Saturday, September 17, 2011

Sometimes Jesus Makes Stuff Go A Long Way

As I wrote the title of this blog post it reminded me of the story in the New Testament with the little boy who had the loaves and fish and Jesus fed the crowd lunch that day, performing a miracle by making the lunch feed a multitude of people. I picked up some baby donations yesterday and I'm overwhelmed with joy as to how many people I've been able to bless with them.

Yesterday was one of those great days which I thrive on. I'm sure anyone who runs a non-profit feels the same way I do, it's nice to have days when things just go well.

A lady from The Crossing Church called me over Labor Day weekend and said that she got my name from my sister-in-law and had some baby clothes and other baby stuff that she wanted to donate to City of Refuge. We planned on Friday afternoon as our pick up time. I went over there and loaded my Honda Pilot with baby gear and loaded the entire back of her pick-up truck with a baby swing, changing table, and baby bassinet.

So the donations alone would have been exciting, but I wanted to get to know her a little bit so I asked her where her husband worked. She said at a property management company. I told her about Safi Sana, our cleaning company that helps support the non-profit and told her we clean apartments and homes. She said that she has asked for a regular house cleaner for Christmas so she might want to use as well, but would also pass the information along to her husband. So great.

What we do when we get donations is pass along items that we know the refugees need and then sell the other items so we can help pay for the needs they really do have. In the mound of donations I picked up was a saucer that a friend of mine earlier in the week told me she wanted. Our general manager of Safi Sana bought it for her. My friend Heather texted me as soon as I got home with the donations asking me if I had a car seat she could buy and then bring in to Toys R Us to get 25 percent off a new one. I told her that I had a really nice infant car seat that she might actually want to buy. She came over and loved it as well as the bassinet. I bought those items for her as her shower gifts. I also found 2 other items I'm going to buy and use as shower gifts. So we were able to make more than $100 for City of Refuge that will go to directly helping refugees. We are getting ready to write a dentist a check or $400 for Leocadi, Francois' mom, so the money will go straight there.

Then today I separated the rest of the clothes and baby gear. Silas and his wife are African refugees getting ready to have a baby this week! They picked up an infant car seat, toddler car seat, changing table, boppy pillow, swing and lots of blankets and clothes. I will deliver the rest of the clothes and blankets to Lulu, the Burmese girl who will also probably deliver this week! Lulu is the Burmese girl I mentioned in the last post who had nothing for her baby. I'm delivering enough clothes for the baby's entire first year.

Ah. Thank you so much Jesus and the girls that gave.

Jen