Family Promise of Grayson County Newsletter November 2023 | |
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Our mission is intersecting faith and community to empower
Grayson County families to end child homelessness.
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MESSAGE FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | |
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Dear friends,
Once again I am overwhelmed with gratitude for all the ways you have made our community better this year through your generosity and kindness. Thank you for each prayer, each thoughtful word, each meal, and all the other ways you have helped our guests feel loved and supported. Thank you for the countless hours and immeasurable energy you pour into ending child homelessness in Grayson County. You ARE Making a difference!
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I am grateful for a Board of Directors that works well together. These are busy, involved people who carve out time because they truly care about our mission. I will miss Kelly Reed, Neal Alexander, and Mike Flanagan who are rotating off the Board, and I look forward to working with our newest Board members, Jessica Wright and Frank Rahm.
I am grateful for each and every one of you. I hope after reading this newsletter, you are as delighted as I am about all the good things going on! Thank you again.
Joy and peace,
Leigh
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Thirteen members of the Knight Family Chiropractic group spent a recent Friday decorating the Day Center hall with 32 stars representing the 32 families that have been hosted in the Family Promise Rotation program. In this program, families experiencing homelessness stay in local churches for a week at a time until they attain stable housing. | |
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In addition to their painting project, team members cleaned and organized the storage area, decorated our Christmas tree, and gave a donation! It is obvious that Knight Family Chiropractic loves families, loves our community, and loves to serve!
Special thanks to Andre Taylor, Mikayla Johnson, Cynthia Kondo, Leah Paveloff, Michael Adams, Haleigh Vest, Taylor House, Tracy King, Megan Samford, Vincent Armstrong, Samantha Fitch, Shelby Poe, and Amy Knight for sharing their time and talent with us! When you see them, tell them how much we appreciate them!
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Over the course of several Thursday evenings, handyman Jason Barrett has given hands-on instruction about basic household repairs and maintenance. Most recently, he taught about P-traps, faucets, fill valves, and drywall repair. This fun and very informative class will be offered again after the first of the year. HUGE thanks to Jason for teaching us so many useful skills!
For information about joining the next Tool Talk class, please call 903-771-0322. For Barrett's Handyman & Window Cleaning Service, call 903-771-2530.
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It's the sound of motorcycles roaring into the Hope on Houston parking lot! Members of the SSMC Lone Star rode in to present a generous check to assist families at Thanksgiving. This kind group has been supportive of Family Promise for several years, especially during the holidays. The SSMC Lone Star is a community based motorcycle club comprised of law enforcement officers, veterans, and and law abiding motorcycle enthusiasts. If you see them out and about, be sure to thank them for all the ways they help our community! | |
UPCOMING VOLUNTEER TRAINING | |
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Volunteer training will be held this coming Monday, December 4th, from 9:30-11:30 AM at the Day Center (901 E. Houston Street in Sherman), and Wednesday, January 3rd from 5:30-7:30 PM at Georgetown Baptist Church (207 Georgetown Road in Pottsboro).
If you would like to provide hospitality to our guests, this is your chance to become a trained volunteer! Bring a friend and serve together! Questions? Call Leigh (903-771-0322) See you there!
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THE CHILDREN WERE NESTLED ALL SNUG IN THEIR BEDS | We cannot thank our Host congregations enough for all the hospitality and love they show our guests. Host Congregations this month include: Fairview Baptist in Sherman, Covenant Presbyterian in Sherman, and Park Avenue Church of Christ in Denison (hosting 2 weeks). Thank you for showing God's love to our guests! | |
HE'S MAKING A LIST AND CHECKING IT TWICE... | |
...because he wants to stick to his budget!
Josh Whitworth and Kay Cato of Independent Financial recently lead a class on assets and "Planning for Your Financial Future". Seven adults participated while their children had fun playing!
Mat Morris of Cadence Bank also recently taught a financial class at Habitat for Humanity. That class was attended by 15 adults, 21 children, and 4 staff (from Family Promise and from Habitat for Humanity).
The next class hosted by Independent Financial will be held at the Day Center on Tuesday, December 12, from 6-7 PM. The topic, "Identity Theft and Fraud Prevention", is geared for adults.
Classes are free and open to the public. They are held monthly at the Day Center (901 E. Houston Street in Sherman). Snacks and childcare are provided. A BIG thanks to both of these banks for being our financial literacy partners!
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THE STOCKINGS WERE HUNG... | |
Carla Schaffer and the Bulldog Leadership Team from the Tioga Middle School and Elementary have once again outdone themselves with their annual "Sock-tober" sock drive! The students and faculty collected "around 800-900 pairs" of new socks and delivered them to Family Promise just before Thanksgiving! Many families already have been blessed by this profuse gift, and we continue to give away socks almost daily to those who need them! Thanks so much to the very caring and generous folks at Tioga ISD!
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TRI GAMMA FRATERNITY IS ALIVE AND KICKING! | |
Austin College student Sam Spencer and the Tri Gamma Fraternity wanted to do something positive for the community and chose Family Promise of Grayson County to be the recipient of their efforts. In order to make it fun as well as profitable, they organized a kickball tournament on campus. They raised over $200, and Sam personally delivered the check! We are so appreciative of their creativity and generosity! Triple thanks to Gamma Gamma Gamma! | |
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Our HOPE Resource advocate, Tara Hickerson, pulled together some fun facts about our initial contacts through the years. Initial contacts are counted when someone calls for the first time on an issue. For example, if a family calls for assistance, even if we talk to them 25 times while helping them, that still counts as one contact. If they call again the next year needing assistance, that's another contact.
2018 - 91 Calls
2019 - 169 Calls
2020 - 148 Calls
2021 - 493 Calls
2022 - 1432 Calls
2023 - 1303 Calls (through mid November)
Yes, we goof off occasionally in the office, but sometimes the phone rings!
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MAY YOUR DAYS BE MERRY AND BRIGHT! | |
If you would like to learn more about Family Promise of Grayson County including:
- How to participate
- How to volunteer
- How to support through donations
Didn’t get this newsletter directly? Join our mailing list by sending an email to the newsletter editor. Be sure to forward this to a friend!
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