well we tried,”

“it’s just not meant to be,”

“let’s try again next year.” 

“We should have left the beggar.  Now we’re late for the party, and we won’t get to see Jesus.” 

“We did the work.  We picked him up and brought him here.  That’s all we can do.”  

“We’ll pray for you.  Hope you can find a way home, because we’re worn out.”

 Think about all the others that were standing around the house, waiting to see, hear, or touch Jesus.  Yet only these men dared to be different.  They climbed up on the roof and got to work.  No one else was on the roof as far as the scriptures record.  This behavior was uncommon in Jesus day, and it’s uncommon today as well."

 

 

 

 

 

These words are not exactly as published.  I copied and pasted from a very early manuscript.  It does give you the idea. 

 

I no longer want to make excuses.

"I'm too busy."

"I already serve other places."

"There are so many needy people in this big city."

"I homeschool so there is no time."

" I can't help them, I'll be late for Bible study."

"I don't want my kids to be influenced negatively by sinful people."

"I'm scared"

"I just don't know how to help"

 

I know. I just wrote all those nasty, sinful thoughts out for everyone to read.  I'd love to say I just heard those excuses from others, but I thought them up all on my own.  My heart has a long way to go.  Jesus continues to give me grace, because I'm not worthy to be called his follower and then I make up lame excuses not to follow. 

 

So I've been working to change that and I bet there are some others that could use a little help too.  I've found some ways to be more like the hands and feet of Jesus and I'll share those in the next few blogs.  Many are specific to the Houston, Texas area where I live, but the ideas easily can transfer to other regions as well. 

 

 

 

 

Richard Milburn Academy in Beaumont, TX

I'm looking forward to taking your dance pictures at the TWIRP dance this Friday. Go WILDCATS!!

Castro 30th anniversary

Congrats on 30 years.  I love working with this family. They are so fun and it shows in their photos.