SL&H February Update
February is known as the LOVE Month. This scripture comes to mind:
“And above all put on love which binds everything together in perfect Harmony” Colossians 3:14
February 1st is also the 2 year anniversary of SLH moving into our “Uptown” building. Waters of many blessings, experiences, heartaches, joy and love have washed over SLH these past 2 years. We pray that God will continue to show us where He wants SLH to be.
Our food pantries continue to be busy. This month we saw an increase in our Alex food pantry of those in need. We are thankful to the Thelma Wilson family for donating an upright freezer to the Alex pantry. Hancock Food Pantry is open and growing too. Shane kept busy by putting up more shelves for food storage in the building of the pantry. Both pantries have had donations of food, which we are thankful for.
SLH sent out this month to:
Ronald McDonald – Rochester
-We sent, receiving blankets, lap and twin fleece blankets, sewn animals, valentine activity bags, and day brightener bags.
Note: If you are looking for a family or group activity, the kids at Ronald McDonald have mail boxes, and groups are encouraged to put day brightener items in a plastic bag, so that the volunteers can surprise the kids with them when they come to get their mail. Call us if interested–320-304-2860
Centre Care Cancer Center – Alexandria:
–Neck pillows, port pillows, lap blankets in bags
Lake Region Healthcare Cancer Center:
–Neck pillows, port pillows, lap blankets in bags
Alomere Hospital O/B:
–Scentsy pillows and receiving blankets
Centre Care Peds – St. Cloud
–Twin fleece blankets, receiving blankets, toys, surgery caps.
Teen Challenge – Alex
–20 Welcome bags and valentine bags with candy and fidgets
The Minneapolis Helping Hands group sewed and delivered 80 pacemaker seatbelt pillows for Jamie Pelzi, Centra Care Cardiology. Carol Ann was busy sewing lap blankets for us to give to Children’s Hospitals and Ronald McDonald. Thank you so much!
We are so thankful for our volunteers, and are so grateful that God keeps blessing us with not only the ones who come regularly, but the new volunteers He Keeps adding.
“Volunteers do not neceyssarily have the time; they just have the heart”
March 19th was the monthly Adult Session Group with Bridget. So many blessings come from that evening…Thank you Bridget!
Quote: “We are all like one-winged angels, it is only when we help each other that we can fly” LC
God Bless,
Keith and Lois
SL&H December Update
“The magic of Christmas is not in the presents, but in HIS presence”
….…And HIS presence was felt very strongly this month! God has opened up so many doors, and brings the right people to SLH at the right time. SLH looked like a “Jesus” Christmas workshop all month, and we pray that those who received any donation from SLH, will be blessed.
Our total Christmas Stockings; sewn and filled were 500, as vs. last year of 250. Our volunteers also filled 320 Christmas treat bags. Thank you to Our Mpls. Helping Hands who sewed the stockings and bags for us, and had all of these sewn for us before summer arrived. We are so thankful for them, and all of the amazing volunteer groups that came and filled them for us. The list below is who SLH sent the stockings and bags to:
100 – Stevens Cty Human Services
65—-DAC
200 –Love Inc.
75 —Teen Challenge, Alexandria
135 – Kids at St. Paul Homeless shelter
25 – Centra Care Peds, St. Cloud
The Mpls. Helping Hands kept busy in December by sewing and delivered to cancer centers the following:
80 – Pacemaker pillows
80 – Blankets in bags
80 – Neck Pillows
Thank you so very much for all you do for others!
The need has been so great. Keith fills our free food pantry 2 – 4 times a day with food. During the cold snap we put out blankets, stocking hats, and mittens. The thankful comments we receive from those that use it just helps us see that it is truly needed.
*** Our total pounds of food given thru our pantry this month is: 4,885 # !
We had so many blessings of donations this month, money donations, donations of time, and donations of other needed items. We had a donation of approx. 500 pairs of new pjs from Target ,given to us by a lady who lives by Henning. She has online sales and had too many. They were all new with not a price tag on them yet. Thank you Momma J!
Keith delivered food for 80 food bags to Hancock School, and delivered two times to West Central Community Action. We are thankful for the Outreach food shelf in Alex who has helped us by sharing bread, milk etc., when they have an overstock.
Thank you Kaitlyn Westerman and Students for filling Christmas treat bags, and helping us with some other projects. The bags went into the gift bags that we took to Eagles Healing Nest in Sauk Centre for their Christmas dinner party.
Other organizations that SLH was able to help:
–Henning Hope with Christmas gifts
–20 Welcome bags to Adult/Teen Challenge in Alex.
–3 students in Parkers Prairie who didn’t have snowpants
–Homeless couples, and others in need of hygiene, blankets etc.
–Centra Care Peds, in St. Cloud, we sent an assortment for the kids, blankets, toys, Christmas Stockings, receiving blankets, teethers.
–St. James Methodist Church in St. Paul
Thank you to Dieckman Jewelry for the donation of a Christmas tree, and all the trimmings. WCA had a young lady that was in need of it, it was so neat to have her come in and get it. She was so excited , and offered to come and help us.
Our December Adult Support group with Bridget met on the 18th. As usual it was a very good session, and is neat to see the trust level that those who attend feel toward Bridget. Bridget had purchased ‘’Jesus is Calling’’ books for each one, and left us with 4. Bridget, they are totally gone! My heart just tears when we hear some of the stories that people have lived through.
We are so thankful for Eric and the Life Right guys. They spent an afternoon and helped build shelves so that we can put all the food on for the food pantry… we now have some organization, and it is just great!!
We appreciate those who come to help us do packing, filling, cleaning up etc. This month was fun to have some former Morris people who have moved to Alex and retired…Bob and Laura Griffith, Chad Swanson, Johnita Luthi, and Jeanette who has been our faithful sidekick. Life sure comes full circle. Hope we didn’t sound old as we reminisced riding the school bus together.
At the close of this year, we want to thank each and everyone for your continued support. We have appreciated your prayers, your donation of money, and your donation of time to help SLH! God’s richest blessings to all, and know that God will provide the strength and courage to face this new year if we keep our eyes on Him.
“Its not what we have in life, but who we have in our lives that matter”
Our Love,
Keith and Lois