Helping Hands: July, 2007

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Your Gift Prepares Children To Go Back To School

July 26, 2007

A letter from Baptist Children's Homes president Michael C. Blackwell:

Cody loves school.

The problem has always been that he never stayed at the same school long enough to settle into a routine. The support he needed at home was not there. He never finished homework assignments. His grades suffered.

Tattered and worn clothes and shoes caught the attention of the other children and Cody was the focus of many jokes. Soon it was easier to stay home than to go and face the ridicule. He missed so many days that he failed repeatedly, and when Cody was thirteen years old he was several grades behind.

All this heartache ended when Cody came to Baptist Children’s Homes!

At Baptist Children’s Homes (BCH), he found that he could have clean, good clothes. His feet stay dry and warm in his new shoes. He finds a nutritious breakfast every morning set out for him at the table. He can concentrate now that his tummy isn’t always making odd noises.

The pain he felt in his stomach is gone. He isn’t ashamed. He can now be the student that he often admired – the student that beamed when papers were returned graded and when report cards were sent home.

Report cards were always something Cody dreaded. It was just another reminder of the shame that he felt. That all fell behind him as only a bad memory the day he brought home his first report card. He slid the card out of the envelope and cautiously looked. His eyes opened wide because at the top was an A+, but not just one. When he opened the report card totally, he counted three As and two Bs.

It would have taken rocks tied around his ankles to keep him from floating away. Cody loves school!

Now it’s that time again. We are making plans to prepare North Carolina’s largest family for another school year. Each year, we help the many children in our care with their education needs – clothes (pants, skirts, dresses, shirts, under garments, socks, belts and handbags), shoes (dress, athletic and play), jackets and coats, school supplies, athletic and lab fees, instrument rentals and band fees, and book bags. As you can imagine, the cost is enormous!

Like Cody, I am pleased when I make the grade I know I can. Even as the president of Baptist Children's Homes, I like coming through with an occasional A+. Do you share that desire? You have the opportunity to show these children, children you do not even know but truly love, just how important an A+ really is. Your generous gift will bless a child.

In advance, I thank you for your help now. Your gift puts you at the head of the class . . . A+!

Sincerely,
Michael C. Blackwell President

P.S. The cost of sending so many boys and girls adds up quickly. Buying hundreds of pairs of jeans alone can reach into the thousands of dollars. Jacob, a resident at Mills Home, helped to calculate just how much is needed – well above two hundred thousand dollars! Your gift is needed now.

Click here to give an immediate online gift.

NC Baptists Step Up for Food Roundup

July 25, 2007

Joel and Jean Hall arrive at Mills Home in Thomasville parking their vehicle next to the small unloading area at the campus food locker. Joel opens the vehicle door revealing many boxes and bags of food and paper products collected for Baptist Children’s Homes’ (BCH) annual “Food Roundup” by members of Sedgefield Baptist Church, the couple’s home church in Greensboro.

“There are a lot of things going on for our church to be involved in,” Hall said as he and his wife unloaded the items. “But there are things such as this that when you mention it to our church, we all get together to help.”

Together, members of Sedgefield Baptist Church and churches from all across North Carolina collected thousands of needed items for this year’s food drive. This is the fourth statewide collection for BCH. Every year, churches step up their efforts to ensure that BCH’s boys and girls have their daily needs met. This year is no exception. Totals from the Food Roundup have exceeded $230,000 in food items, gift cards and other supplies.

Baptist associations play a key role in helping with the collection process. Many association offices serve as collection points. Church members bring items to their association office where volunteers sort and organize the items.

“In our association, once you make a need known to these folks, especially when it comes to providing food and similar items, they give very liberally,” said Sandy Run Association director of missions Jim Diehl. Diehl started promoting the Food Roundup in February through the association’s newsletter and weekly pastors’ conference.

“In the churches, the pastors, missions leaders, and the brotherhood all got behind the Food Roundup. North Carolina Baptists are setting the example for providing for our Children’s Homes,” Diehl said.

Collections are transported to BCH locations by volunteers including Two Men and A Truck (with locations in Wilmington, Greensboro, and Charlotte), Elmore Furniture Company in Dunn, Hardee’s Furniture in Rocky Mount, Critcher Bros. Produce in Deep Gap, Union Transfer in Arden, and Jennings Builders Supply in locations across western NC.

A number of churches donated gift cards. Polk Baptist Association gave nearly $10,000 in shopping cards and New Hope Baptist Church in Robinsville gave $4,000 in Food Lion cards.