We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps. Proverbs 16:9
The plan was to help in Ringgold, Ga. But so many people helped there that we were no longer needed. So they referred us to 3 homes in Rome, Ga with downed trees. Our small army of 35 volunteers descended on home #1 before 9am and we got 3 chainsaws, 2 trucks and lots of hands clearing the mess from the backyard. We had it moved to the road for pickup within 2 hours.
On to home #2, where we cleared backyards and had lunch. Home 3 was the biggest challenge: one tree had fallen on the edge of the roof on the back of the house. We had to remove the tree without causing further damage to the roof. Greg, our man with the chainsaw climbed onto the roof and worked there. We attached a chain to the tree and 15 or 20 of us pulled the tree away as Greg cut it free.
Mary and Shirley, 2 lovely daughters of God, live there and we gathered in a circle to pray with them before we left.
God sent us where we were needed. We served with joy and laughter in 95 degree heat. It was a great day!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Tornado Relief Workday in Ringgold Georgia
Cindy Williams has contacted GEMA and some folks in Ringgold GA to set up a day of tornado relief work.
SingleLife Ministries is joining forces with Cindy and Echo Ministries to recruit Atlanta area singles for this effort.
If you're on Facebook, you can RSVP at our event page here
THANK YOU for your hearts for service!!
******************
As you are aware, Ringgold GA was hit hard by the recent tornado. So we are getting up a group to go help our northern neighbors with disaster relief. We will be assisting GEMA (GA Emergency Management Agency) under the direction of the Catoosa County Emergency Operations Center in whatever capacity they may ask of us including debris removal, supply delivery, administration, etc. We would love to have a great showing for this event and show our neighbors love and compassion in a similar way that Christ showed the same for us.
CARPOOL INFO:
We will meet at Best Buy at Haynes Bridge Rd at 5:50 am and leave at 6 am sharp! Don’t be late, we can’t wait! Come with gas on full, and bladders on empty! We realize it is early, but the reward of helping others in need will be well worth it!
DAY DETAILS:
-Check in at 8 am at Ringgold United Methodist Church at Volunteer Tent and receive Volunteer Badge.
-Attend short training session.
-Catoosa Co. Emergency Operations Center will divide us into smaller groups and disperse us to different areas in the city where help is needed.
-We will meet back at Ringgold UMC to do a head count and carpool ride home.
-May stop for dinner, time permitting.
WHAT TO BRING:
-Work gloves
-Closed toe shoes or boots
-Long pants
-Sack lunch
-Change of clothes (optional)
-Towel
-Snack and cold drinks (water will be available, but will NOT be cold)
ADDRESS AND DIRECTIONS:
Ringgold United Methodist Church
162 Sparks Street
Ringgold, GA 30736
Take I-75 North approximately 85 miles to exit 348 (Highway 151/Alabama Hwy). Turn right off exit. After passing Lafayette Street and Robin Road, dead-end at Hwy 41/Nashville Street. There will be a CVS on the corner. Turn right. Go through one stoplight and then look for the big parking lot of the church on the right just past Sparks Street. Meet there at 8:00 a.m. at the Registration Tent
CONTACT INFO:
Cindy Williams – daisy99931@gmail.com or 770.655.1701
Ringgold United Methodist – Jackie – 706.935.4777
Thanks to Cindy for making this project a reality!
SingleLife Ministries is joining forces with Cindy and Echo Ministries to recruit Atlanta area singles for this effort.
If you're on Facebook, you can RSVP at our event page here
THANK YOU for your hearts for service!!
******************
As you are aware, Ringgold GA was hit hard by the recent tornado. So we are getting up a group to go help our northern neighbors with disaster relief. We will be assisting GEMA (GA Emergency Management Agency) under the direction of the Catoosa County Emergency Operations Center in whatever capacity they may ask of us including debris removal, supply delivery, administration, etc. We would love to have a great showing for this event and show our neighbors love and compassion in a similar way that Christ showed the same for us.
CARPOOL INFO:
We will meet at Best Buy at Haynes Bridge Rd at 5:50 am and leave at 6 am sharp! Don’t be late, we can’t wait! Come with gas on full, and bladders on empty! We realize it is early, but the reward of helping others in need will be well worth it!
DAY DETAILS:
-Check in at 8 am at Ringgold United Methodist Church at Volunteer Tent and receive Volunteer Badge.
-Attend short training session.
-Catoosa Co. Emergency Operations Center will divide us into smaller groups and disperse us to different areas in the city where help is needed.
-We will meet back at Ringgold UMC to do a head count and carpool ride home.
-May stop for dinner, time permitting.
WHAT TO BRING:
-Work gloves
-Closed toe shoes or boots
-Long pants
-Sack lunch
-Change of clothes (optional)
-Towel
-Snack and cold drinks (water will be available, but will NOT be cold)
ADDRESS AND DIRECTIONS:
Ringgold United Methodist Church
162 Sparks Street
Ringgold, GA 30736
Take I-75 North approximately 85 miles to exit 348 (Highway 151/Alabama Hwy). Turn right off exit. After passing Lafayette Street and Robin Road, dead-end at Hwy 41/Nashville Street. There will be a CVS on the corner. Turn right. Go through one stoplight and then look for the big parking lot of the church on the right just past Sparks Street. Meet there at 8:00 a.m. at the Registration Tent
CONTACT INFO:
Cindy Williams – daisy99931@gmail.com or 770.655.1701
Ringgold United Methodist – Jackie – 706.935.4777
Thanks to Cindy for making this project a reality!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Sending tornado relief supplies to Alabama
My mortgage guy, Steve Beecham has a friend named Sue who is sending relief supplies to Alabama. Bottom line: a 53-foot trailer will be at the Home Depot on Windward Parkway in Alpharetta starting Tuesday May 3 at 9:30am, leaving on Wednesday May 4th.. Here are the most desperately needed supplies: blankets, tarps, baby formula, diapers, water, sunscreen, soap, hand sanitizer, new underwear and socks, gently used clothing, canned food, shoes, first-aid supplies. And more water - many areas have none or pressure is extremely low.
Here's the whole letter from Sue:
Friends:
First of all, a HUGE thank you from Ed and me to each of you who reached out to us when the news of the tornado hitting Tuscaloosa became known. As a parent, waiting to find out if your child is alive is about the worst you can imagine. Your support, phone calls and e-mails, meant the world to us. We may not have responded previously, only due to what I am going to describe below...but please know how touched we are by your caring.
I have just returned from Tuscaloosa. I can't even describe it except to say TV does not do it justice. It is hard to get your head around the enormity of disaster. I met police men at intersections - trying to work my way thru the City to get to Jim's dorm - who had no idea how I could get there. They were from other states. I met National Guardsmen who were on duty at checkpoints around the City who told me, "Lady, this IS ground zero." Others who told me, "Our unit was deployed to New Orleans for Katrina. This is worse." The aftermath of the tornado truly beggars words. All I can tell you is, if I focus on what I saw, I would be paralyzed with grief and despair. SO - instead - my son and I are focusing on what we can do to make a difference. Admittedly, it feels like picking up a grain of sand from the bottom of the ocean...but we are haunted by the faces we have seen, the people we have met with NOTHING left except devastation, and the fact that as people of faith, we are to "take care of the least of these."
Saturday morning, I drove a 10' cargo van of donated disaster relief supplies to Tuscaloosa. You could not have slid a piece of paper into the van it was so crammed full! Many of our neighbors in Alpharetta, Milton and Roswell heard about our grass-roots effort via one Facebook posting by our son, one phone call to our church (Birmingham UMC), and another phone call to our incredible neighbor, Steve Beecham of HomeTown Mortgage, who must have an email distribution list over 5,000 names long. In less than 10 hours, the van was full. People came thru like I have never seen...in fact, most of them are people I have never seen! Our driveway was so crowded with cars bringing donations it was a FT job just unloading things...until 11 p.m.! I have *never* seen anything like it! It was truly humbling and energizing to know so many care. In addition, many people gave us cash. It is important to buy things here and transport them there because in so many communities in AL, stores are just gone. Vaporized. Or so "bought out" that you can't even find band-aids.
Everything given to us was taken to various distribution centers around Tuscaloosa based on what they told us they needed most. My son had an army of college pals who jumped in to help us unload site by site. I didn't know if I was crying from the heart-warming goodness of humanity or the desperate need we saw or both...but I can tell you I am inspired to keep it going...
That is where you come in. I have a colleague at work who described me as "practically Amish." I have no idea how technology works except how to write an email. But somehow, my son, thru Facebook, has found someone who is willing to donate/drive a 53' tractor-trailer 18-wheeler to AL on Wednesday. My job is to get it filled. THE RIG WILL BE PARKED AT HOME DEPOT-WINDWARD STARTING AT 9:30 AM TUESDAY MORNING
Yes, I know the economy is terrible. Yes, I know people - including the O'Dwyer's - are bombarded with requests from non-profits daily for financial support. But if you feel so inclined, please review the list below of what is most desperately needed and let me know if you can help. We have the 18-wheeler leaving Wednesday for AL. Marty Littleton from Milton HVAC has donated a 20' truck that will leave nthis weekend. I need your help and continued generosity to fill these vehicles so that we can give hope to people in what is certainly the worst humanitarian crisis I have personally witnessed.
For those of you not from AL, it is a small state. Only about 3.5 million population, but truly one of the most beautiful and the nicest people ever. Tuscaloosa is a town of not even 85,000 people. But it is not just Tuscaloosa that's been hit. Dozens of small towns in this rural state are affected. Driving back today I listened to a Birmingham radio station that was acting like a community bulletin board. Caller: "We're in XYZ City. We need generators". About 20 minutes later, another caller would go on the air "I've got 17 new ones. I'm on my way." Absolutely awesomely inspiring to see such grass roots. Made me darn proud to be an American!!!
I would also be remiss if I didn't tell you that the University of Alabama - which came thru unscathed in its physical infrastructure - has been in constant communication with the students and parents. Despite the enormity of the disaster, there has never been a time when we didn't feel that Dr. Witt (President) and his staff weren't on top of things. Someone was in charge and taking care of the kids! (Thousands of whom, living off campus, are now homeless, which is why the University had no choice but to cancel school for the rest of the year.) The level of detail, the tone of caring and concern, the frequency have given us every confidence that our kids are, without doubt, at a tremendous University. I am so proud of how they have handled everything. ROLL TIDE!
And, lastly, you may have noticed throughout this note that I have referred to "I" and "my son." Ed's Guard unit was deployed down to Lamar County in Georgia for disaster relief closer to home. He is also serving but not able to be with us in this effort as he helps take care of some right here at home who have such need - they are in more rural area and not as many impacted as in Tuscaloosa.
Here are the most desperately needed supplies: blankets, tarps, baby formula, diapers, water, sunscreen, soap, hand sanitizer, new underwear and socks, gently used clothing, canned food, shoes, first-aid supplies. And more water - many areas have none or pressure is extremely low. Power is slowly being restored, but amazingly quick given the enormity of the undertaking. Look around your house and see what you use every day. That's what they don't have. No furniture yet until they get in some type of housing that is not a community shelter. I know people might be reluctant to give cash and I know I am not a 501(c3). Gift cards are great. I promise I will use them to buy items noted above. Grocery gift cards are also good...at nearly every intersection, churches have set up grilling sites to feed people - no charge. But they have put out a call for meat to grill. I can't pack that in a tractor trailer obviously, but can buy supplies when I get back to T-town.
Jim remains in Tuscaloosa with many other students to help in any way possible. For example, many of the fraternities are cooking meals but need people to deliver them to people who still can't get out due to downed trees, power lines, etc. The enthusiasm and passion of the young people to make things right has just been fantastic..we can't let them down.
Please feel free to forward this note to anyone in your network. We need every bit of support we can get. And, again, from Ed and I, our deepest thanks for reaching out. We are humbled and appreciative.
We have
Love to all,
Here's the whole letter from Sue:
Friends:
First of all, a HUGE thank you from Ed and me to each of you who reached out to us when the news of the tornado hitting Tuscaloosa became known. As a parent, waiting to find out if your child is alive is about the worst you can imagine. Your support, phone calls and e-mails, meant the world to us. We may not have responded previously, only due to what I am going to describe below...but please know how touched we are by your caring.
I have just returned from Tuscaloosa. I can't even describe it except to say TV does not do it justice. It is hard to get your head around the enormity of disaster. I met police men at intersections - trying to work my way thru the City to get to Jim's dorm - who had no idea how I could get there. They were from other states. I met National Guardsmen who were on duty at checkpoints around the City who told me, "Lady, this IS ground zero." Others who told me, "Our unit was deployed to New Orleans for Katrina. This is worse." The aftermath of the tornado truly beggars words. All I can tell you is, if I focus on what I saw, I would be paralyzed with grief and despair. SO - instead - my son and I are focusing on what we can do to make a difference. Admittedly, it feels like picking up a grain of sand from the bottom of the ocean...but we are haunted by the faces we have seen, the people we have met with NOTHING left except devastation, and the fact that as people of faith, we are to "take care of the least of these."
Saturday morning, I drove a 10' cargo van of donated disaster relief supplies to Tuscaloosa. You could not have slid a piece of paper into the van it was so crammed full! Many of our neighbors in Alpharetta, Milton and Roswell heard about our grass-roots effort via one Facebook posting by our son, one phone call to our church (Birmingham UMC), and another phone call to our incredible neighbor, Steve Beecham of HomeTown Mortgage, who must have an email distribution list over 5,000 names long. In less than 10 hours, the van was full. People came thru like I have never seen...in fact, most of them are people I have never seen! Our driveway was so crowded with cars bringing donations it was a FT job just unloading things...until 11 p.m.! I have *never* seen anything like it! It was truly humbling and energizing to know so many care. In addition, many people gave us cash. It is important to buy things here and transport them there because in so many communities in AL, stores are just gone. Vaporized. Or so "bought out" that you can't even find band-aids.
Everything given to us was taken to various distribution centers around Tuscaloosa based on what they told us they needed most. My son had an army of college pals who jumped in to help us unload site by site. I didn't know if I was crying from the heart-warming goodness of humanity or the desperate need we saw or both...but I can tell you I am inspired to keep it going...
That is where you come in. I have a colleague at work who described me as "practically Amish." I have no idea how technology works except how to write an email. But somehow, my son, thru Facebook, has found someone who is willing to donate/drive a 53' tractor-trailer 18-wheeler to AL on Wednesday. My job is to get it filled. THE RIG WILL BE PARKED AT HOME DEPOT-WINDWARD STARTING AT 9:30 AM TUESDAY MORNING
Yes, I know the economy is terrible. Yes, I know people - including the O'Dwyer's - are bombarded with requests from non-profits daily for financial support. But if you feel so inclined, please review the list below of what is most desperately needed and let me know if you can help. We have the 18-wheeler leaving Wednesday for AL. Marty Littleton from Milton HVAC has donated a 20' truck that will leave nthis weekend. I need your help and continued generosity to fill these vehicles so that we can give hope to people in what is certainly the worst humanitarian crisis I have personally witnessed.
For those of you not from AL, it is a small state. Only about 3.5 million population, but truly one of the most beautiful and the nicest people ever. Tuscaloosa is a town of not even 85,000 people. But it is not just Tuscaloosa that's been hit. Dozens of small towns in this rural state are affected. Driving back today I listened to a Birmingham radio station that was acting like a community bulletin board. Caller: "We're in XYZ City. We need generators". About 20 minutes later, another caller would go on the air "I've got 17 new ones. I'm on my way." Absolutely awesomely inspiring to see such grass roots. Made me darn proud to be an American!!!
I would also be remiss if I didn't tell you that the University of Alabama - which came thru unscathed in its physical infrastructure - has been in constant communication with the students and parents. Despite the enormity of the disaster, there has never been a time when we didn't feel that Dr. Witt (President) and his staff weren't on top of things. Someone was in charge and taking care of the kids! (Thousands of whom, living off campus, are now homeless, which is why the University had no choice but to cancel school for the rest of the year.) The level of detail, the tone of caring and concern, the frequency have given us every confidence that our kids are, without doubt, at a tremendous University. I am so proud of how they have handled everything. ROLL TIDE!
And, lastly, you may have noticed throughout this note that I have referred to "I" and "my son." Ed's Guard unit was deployed down to Lamar County in Georgia for disaster relief closer to home. He is also serving but not able to be with us in this effort as he helps take care of some right here at home who have such need - they are in more rural area and not as many impacted as in Tuscaloosa.
Here are the most desperately needed supplies: blankets, tarps, baby formula, diapers, water, sunscreen, soap, hand sanitizer, new underwear and socks, gently used clothing, canned food, shoes, first-aid supplies. And more water - many areas have none or pressure is extremely low. Power is slowly being restored, but amazingly quick given the enormity of the undertaking. Look around your house and see what you use every day. That's what they don't have. No furniture yet until they get in some type of housing that is not a community shelter. I know people might be reluctant to give cash and I know I am not a 501(c3). Gift cards are great. I promise I will use them to buy items noted above. Grocery gift cards are also good...at nearly every intersection, churches have set up grilling sites to feed people - no charge. But they have put out a call for meat to grill. I can't pack that in a tractor trailer obviously, but can buy supplies when I get back to T-town.
Jim remains in Tuscaloosa with many other students to help in any way possible. For example, many of the fraternities are cooking meals but need people to deliver them to people who still can't get out due to downed trees, power lines, etc. The enthusiasm and passion of the young people to make things right has just been fantastic..we can't let them down.
Please feel free to forward this note to anyone in your network. We need every bit of support we can get. And, again, from Ed and I, our deepest thanks for reaching out. We are humbled and appreciative.
We have
Love to all,
The O'Dwyer's
12725 Bethany Rd.
Alpharetta
Home: 770-569-1800
Cell: 404-384-9940
12725 Bethany Rd.
Alpharetta
Home: 770-569-1800
Cell: 404-384-9940
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
The road so far...
Singles Serving Singles (S3 for short) began last December as a way to make the idea of serving people local and personal. As a member of North Point Community Church, I've been exposed to the "Be Rich" campaign every year, which is great, they partner with many community organizations.
But I see needs among my single friends and I see others in my circle of friends who have the resources to meet those needs.
So I created a Facebook group originally called "Be Rich... to your friends in need." This was my original post several months ago:
"North Point's Be Rich campaign is over, but I feel that we should keep this going and "charity begins at home", with those closest to us: our family and friends in need. (Confession: this is an idea that a friend Annette came up with a year or 2 ago).
This is consistent with the pattern in Christ's Great Commission in Acts 1:8 "you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." This is reinforced in ITim 5:8 "But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."
So before we help strangers in need (and we should), let's look closer to home and help our friends in need. We need to compile a list of friends who are unemployed, employed but struggling financially, have specific material needs and are fighting illness. We can pool our resources, share information, provide job leads, cash, used furniture, used cars, cheap or free housing, food and more. We could even do fundraisers. We need people with ideas, connections, financial and organizational skills, and yes, money and material resources. So invite friends to join, let us know who's in need, and volunteer time and resources to help.
We also need to pray that this idea will become reality and actually help the people who are in need: meet their material needs and also build them up spiritually.
I want this project to spread to all the ministries that we are part of: Fusion, SPF, Echo, Weekend List, SingleLife and others. The more intelligent, compassionate people we have involved, the greater impact we can have. I'm good with ideas and promotion, I'm also good with task level details, but I need to fill the gap in organization and administration. Since this may involve funudraising and money, we need financial accountability, too."
Since then the Facebook group has grown to 150 members. S3 became a part of SingleLife Ministries, Inc. On January 29 we had our first official project: 5 of us helped a single lady move from Alpharetta to Cumming. S3 is now on Twitter, and of course, this blog.
My hope for the future is that this initiative will not just meet people's material needs, but will create a heart for service in many.
But I see needs among my single friends and I see others in my circle of friends who have the resources to meet those needs.
So I created a Facebook group originally called "Be Rich... to your friends in need." This was my original post several months ago:
"North Point's Be Rich campaign is over, but I feel that we should keep this going and "charity begins at home", with those closest to us: our family and friends in need. (Confession: this is an idea that a friend Annette came up with a year or 2 ago).
This is consistent with the pattern in Christ's Great Commission in Acts 1:8 "you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." This is reinforced in ITim 5:8 "But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."
So before we help strangers in need (and we should), let's look closer to home and help our friends in need. We need to compile a list of friends who are unemployed, employed but struggling financially, have specific material needs and are fighting illness. We can pool our resources, share information, provide job leads, cash, used furniture, used cars, cheap or free housing, food and more. We could even do fundraisers. We need people with ideas, connections, financial and organizational skills, and yes, money and material resources. So invite friends to join, let us know who's in need, and volunteer time and resources to help.
We also need to pray that this idea will become reality and actually help the people who are in need: meet their material needs and also build them up spiritually.
I want this project to spread to all the ministries that we are part of: Fusion, SPF, Echo, Weekend List, SingleLife and others. The more intelligent, compassionate people we have involved, the greater impact we can have. I'm good with ideas and promotion, I'm also good with task level details, but I need to fill the gap in organization and administration. Since this may involve funudraising and money, we need financial accountability, too."
Since then the Facebook group has grown to 150 members. S3 became a part of SingleLife Ministries, Inc. On January 29 we had our first official project: 5 of us helped a single lady move from Alpharetta to Cumming. S3 is now on Twitter, and of course, this blog.
My hope for the future is that this initiative will not just meet people's material needs, but will create a heart for service in many.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)