These words from the popular Christmas song reminds me of recent days. So many folks frustrated, so much hurt, and an economy that is the worst most have ever seen. The numbers needing service have increased by 40%, yet our resources are not keeping up.

Quite frankly, we need your help. As we look to 2009, we know that it will be a challenging year. Yet we are responding. We are busy serving more people than we have ever served and also, figuring out how we can lower our cost and do things more efficiently. How can we do that? We need your help.

Maybe you can make a special donation in honor of someone… until December 25th, all gifts will be matched by a foundation and a donor who are helping us in a big way.

Maybe you can donate paper products, plates, cups, napkins, paper towels, bowls, etc.

Maybe throughout the year you could purchase some milk and drop it off… we use about 30 gallons a week feeding almost 300 students

Maybe you can help tutor a student, maybe help in the kitchen, maybe help answer phones…

Merry Christmas

jay

It was Christmas seven years ago, and he was only five. I will call him Bobby. A sweet boy who was in our pre-school and after-school programs. Raised in a horrible situation with a mom strung out on drugs. She would leave him alone for the weekend and, at five, he would care for his younger sister who was two. A complete breakdown from the system that could never decide what was best, all the while allowing him to continue in the mess.

Yet he was a model to me what Christmas is all about. The day before he had participated with other children in packing shoe boxes for children throughout the world, through a program called “operation shoebox.” The kids loved it. Yet, Bobby wasn’t done. The next day his teacher mentioned to me that he wanted to see me.

As I spoke to Bobby he handed me his pencil box with two matchbox cars. It was all he had, but he asked me, in his speech impediment, to “send these to the kids who had nothing.” I asked him what would he do…he said he was hoping maybe he could get some more for Christmas, but if not, it was okay. He was happy, “because I get to come to Shepherd.” I wept as I thought of my favorite Christmas show…The Little Drummer Boy. Yes, Bobby was laying his drum at the manger.

This Christmas will be difficult for many, yet we can choose to be rich like Bobby, or focus on what we don’t have. I choose to be rich. Merry Christmas…

jay