My Christmas week has been consumed with facilitating all the Christmas good-will friends of Helping Up Mission have heaped on us here!
Saturday, 35 of us wrapped and packed 1300 Christmas gifts for 180 children of men at Helping Up Mission — courtesy of a local corporation and foundation. The gifts are being delivered here on Christmas Eve for the HUM guys to take home for Christmas.
Tuesday of Christmas week, we took 70 HUM upperclassmen to a local store where they were allowed to purchase, themselves, Christmas gifts for their children. Wrapping them here on Christmas Eve, they’ll be ready for Christmas.
Yesterday, at our front door, I met the president of another local business that has supported us for years. He was bearing gifts! They called to see what we needed for guys this Christmas and we said more of the basic essentials we provide guys every day of the year here. His clients and staff purchased over a hundred pairs of warm socks and boxer shorts!
At the same time, another friend walked in the door and dropped off two bags of items for the guys. No name, no receipt – just a Merry Christmas to us all!
Christmas Eve morning, Linda’s Legacy folks will come here in-mass for a service in our Chapel as they begin distributing warm clothing all day long to the city’s homeless. Of course, they will be leaving lots of things for guys here, too!
Then there’ll be a couple dozen volunteers here on Christmas Day helping prepare and serve dinner to the HUM guys and guests who show up. Of course, other friends actually provided much of the food we’ll be serving!
Yet all of this is still only a small part of what happens at Helping Up Mission. Thousands of wonderful folks stand with us and support what we do here 365 days a year – and many have been doing so year after year!
So, thanks for sharing of what God has given to you with men we serve here – and their families. You’ve helped make it wonderful here – now may it be a wonderful Christmas for you and yours!
God Has Blessed Us, One and All!
Pastor Gary Byers
Deputy Director