Thursday, December 11, 2008

AWESOME DAY

AWESOME DAY TODAY!!
Children's wishes are being fulfilled through our Christmas wish list program. Many of you are opening your hearts and your wallets even in these tough economic times to help children here in Bridge City who had lost everything in the storm have a bright Christmas.
I knew I could count on you! :)
We still have quite a few children still on the list who are in need of some cheering up this Christmas. Will YOU be that special person? A few of them are listed to the right and we have many others.

Children were also happy for another reason today (although being from Ohio, my family wasn't all that thrilled) ;) Bridge City woke up to snow this morning!! Yep....... Great idea I had of "Purchasing" a truckload of snow for our Christmas Party, since Bridge City never sees snow.........well, not a measurable amount since 1973 anyway............ I thought it would be SO cool to have snow at the party like we did last year in California. But here we are 1 week before the party and they get it for free. Can you believe it?!?!? Oh well......I tried!! :)

We are being blessed with wonderful volunteers!! We have excellent volunteers from the local congregations! Bridge City, Orange (9th & Elm, Fellowship), Buna, Beaumont (Westgate, Ridgewood), Nederland, Jasper, Warren, Silsbee, Kirbyville, Woodville.

This month we have volunteers traveling from New Jersey, Alabama, Tennessee (FHU), Arkansas, Stamford, TX. and Missouri.

Without all of you DRT wouldn't be possible or needed. YOU are DRT!! We love you and appreciate you!!

Monday, December 08, 2008

CHRISTMAS HERE IN BRIDGE CITY

It's still very busy here in Bridge City. Volunteers are coming and working on houses, supplies are being distributed, meals are being served and the community as well as all of us are being blessed. GOD IS GREAT!!

I've personally been very busy getting our Bridge City Community Christmas Party planned.

It's scheduled for December 20. We are working together with the area congregations as well as an organization called Portlight Strategies, Inc. to bring this all together. I'm so excited about it!! It should be an awesome time for everyone. We have a company bringing in a snow machine so the children here in Texas will get to experience the fun of snow (some for the first time) even if it isn't actually falling from the sky and has to be trucked in. :) We'll have the area all decorated with lots of lights, Christmas trees and decorations.

Santa will be here giving gifts, we'll have a traditional Christmas dinner with ham, mashed potatoes, etc., arts and crafts for the kids, D.J. playing music, and much more.

We also have had the storm survivors filling out wish lists for their children. We're asking them to list some item/s/ that they really like that were lost in the storm that they would like to have again. We are then trying to fulfill those requests. We will then give those gifts to the parents to give to the children (these are different gifts than what is being given at the party). Anyway then the parents can give the gifts to the children however they want. It can be from them, Santa or whatever. So many of the storm survivors are having to put out so much money on their houses because of not having insurance that they don't have money for Christmas. This allows them to have something under the tree Christmas morning.

To the right is a listing of 1st names, ages, sizes, and wish lists of several children here in the community that really need our help to fulfill their wishes for Christmas. We asked the parents to fill the forms out for the children listing a few items the children lost in the storm that they really liked and would like to have for Christmas. Many from area congregations, organizations, etc. are trying to help fulfill these requests however there are ALOT of children in need. Which means WE NEED YOUR HELP--


If you would like to fulfill a child's wish for Christmas, you may do so by donating funds to purchase gifts for certain children and the gifts will be purchased here since time is running short and it will avoid shipping costs (if you prefer to purchase gifts and ship them, please email and let me know that as soon as possible):


1. Send an email with the following information to let me know that you want to fulfill that child's wish list. disasterrelief@hotmail.com

Number of the Child
Name of the Child
Amount of money you are sending to fulfill the wish list.
Your name, address and phone number


2. Mail a check to:
Churches of Christ Disaster Response Team
810 Hollywood Blvd.
West Melbourne, Florida 32904


Or you may donate online through PayPal on our website: http://www.churchesofchristdrt.org/


**PLEASE MAIL IN OR DONATE ONLINE SOON AS GIFTS ARE NOT ABLE TO BE PURCHASED UNTIL FUNDS ARE RECEIVED.**


So many are in need of assistance, many are still living in tents, others are cramped in very tiny FEMA houses and it seems to them to be taking forever to get back into their homes. Please consider helping us give these families a memorable Christmas. Let's make what could be a very difficult holiday season for them, a bright "Christ-Filled" time for them to remember.