Showcasing outreach activities of our church members.



WEEK OF COMPASSION - February 19-26, 2012.  We all can help with this outreach ministry by giving.  Nancy Brewer heads up this important ministry for our church.

From the World Health Organization's Fact Files:

• Water scarcity affects one in three people on every continent of the globe. The situation is getting worse, as needs for water rise along with population growth, urbanization and increases in household and industrial uses.

• Almost one fifth of the world's population (about 1.2 billion people) lives in areas where the water is physically scarce. One quarter of the global population also lives in developing countries that face water shortages due to a lack of infrastructure to fetch water from rivers and aquifers.

http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/water/en/index.html

• An estimated 2.6 billion people lack access to adequate sanitation, globally. If the current trend continues, by 2015 there will be 2.7 billion people without access to basic sanitation.
• In Africa, 115 people die every hour from diseases linked to poor sanitation, poor hygiene and contaminated water.
• Every US$1 invested in improved sanitation translates into an average return of US$9. Those benefits are experienced specifically by poor children and in the disadvantaged communities that need them most.

http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/sanitation/en/index.html

• The number of children under five years of age who suffer from undernutrition is estimated to be 178 million, and 40% of those live in Africa and Southeast Asia.
• About 90% of the world's resources for health are spent by less than 20% of the world's population, living mostly in wealthier countries. Poorer regions, such as Africa and Southeast Asia, have the largest share of disease and 37% of the world's population, but spend 2% of global resources on health.

http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/health_statistics/en/index.html

• About two-thirds of child deaths are preventable through access to practical, low-cost interventions, and effective primary care up to five years of age.

http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/child_health2/en/index.html

NORTH GEORGIA MOUNTAIN CRISIS NETWORK, INC.

North Georgia Mountain Crisis Network, Inc. is a non-profit, non-denominational, charitalbe organization for battered women and children.  Their mission is to provide safe shelter and support services for victioms of domestic violence and survivors of sexual assalt; promote community awareness and education to help prevent and break the cycle of violence; provide an environment of encouragement, compassion and support for all those they serve.

Several from our church are part of this important mission.  Darlene Fike is a new therapist with the Program and Roxanne Neal, Judy Barrett, and Kay Zimbrick serve as advocates.  Also members of our church have helped with adding flooring to their facility and the Disciple Women are planning to do a room make-over.  Furnishing are also provided by the Craddock Center.  Recently, Roxanne shared that they are beginning a Teddy Bear for children program.  If you would like to donate your time, money, or new teddy bears to the program, please contact Roxanne Neal at tuckycats@yahoo.com.

GILMER COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY

Judy Farmer, one of our members, is Executive Director of the Glimer Community Food Pantry.  Also, Gil Reed and Katie Griffin are full-time volunteers and work tirelessly to feed the families, adults and children, of Gilmer County.  Judy Farmer writes in the Winter newsletter, "In 2008 we fed 4,567 families versus 6,171 in 2011 - an increase of 35 percent.  The number of adults and children we served in 2008 was 12,336 versus 24,966 in 2011 - a huge increase of over 100 percent.  In 2011 we also initiated two new services.  Our Sack Pack for Kids Program, which feed 200 children each weekend, and we began delivering food to the residents of Brooks Hill Apartments.  We set a record in November of 2011 by feeding 728 families in one month, providing food for  1,620 adults and 1,692 children.  If the numbers continue at that level, we will have a rough road ahead.  At times it is a daunting task, but through prayer and thanks to you, our faithful donors, we will forge ahead.  Our battle to fight hunger in Gilmer County Continues."

This Newsletter also spotlighted Gil Reed, one of the volunteers at the Gilmer Food Pantry.  Every Monday and Wednesday morning around 6:00 a.m. you will find Gil hard at work in the Gilmer County Food Pantry and he will be there until the Pantry closes for the day. 

If you would like to donate or volunteer for the Gilmer Food Pantry, please talk with Gil Reed, Judy Farmer, or Katie Griffin.  If you don't know who the are, call the church office and Malinda will give you their information.

HEAT FANNIN

Heat Fannin encourages people to donate fire wood other than pine to Fannin County Family Connection to help provide heating assistance to teh community.  Ham Kimzey, Don Midkiff, and Tom Mitchell, part of the men's group from our church, were recently shown splitting wood at the Family Connection, where they meet weekly to split donated wood.

This past month, the group raised $4,476, almost all of this coming from individuals, as stated by Jane Kimzey, one of the volunteers.