Thursday, May 24, 2012

thoughts and happenings

Thank you St. Johns!!! Can you believe it we have been open ten month this month.  We have been continually blessed and favored by God at The Basic Needs Center here in Clinton County.  We are afforded much in all we do because your prayers for us have not gone unanswered.  We thank you and pray that you will continually join us in our daily prayers.  The Basic Needs Center is carrying an ever growing burden for all those who have a difficult time providing the bare minimums in life for their families.  We are now at 500+ families that have come to us to be fed and clothed.  I’m sure you know that we have not seen much of a slowdown in new client families.  We have averaged 55 new families per month since we started last August.  This has put continued stress on us to provide what is needed.  We are writing this letter to tell everyone thank you for your support and to help us find others to support the cause.  Our food needs are the hardest to keep up with.  We literally need tons of food each month (fresh produce, dairy, meat, as well as boxed and canned goods).  While we receive over a ton of food from our local churches and neighbors we are faced with the challenge of having one and a half to two thousand dollars to buy food every month.  Money is always a test of our faith, as it also is for every client we serve.  I’m sure everyone is feeling a pinch on cash these days with gas prices inching ever upward.  No one person can do it all but together we can move mountains.  We are only able to provide for our needy families what the love and kindness of your hearts provide.  You are the critical part of the equation that is needed to solve this perplexing problem; it is all about the numbers.  While addition to our effort is great we can only fill the needs if we find the way to multiply all of our efforts.  For this reason I am asking you to multiply your efforts by asking others to help you in your giving and support.  You can develop a Clinton County attitude of “Paying It Forward” daily.  You can make it contagious by living it in our homes and at work. What a wonderful legacy to leave and to instill in our children!!! 

We are facing difficult times during the summer when The Basic Needs Center will have to compete with vacations and special events that each of us enjoy with our families and friends.  We are asking that you might focus on the needs of those who will not have vacations and special events in their summer.  This will take a little extra effort and sacrifice by each of us.  Dear neighbors we can do this only when we PRAY and ask the Lord to meet and exceed the needs of the “least of these” (His Children).  Join us in planting a seed in faith for the HOPE of our community; after all we “can do” all things through Christ who strengthens us.
We are still paying for; rent, utilities, insurance, office supplies, internet, transportation and FOOD every month.  We have a monthly overhead of just under $3,000.00 per month.  The only adjustable expense is FOOD; when we come up short we find ourselves cutting back on our most important commodity FOOD.  Please help us to eliminate having to do this.  As you know we are staffed completely by volunteers, there are and will not be any paid staff.  Our crew donates their time everyday and meets the needs with a smile and the love of Christ.  There are two ways to help us with this dilemma, first, bring enough food that we do not have to spend money on this need, second, bring financial support in to allow us to purchase the needed food.  I guess there is a third, bring in both food and money enough to meet the needs. This sounds simple and it really is.  All it takes is a commitment and a little sacrifice and we all know sacrifice is never easy but almost always beneficial.   

Now to close, just a reminder of some of the things happening here at, TBNC.  We are open M-F 10AM-4PM Saturday and Thursday PM by appointment.  We take donations (Food, Clothing & Cash) during our daily hours.  Always looking for volunteers!  We also can use any garden produce you can spare.  We also pay for processing of Deer, Cattle, and Hogs when the animal is donated.  We collect scrap metal to sell, we pick up.  Please call Pastor Russ anytime @ 517-230-4618 for Suggestions, Questions and Requests.  Again THANK YOU!!!                       

               






Saturday, April 14, 2012

getting to know what we are about

The Basic Needs Center is located in St. Johns, MI, 105 N. Clinton Ave. We serve Clinton County daily, 10AM to 4PM, Mon-Fri.  Telelphone 517-230-4618.
We are a Christian Ministry here to serve the needs of people who are hungry or need clothed.
Our ministry is a 501 (c) (3), non profit charity.  We work on donations of food, clothing (still in good condition), money and time.  All here are non paid volunteer staff, allowing 100% to be applied to the community.  We are people helping people, what God told us to do.