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Weekly Updates - April 2011
Week Ending April 8
Happy Friday!
Here is my weekly update for all of the happening things with FPAC.
A big THANK YOU to Ron Buechner at the Salvation Army and Mary Tholkes of Community Methodist for partnering together for a very successful host week. They will pass the baton to Sue Witt and her team of volunteers at Christ Lutheran Church.
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Today , I stopped over at the L.O. Jacob school building and a group of special education students presented FPAC with a donation from the proceeds of a fundraiser they held this winter. I was so moved by this generous gesture and I am always reminded of the kindness of people! There is another group of students at L.O. Jacob that is very interested in assisting FPAC with planting flowers in the front yard! Thanks to Deb McPeck from St. Timothy’s for organizing this fundraiser.
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I attended the Future Full of Hope seminar at Zion Lutheran in Anoka and it was FABULOUS! Great group of individuals, presenters and organizations and the keynote speaker was very good. I hope they make this an annual event.
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I think Sue Dergantz sent out information to everyone for activity ideas when hosting FPAC families. I have attached them to this email in case you don’t have them. Her list provides some great ideas for fun easy activities to organize for children.
·April 24rd is Easter Sunday. We will allow families to request an overnight for that holiday if they so choose. We will keep you posted if families choose to spend that weekend with their friends and/or family.
Touching story: A mom and her 2 year old daughter moved from FPAC on April 1st into their own apartment in Minneapolis. Mom says the apartment is very nice and comfortable, but every time they come home her daughter keeps her coat on and cries because she says she wants to go home (to the church). Her mom keeps trying to tell her that the apartment is their new home…but her daughter misses what she considered home. This story speaks volumes to the work that every volunteer does to create a safe, warm and caring environment for families. Thank you!!!!
Important dates
April 25th -6:00-8:00p Volunteer Training at Grace Lutheran-Andover
May 9th -6:00-8:00p Volunteer Training at Salvation Army
May 16th -6:00-8:00p Volunteer Training at Zion Lutheran
May 23rd -6:00-8:00p FPAC Speaker’s Bureau training at the Day Center
Have a warm and blessed weekend!
Junita
Happy Friday!
Week Ending April 15
Well, springtime made a cameo appearance, but left to go hang out with friends in another state!
Here is my weekly update for all of the happening things with FPAC.
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A big THANK YOU to Sue Witt and her team at Christ Lutheran for a very successful host week. Sue has invited FPAC families to CLC’s annual Easter Egg Hunt and the families are looking forward to that activity tomorrow morning. They will pass the baton to Rhonda Steele & Marlys Henke at Unity North in partnership with Sandy Forrest and Glen Cary and their team of volunteers.
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We have a full house and a lot of energy at the day center. We went through 1 ½ weeks with only two families due to several families not showing up for their scheduled intake appointments, but we are definitely operating with a full house today.
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We now have four full sets of 16 air mattresses at the day center. We are working toward a set for each site, but that is still further down the road. With four sets of air mattresses, you now have the flexibility of picking up air mattresses from the day center at your convenience prior to your host week. The air mattresses are twin size, 18” off of the ground and they have a built in pillow. The mattresses come with a built in pump, you just plug it in to inflate it and deflate it. The standard twin size bed sheets fit on the air beds, however we will need to try them out to see if we need deep-pocket twin sized sheets once they are in use. Feel free to call the day center with any questions. Allisen or I will be able to assist you.
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April 23rd is Easter Sunday. We will allow families to request an overnight for that holiday if they so choose. Families will all return to the day center by 4:30p on Easter Sunday afternoon. We will keep you posted if families choose to spend that weekend with their friends and/or family.
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Just a reminder…we have school-agers in the program and the bus transportation arrives at the day center at 7:15a. It is very important for the families to be back at the day center Monday-Friday by 7:10a to make sure they don’t miss their scheduled transportation. We have also had this conversation with FPAC families, so the know the importance of getting up on time. Thanks so much for assisting with this issue.
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Here is a brief announcement to include in your bulletin to help us recruit volunteers to share the FPAC story. FPAC is looking for volunteers that are interested in being a part of our Speaker’s Bureau. If you enjoy sharing the FPAC story to groups, clubs, congregations and other organizations throughout the year we NEED you. If you are interested in this opportunity, call Junita Cathey at 763-568-7349. Family Promise will host a training on Monday, May 23rd from 6-8p at the day center. We would love to have you join us.
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You’re invited to Laughter, Love and Lattes, an event for women sponsored by Thrivent North Central Community. This event will be held on Friday, May 13th from 7-9:00p at the Bunker Hills Activity Center. I have attached the flyer to this email for more info. Thrivent North Central Community is a big supporter of FPAC and will be collecting items to support women in our program the evening of the event. I will also be there to share info about FPAC. Click here to see the invitation and RSVP
Important dates
April 25th -6:00-8:00p Volunteer Training at Grace Lutheran-Andover
May 9th -6:00-8:00p Volunteer Training at Salvation Army
May 16th -6:00-8:00p Volunteer Training at Zion Lutheran
May 23rd -6:00-8:00p FPAC Speaker’s Bureau training at the Day Center
Until next week…think warm thoughts and have a blessed weekend!
Junita
Week-ending April 22
Happy Friday! I hope all is well. Here is my weekly update for all of the happening things with FPAC.
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A big THANK YOU to Rhonda Steele and Marlys Henke at Unity North and Sandy Forrest at Glen Cary for a fabulous host week. Everything went very well and the kids absolutely loved their Easter baskets. I think the bubbles in the basket were more popular than the candy, but there was a fair share of breakfast jelly beans and chocolate. Rhonda, Marlys and Sandy will be passing the baton to Sarah Jane and Libby at Faith Lutheran.
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Holidays can be tough for families, that is why Allisen and I offered weekend overnight passes for FPAC guests. All of the families are spending time away this weekend, but they are all very thankful that they have a safe and warm place to return to on Sunday. On that same note, my heart has been very heavy this week as I watch and listen to mom’s talk about the lack of a solid support system in their lives. Each family is trying so hard; to their best of their ability to provide a stable home for their children, but on a daily, sometimes hourly basis, they face rejection, discouragement and sometimes a feeling of hopelessness. I ask that each of you keep the families that we serve in your thoughts and prayers that they find the strength and encouragement to overcome the hardships and obstacles they face.
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Our new mattresses are here and they are a big hit. FPAC guests and overnight hosts love them. The mattresses are comfortable, they are 18” off of the ground and they are easy to inflate with the built in pump. As I mentioned before, I currently have 4 sets at the day center. This makes it more convenient for each host congregation to pick up and return the air mattresses at your convenience. Just give Allisen or myself a call to schedule a pick up time 3-4 days before your host week and we will have them ready for you. The mattresses also have a built in pillow, so additional pillows are optional
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A few weeks ago I spoke to the student body at Mississippi Elementary school about how homelessness affects families in our community. This was an introduction to the community service project that the students would participate in at school. After the presentation, the students worked hard to collect games and toys for school aged children that could be used to create birthday bags. The students hand decorated 200 small gift bags and then filled them with the toys. Mississippi Elementary donated 50 birthday bags to FPAC, so we can provide a gift to children in our program on their birthday.
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A couple of updates…John, a former FPAC guest called us to announce the birth of their baby girl. He was so excited. Another mom, Nejat, stopped by the day center on her way to work and dropped off a huge pan of delicious, spicy, traditional African food. That was her way of saying thanks for everything she received while residing in the FPAC network.
A few reminders…
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Here is a brief announcement to include in your bulletin to help us recruit volunteers to share the FPAC story. FPAC is looking for volunteers that are interested in being a part of our Speaker’s Bureau. If you enjoy sharing the FPAC story to groups, clubs, congregations and other organizations throughout the year we NEED you. If you are interested in this opportunity, call Junita Cathey at 763-568-7349. Family Promise will host a training on Monday, May 23rd from 6-8p at the day center. We would love to have you join us.
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You’re invited to Laughter, Love and Lattes, an event for women sponsored by Thrivent North Central Community. This event will be held on Friday, May 13th from 7-9:00p at the Bunker Hills Activity Center. I have attached the flyer to this email for more info. Thrivent North Central Community is a big supporter of FPAC and will be collecting items to support women in our program the evening of the event. I will also be there to share info about FPAC
Important dates
April 25th -6:00-8:00p Volunteer Training at Grace Lutheran-Andover
May 9th -6:00-8:00p Volunteer Training at Salvation Army
May 16th -6:00-8:00p Volunteer Training at Zion Lutheran
May 23rd -6:00-8:00p FPAC Speaker’s Bureau training at the Day Center
Until next week…Happy Easter!
Junita
Week Ending April 29
Happy Friday! Spring is in the air and so is mold, pollen and other allergy irritants, but nothing tops a day filled with sunshine! Here is my weekly update for all of the happening things with FPAC.
· A big THANK YOU to Sarah Jane and Libby at Faith Lutheran for hosting this week. Thanks for your patience as former families left and new families joined us…it was a week with a little transition. Sarah Jane & Libbie will pass the baton to Jeannie and her team of volunteers at Grace Lutheran in Andover.
· A big thank you to Sandy Forrest and Glen Cary Lutheran. Glen Cary had their ginormous annual yard sale this week and invited FPAC guests to stop by and visit the sale. To make the shopping experience convenient for FPAC guests, Glen Cary provided a $25 gift certificate for each family to use while shopping at the sale and they provided transportation for families to get to the sale and back to the day center. Thanks so much Sandy for making this happen for FPAC, and a very special thank you to Sarah Jane, Libbie and their team of volunteers at Faith for organizing transportation for FPAC guests to make it to the Glen Cary garage sale. They worked to arrange transportation in the 11th hour. I am grateful for the volunteer leadership with FPAC. You all are truly an inspiration!
· Gas prices are out of control. I personally dread filling my gas tank because it feels like a game of Wheel of Fortune, only I am the loosing contestant and the gas station has taken home the jack pot. Well, imagine the hardship that the rising gas prices has on the families we serve. Some families not able to use their car for weeks, because they can’t afford to put gas in the vehicle. I am very thankful for our FPAC van that provides transportation each day between the day center and the host congregation site. Our van removes one additional stressor from a mom or dad’s mind while residing in our network. They don’t have to worry about how they will get to the host site. If you, members of your congregation, neighbors or friends are looking for a way to support FPAC, consider donating the gift of a gas card. It currently costs $90/week to fill up the van.
· Summer is upon us and we are looking for free or reduced cost activities for FPAC guests to participate in. Thank you to those of you that passed along your VBS schedules, we will make sure we spread the word. If there are any other activities that you are aware of, please let us know, we would love to be able to provide those resources to the families we serve.
A few reminders…
· Here is a brief announcement to include in your bulletin to help us recruit volunteers to share the FPAC story. FPAC is looking for volunteers that are interested in being a part of our Speaker’s Bureau. If you enjoy sharing the FPAC story to groups, clubs, congregations and other organizations throughout the year we NEED you. If you are interested in this opportunity, call Junita Cathey at 763-568-7349. Family Promise will host a training on Monday, May 23rd from 6-8p at the day center. We would love to have you join us.
· You’re invited to Laughter, Love and Lattes, an event for women sponsored by Thrivent North Central Community. This event will be held on Friday, May 13th from 7-9:00p at the Bunker Hills Activity Center. I have attached the flyer to this email for more info. Thrivent North Central Community is a big supporter of FPAC and will be collecting items to support women in our program the evening of the event. I will also be there to share info about FPAC.
· Important dates
May 9th -6:00-8:00p Volunteer Training at Salvation Army
May 16th -6:00-8:00p Volunteer Training at Zion Lutheran
May 23rd -6:00-8:00p FPAC Speaker’s Bureau training at the Day Center
Until next week…Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Junita
