Christian Aid Center of Walla Walla

Bikers for CAC, May 4th

jeremygonzalez — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:14:39 +0000

Calling all motorcycle enthusiasts and/or anyone interested in an upcoming benefit ride that will assist the Christian Aid Center in obtaining necessary toiletries for the guests utilizing shelter services in May/2013:

On May 4th, the WW County Red & Gold motorcycle club is hosting their 2nd annual “Toilet Bowl” ride to benefit both theChristian Aid Center and a new 4-H start up group in Prescott. If you are interested in participating (i.e. ride along, donate, volunteer to pickup donations, etc) please contact sponsors for the ride: Uncle Roger@301-7153 or Kookie@240-7473.

-OR-

You may contact Ammie Jones/Volunteer; Communications Coordinator at CAC @ 525-7153 ext. 114 or
Email Ammie

The ride will officially start at 10 am at the American Legion in Milton-Freewater. The American Legion will provide refreshments and hot dogs for any/all volunteers or individuals participating in ride. Kickstands will be up at 11 am and the entourage will take off and arrive at CAC shortly after leaving the American Legion. Refreshments and a small snack to keep the energy going will be provided as the donations are being unloaded at CAC. The riders will then continue on their route ending up in Waitsburg to benefit the 4-H group

Supporting the CAC Community

jeremygonzalez — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 04:07:31 +0000

Karina and family in front of their home.

Karina and her family have been part of the Christian Aid Center Community for almost a year now. We have seen her grow, and are proud to support her in her latest venture. Karina started work at Professional Products at the end of February 2013. She previously worked at Great Clips but was seeking more independent work and flexible schedule in order to care for her two children when they are not in school. She did diligent footwork in obtaining the position and inquired the assistance of her friend to design her first business cards and/or getting her name out there in the business world. She has gotten creative in posting her information by making business cards, listing her services at grocery stores and business bulletin boards, word of mouth and offering specials to new/first time customers. She enjoys the position and the team she works with; the owner has allowed her to rent a chair and pay the rent as she earns so she didn’t have to put money down to get the job. She offers a variety of services: hair cuts, curl and colors and has now started to offer manicures/pedicures and waxing. As her business card states, “The Best Choice for a Great Hair Day!” Should you find yourself in need of any of these services, please consider making an appointment with Karina (522-1466) to schedule an appointment.

CAC Welcomes Ammie Jones, New Volunteer Coordinator

jeremygonzalez — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 23:35:32 +0000

For the past year, Ammie Jones faithfully served as our Family Services Manager providing direction and guidance to many families. The grace of God opened the door for a new position to be brought forth in order to support our valuable volunteers and their efforts. For many years we have appreciated and realized the importance and necessity of our volunteer base but have not been able to provide the outreach we so desired. Without our donors and volunteers, we simply would not exist. Our volunteers are the beat within our heart of this organization and God’s Church.

Ammie has a heart for ministry. Engaging and staying connected with our volunteers is an integral piece in providing meaningful opportunities and spiritual growth on this campus and within our community. Consistency in this area will help continue in fulfilling CAC’s mission of offering hope and restoration not only to the guests that reside here but to our volunteers that mean so much to us.

As we continue to develop new ideas to incorporate our volunteers into this ministry for the blessing of both the guests and community, we ask that you pray for us and Ammie as she “hits the ground running” as our new Volunteer Coordinator! She welcomes any feedback and/or ideas that you might have in enhancing volunteer opportunities and/or ministerial outreach to our disadvantaged brothers and sisters that reside here or seek our services. Please feel free to contact her by phone @525-7153 ext. 114 or Email Ammie.

Where’s the Beef?

jeremygonzalez — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 00:46:11 +0000

Serving over 102 meals per day, the CAC kitchen uses 10 – 15 lbs. of ground beef per meal for each group that includes it in their menu. That’s a lot of beef! Recently, our kitchen manager, Monika Dowling, was down to the last 20 lbs. and began praying for God to provide
hamburger. (She also prays for eggs and many other basic staples!) Within a short period of time, Monika received a call from the Lostine Cattle Company who donated 500 lbs. of ground beef and other cuts to the Center. We don’t believe in ‘coincidence’ but God’s fulfilling His promise as He supplies the Center’s needs at ‘just the right time’. Thank you to the Lostine Cattle Company for being an answer to prayer, for the second year in a row!

Frequent Need for Appliances at CAC – Can You Help?

jeremygonzalez — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Did you know that the Christian Aid Center has 12 emergency shelter units/houses for homeless families which are almost always full, with a waiting list of other families still needing shelter? CAC’s Family Services has 12 refrigerators, 12 microwaves, 4 stoves, and 5 sets of washers and dryers which often need repair or replacement due to hard use. If you have an appliance in good working condition or would like to give toward the purchase of one, please contact Dianne Hufford at 525-7153 for the Christian Aid Center’s current appliance needs.

New Business, Yeehaw Aloha, Gives Back to Local Organizations

jeremygonzalez — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 23:31:04 +0000

Congratulations to Laurel and Gabriel on the opening of their new business, “Yeehaw Aloha, where buying is giving to Walla Walla, a “for the community’s profit” organization. Laurel and Gabriel’s vision has been to use their business, Yeehaw Aloha, located at 1524 E. Isaacs Avenue, to support organizations in the Walla Walla valley who reach out to those in need. CAC recently received a letter with an enclosed check sharing that CAC had been prayerfully selected as one of nine local organizations to receive 10% of Yeehaw Aloha’s daily sales at least once a month in the coming year. Thank you, Laurel and Gabriel, for investing in the lives of others. If your business or organization would like learn more about how you could get involved at CAC, please contact Dianne Hufford, at 525-7153.

When Helping Hurts the Poor: Rescue or Life Change?

jeremygonzalez — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 01:21:16 +0000

This past holiday season we’ve seen an outpouring of generosity to those in need – victims of Hurricane Sandy, families and survivors of the tragic shootings in Connecticut and Colorado, and many others whose lives has been devastated by tragedy and loss. We’ve seen acts
of kindness, both big and small, in an outpouring of care and concern for others.

As people of compassion, our hearts are moved to meet the needs of others and so we give – generously, sacrificially, but sometimes our giving ends up hurting rather than helping those we hoped to help. If you’ve driven through Walla Walla recently, you’ve probably seen them – different people standing on street corners, holding cardboard signs stating a desperate need and asking for your help. You may have slowed down, hesitated, wondering what to do. Should I give money, should I offer a meal, food, gas, a job?

As an agency that has worked with the poor and homeless since 1946, we have a few suggestions. First, ask yourself – is the need genuine? You may think that’s a strange question but sometimes the donations are used to feed an addiction which result in often tragic consequences. A recent article in the Yakima paper reported a man who was often seen on a street corner holding his cardboard sign, found dead in his car of an apparent heroin overdose with $1600 in cash and half a pound of heroin. Second – will my giving provide temporary rescue from their circumstances or will it promote life change? If life circumstances don’t seem to change, sometimes people need to make different life choices. Often people need more than a hand out – they need someone who is willing to build a relationship with them, listen to their story, and offer them hope. Some may need addiction treatment, mental health counseling, a safe place to stay, and a warm meal.

Walla Walla offers so many resources for those in need.

No one in the Walla Walla area needs to go hungry.

Christian Aid Center serves breakfast at 7:30 a.m. and dinner at 5:30 p.m. daily
Rising Sun Clubhouse serves lunch daily with a suggested donation of $1.00.
Pioneer Methodist Church serves lunch on Monday from 11:30 – 1:00 p.m.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church serves lunch on Tuesday and Thursday from 11:30 –
1:00 p.m.
Helpline, 16 S. Colville, provides vouchers to our local food banks

Veterans Services

Veterans may receive help through the Jonathan Wainwright VA Center which offers mental health services, addiction recovery, medical treatment, and housing.

Shelter

Single men age 18 and over – the Christian Aid Center
Single women age 18 and over – Helpline STEP shelter and YWCA
Women with children – Christian Aid Center, Family Services

YWCA and Helpline STEP shelter

Married couples with or without children – Christian Aid Center
Single fathers with children – Christian Aid Center
Mental Health Needs
Walla Walla Country Department of Human Services – 524-2920
Walla Walla County Crisis Response Team – 524-2999

In addition, some individuals are “homeless by choice.” They would prefer to sleep in their cars or other places rather than have the structure, guidelines, and accountability of a homeless shelter.

If you feel compelled to give monetarily, we would suggest giving to the agencies in town which already serve the poor and homeless. Often these agencies have an extensive history with the individuals requesting help and may be in a better position to determine if your gift would truly be helping or enabling the individual. God has commanded us to care for the poor, but He also cautioned us to be wise stewards in our giving.

Grateful for God’s Goodness in 2012

jeremygonzalez — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 20:36:12 +0000

…Thou didst provide in Thy goodness for the poor, O God.

The Christian Aid Center is grateful for God’s goodness this past year. Many hearts and lives have been transformed by God’s love, needs have been met, and God has faithfully provided. We rejoiced as many received Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, others recommitted their lives to Jesus, and broken lives were healed and restored.

This past year, 47 families successfully found employment, enrolled in school, and/or secured housing in the community. We celebrated with eight men as they graduated from the Men’s Transitional Program. Many others are involved in bible studies, growing spiritually, and deepening their spiritual walk as they experience God’s grace.

Through your generous donations, the Coats for Kids program distributed more coats than ever before (623), Family Services was blessed with a new playground, and CAC was able to provide food, shelter, and basic needs to over 700 individuals this past year. We were so blessed by the overwhelming response of individuals who offered to sponsor a meal at CAC.

Because of your support, we were able to provide many holiday dinners and have enough funds left over to help towards the 700 meals provided each week at the shelter. A special thanks to those who organized drives to help meet the vital needs of the Christian Aid Center – blankets and pillows, canned food, paper products, and much, much more. Thank you for your prayers, time, and financial support which allows us to offer help and hope to so many during these difficult and challenging economic times. We look forward to 2013 and partnering with you as we minister God’s grace to the poor and needy in our
community.

CAC Thanks Local Stores for Their Generous Support

jeremygonzalez — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 01:27:47 +0000

The Christian Aid Center would like to thank Safeway, Albertson’s, Harvest Foods, SuperOne, and Andy’s Market for helping provide food to feed the hungry in the Walla Walla area.

Special thanks to Gary’s Paint and Decorating and Andy’s Market for the match drive held at
their respective stores.

Their generosity has helped make the holidays a time where men, women, and children receive more than a warm meal – it lets them know that someone cares enough to include them in the joy and celebration of the season.

A Big Thanks to Our Coats for Kids 2012 Volunteers!

jeremygonzalez — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 21:08:25 +0000

Thanks to Karen Carmen, Deanna Smith, and Linda Clark, our dedicated and faithful Coats for Kids volunteers, the Coats for Kids 2012 Annual Community Drive is in full swing and providing more coats to help keep kids warm this winter than ever before! Karen Carmen oversees the entire project from receiving the initial fax requests from the school counselors to picking up and delivering the coats to the schools, plus purchasing coats throughout the entire year. Deanna Smith is our “shopping diva”, finding great sales and purchasing coats in bunches, sometimes driving to the Tri-Cities when she’s exhausted the stores in Walla Walla! Linda Clark helps where needed. Together they have made this long and ongoing process work efficiently to meet the needs of kids in our community. So far this year, Coats for Kids has distributed over 600 coats to kids ranging in age from Early Head Start at Blue Ridge to high school at Wa-Hi and Lincoln, and every age in-between. Thank you Karen, Deanna, and Linda, for making the Coats for Kids Annual Community Drive a success each year!