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November/December 2015 Newsletter
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As we say good bye to 2015, we are reminded of so many amazing things that have happened throughout the year.
Many lives were changed
by your selfless efforts,
either financially or by actually volunteering
your time
to help us serve those in need. We couldn't do the
things we do
without the faithfulness of you,
our
Hearts In Motion family,
and for that we are forever grateful.
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2015 Highlights
Guatemala:
- 27 Trips - 724 Team Members Participated In: Medical, Surgery, Dental, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech & Hearing Therapy, Social Work, Education, Midwife Training, Firefighter & EMT Training, Eye Glasses, Construction, Sports, Music, Water Filtration, Bible School and Food/Clothing Handouts
- Senior Center Opened
- Weekly Feed Program Operating Twice A Week
- 21 Children Came In To Our Nutrition Center
- 9 Children Joined Us At Our Reese House
Stateside:
- Sent Containers Of Supplies To Guatemala & Ecuador
- Held Ecuadorian Firefighter Training in the U.S.
- Sent Firetruck & Pick-Up Truck To Guatemala Loaded With Firefighter Equipment
- Opened 2nd Resale Shoppe In Schererville, IN
- Sponsored Camping Trip For Inner City Children Of Chicagp
- Provided Assistance To Seniors Living In The Gary, IN Housing Authority Genesis Towers
- Gave 92 Clothing Vouchers To Women From Local Women's Shelters
- Assisted Many Local Families In Need Within The Community
- Helped Sponsor Appalachia Camp For Teens in Kentucky
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Guatemala Trips:
November 15-23:
Physical Therapy Clinics
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December 27 - January 2:
Physical Therapy Clinics, Health & Wellness Seminars, Sports Clinic, Donation Handouts and Construction
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New Shoes = Big Smile
Diane Compton has traveled with HIM to Guatemala for the past few years. During those trips she was compelled to do something to help provide shoes for so many who did not have shoes or were wearing worn out shoes. Since then she has taken on the challenge of gathering more than a 1000 pairs of shoes from individuals and companies to be distributed to those we serve in Guatemala. We are excited to report that she has totally surpassed that number!!! And as you can see by the smile on this woman's face what joy and gratitude a simple pair of new shoes can bring.
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Thanks Diane for seeing the need, embracing this vision and making it happen. Your servant's heart is what we speak of when we say we are made up of "Hearts" In Motion. Your heart is so very special to us and those in Guatemala!
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Guatemala Through His Eyes
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Physical Therapy Donations
Thank you Barb Baker for orchestrating and collecting a ton of miscellaneous Physical Therapy equipment from numerous clinics to help those in Guatemala. There is such a great demand for these types of items and will be distributed through our PT Clinics to many who would not have had the means to receive them.
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Arianna's Angels
Arianna Mihalakakos' heart was touched by two special angels she met while in Guatemala. Read below her heartfelt encounter of those moments:
"For as long as I can remember, I have loved working with kids with special needs. I believe that despite their disabilities they are no different from you or I. We are all children of God, fearfully and wonderfully made in His image. He loves us all and desires a relationship with every single one of us no matter what. The first time I went to Guatemala I met a young boy with special needs. As I was conversing with him, a young girl approached me and told me that he was "a little dead inside." Not only was he described as such, but he also was very visibly excluded from games and activities amongst the other children in the community. The fact that he was not accepted or understood in his own community made my heart break for him. My heart broke that he was not viewed in his community as the beloved child of God that he is. It was then that God had planted a desire in my heart to see change for the special needs community in Guatemala.
This past summer in Guatemala I had the privilege of meeting a beautiful, 5 year old girl with special needs named Maria. Maria was unable to speak and had spastic quadriplegia (abnormally stiff muscles in all four limbs), which caused her to be unable to walk or control any of her muscle movements. She did not have a wheelchair and was not receiving physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy like she should be. If she had been born into the US, she would have easier access to all of these. I cried at the realization that she had next to no access to these things. Her family just does not have the resources to provide her with a wheelchair and therapy, and this absolutely breaks my heart. And she's not the only one. Within her village alone, there are at least two other kids that we know about now who also have special needs. It is my hope that we can provide the special needs community of Guatemala with the support that they need. Through your support we could provide those like Maria wheelchairs and the transportation necessary to get them to the HIM physical therapy clinics."
If you are interested in helping to support our Physical Therapy Program, please visit our website or call the office at 219-924-2446.
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Firefighter Equipment Donations
Shawn Junker, the owner of Fire Services, Inc. located in St. John, IN donated a variety of miscellaneous firefighter equipment for Guatemala. The timing couldn't have been more perfect. Firefighters from Guatemala had just arrived to drive a firetruck and pick-up truck down to Guatemala and these supplies made it just in time to be loaded on those trucks. Thanks, Shawn for helping to supply fire stations in Guatemala with necessary equipment to help them serve and protect those in need.
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HIM Resale Shoppe Helps Peru
Father Guido came to us and asked if we would be willing to help a very impoverished self-supporting parish located on an island in Peru.Those who live there travel by foot for there are no vehicles on the island and are surrounded by so much need. Our Resale Shoppe jumped at the opportunity and put together over 75 boxes of shoes, clothing and medical supplies to be distributed to those living there.
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Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design Hosts Fundraiser for HIM
On November 7, Walter E. Smithe, located in Merrillville, IN, hosted a Benefit & Cocktail Reception for HIM. This was a spectacular evening lavished with cocktails, delicious appetizers and desserts while a harpist filled the atmosphere with beautiful music. Karen gave a short presentation to those attending enlightening them to the work of HIM. A silent auction was also held to help support the programs of HIM. Thank you to Holly Colby of our Schererville Retail/Resale Shoppe for spearheading this fundraiser and Walter E. Smithe for providing an extravagant evening.
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Christmas Was An Exciting Time At Our Resale & Resale/Retail Shoppes
The Carpenter's House church, located in the Humboldt Park area of Chicago, volunteered at our Resale Shoppe to wrap Christmas gifts to be given out to women and children from local women's shelters in our community. They also took back with them 75 gifts to be handed out to underprivileged families within their neighborhood.
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HIM Retail/Resale Shoppe partnered with Midwest Insurance to collect toiletries and miscellaneous clothing for the St. Jude House, a local women's shelter to be distributed to the women and children who were there for Christmas.
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Once again our Resale Shoppe was surrounded by unique Christmas trees beautifully decorated with ornaments from local organizations this holiday season. The ornaments on the trees were for sale with the proceeds going towards supporting their organizations. This year the following organizations participated in our Festival Of Trees:
-Community Hospital, Friends Of Cancer Resource Center
-Haven House, Inc.
-Highland Woman's Club
-Humane Society
-Multicultural Wellness Network
-Animal Rescue Squad
We are so excited to offer this as a way to help support other local agencies and their missions. Thank you for making our Resale Shoppe look so festive this year.
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We were so excited to have the Munster High School Choir join us as they so beautifully filled the air with the music of Christmas. They have participated in our Thursday night concerts at our Resale Shoppe for the past 4 years; we were so blessed to have them sing for us again.
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The very talented B Sharps Trio, consisting of 2 brothers and their sister, also participated in our Thursday night concerts. They played and sang various musical pieces. Their beautiful renditions of familiar songs and carols were perfect for the Holiday Season.
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Joyful Strain from Westminster Presbyterian Church in Munster closed out our Holiday Choir season. This was their second year participating and they were just as fabulous as they were last year ushering in the spirit of Christmas into the Resale Shoppe entertaining our customers while they shopped.
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*** Save The Date ***
On Saturday, April 9, Hearts In Motion along with Alsip To The Rescue will be hosting a Casino Night Fundraiser with the theme: "Saving Lives . . . It's What We Do" to benefit the work of both agencies. Watch for further details to follow.
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Hearts In Motion
1834 45th St., Munster, IN 46321
219-924-2446
HIM is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization - All donations are tax deductible
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