You are Making a Difference in Lives of Families
Posted on Monday, June 13, 2011 by
Dear YFC Partners,
YOU are making a difference in the lives of students and families impacted by the recent tornado that ripped through Tuscaloosa. In the wake of our recent disaster you have provided a shoulder to cry on, much needed material supplies and amazing manpower to clear debris from homes. At times like these your ministry to youth and families is needed more than ever. And you have responded. Let me share with you a few specific examples of how your prayers and financial support are sharing hope and the love of Christ with families. And I will share how you can do even more to meet needs in Tuscaloosa.
On April 27th, one of our teen moms, I’ll call Leslie, left her two children in care of her mom and headed to the store. When she returned her home and her neighborhood of Rosedale Courts were gone. She found her mom injured but her children were nowhere to found. Tragically Leslie found out that neither survived. In the days after the storm our Teen Moms staff have provided love and support for Leslie and her family. We have been able to provide Leslie with basic needs and even gas for her car to get her mom to doctor’s appointments. Leslie is just one of seventeen of our Teen Moms who lost all their material possessions in the storm as their homes were destroyed. Just one of seventeen for whom you are making a difference.
Jasmine was at home with her family when the tornado took a direct hit on her neighborhood in AlbertaCity. When the tornado moved on it left a bus on top of their home. In partnership with NorthriverChurch we are providing furniture, food and clothing for Jasmine and her family. Our staff helped Jasmin move into her new home last week. The family of five had four small boxes items. Our staff offered to help move the rest, only to be informed that this was all they had. You will continue to make a difference for Jasmine and her family.
The last six days YFC has hosted friends from Hudsonville, Michigan who arrived eager and ready to serve. They brought with them heavy equipment, big muscles and a serious work ethic. Those assets have meant something significant to ten families. Trees have been removed from their homes. Debris has been moved to streets, driveways have been cleared of trees and a big step has been taken towards getting live back to order. A special thanks goes to Fairview Wesleyan for hosting our team.
So what happens next? A quick drive down almost any road in Tuscaloosa makes it clear that much is to done to bring normalcy to the life of thousands. And we are going to be a part of making that happen.
Project Serve teams will arrive later this month. Hundreds of youth and YFC leaders from around the country will be descending on Tuscaloosa starting June 26 to help with cleanup and rebuilding projects. Burdened by the pictures and stories they have seen on TV and heard from the YFC staff, these young leaders will come by the hundreds to help put life back together for Tuscaloosa families.
Relief Work interns will be joining us starting next week to help with the added ministry we will be conducting over the summer. These young workers will donate themselves fulltime to our efforts for as much as 6 weeks this summer. Our commitment to them is to provide housing and some assistance with meals. I need your help finding housing. We need families to welcome these guests for one week up to six weeks into their homes. We have individuals and at least one married couple who need housing. I know it is asking a lot but would you consider hosting an intern for at least a week.
To meet the needs that God has placed before us we need your partnership. We need to feed and provide building supplies for our relief teams and interns. Our staff need resources to meet needs of families like Leslie and Jasmine. I ask you to consider your most generous gift at this time. A $60 gift will feed one of our relief workers for a week. A gift of $100 or more will help make a very real and practical difference in the life of one family. And if you are in position to do so a $600 gift will fund one of our interns for a full six weeks.
There is much to be done in Tuscaloosa. Thank you for being a part of all God is doing in our community.
In Christ,
Mike Green
Executive Director
PS. - Thank you for your prayerful consideration of feeding a relief worker for a week, helping a family with vital needs or funding an intern for the summer.