How We’re Helping…
In March we distributed 189 bags of food to 49 families, for a total of 121 individuals and 15 families with children.

Our Emergency Services office served 67 clients.

Our Home Repair ministry has completed 5 projects so far this year. We would like to invite each church/organization to sponsor a project in conjunction with FOCUS. In this way, we could help many more of our elderly and disabled in Harris County.

Our goal is NOT to remodel homes, but merely to keep the owners safe, warm and dry. Please give us a call if you would like to help with the Home Repair project.

A Child Abuse Prevention puppet show was held at Pine Ridge Elementary on March 28th. Beth, her daughter LeAnn, Lynda, and Jenny Jackson were the presenters.

The next puppet shows are scheduled for April 26th at New Mountain Hill Elementary, April 27th at Park Elementary and May 1st at Mulberry Creek Elementary. If anyone is interested in the program please call FOCUS at 706.628.9955.

Announcements…
Normally the Board meets every other month, but will plan to meet monthly in April, May and June. This will give the committees and strategic planning more time to get rolling. The dates for those meetings are: April 19, May 17 and June 21. Regular board meetings will then continue to be on the third Thurs. of the month at 6pm.

We have a yard work day scheduled at FOCUS to work on the property on Sat., April 21 from 9am-1pm. We have a group of 10 Impact 360 kids who will be helping us as a service project and we’re very grateful to have their assistance. If anyone is interested in helping they are invited to come and bring rakes and clippers… we have a lot of privet to remove! FOCUS will provide lunch.

Painting began on the entire FOCUS house this week. Bids were submitted and the board voted to approve the project. We’ll soon have a freshly painted building to go along with the new roof. The building has already been power washed and looks better already! We’re also adding a railing on the back stairs that the thrift shop volunteers use. Also, since the tornado occurred, we’d cleaned up the cedar tree in back the best we could but a huge trunk remained. Lynda began asking around town for the help of a professional tree service. Last week, she was surprised to find the tree had been cut! What remains there now is manageable and we will deal with it on our yard clean-up day. Mr. Forest Salter of Hamilton – an angel in disguise – came and cut it down for us. Lynda sent him a thank you… but if you know him or happen to run into him, be sure to express our gratitude to Mr. Salter!

The Thrift Shop Bag Sale was a great success with 185 bags sold on the first day! Be sure to stop in and see the great new spring and summer items that are available.

FOCUS is on facebook! Be sure to ‘like’ the FOCUS facebook page to receive regular updates. Once you ‘like’ the page please share it, and ask your friends, family and neighbors to like and share it too!

How We’re Helping…
In February we distributed 208 bags of food to 53 families, for a total of 141 individuals and 19 families with children.

Our Emergency Services office served 71 clients.

Our Home Repair ministry completed a wheelchair ramp for a disabled 11 year old. The Rotary Club did the work and said that his smile afterwards was payment in itself. We installed a water heater for an elderly lady who had been without hot water for 6 months. We also have 2 more projects currently pending.

We would like to invite each church/organization to sponsor a project in conjunction with FOCUS. In this way, we could help many more of our elderly and disabled in Harris County. Our goal is NOT to remodel homes, but merely to keep the owners safe, warm and dry. Please give us a call if you would like to help with the Home Repair project.

Announcements…
Our next Board Meeting will be Thurs., March 15th at 6pm. Please note our regular board meetings will continue to be on the third Thurs. of the month at 6pm.

The Men’s Group at St. Nicholas is having an Easter BBQ sale with all proceeds benefiting FOCUS. Choose from Slab Ribs ($22), Butt ($24), or 1/2 Ham ($35), all smoked with a wonderful rub and delivered without BBQ sauce. Order your holiday food in a number of ways…Stop by the church after the 8:30am or 11:00am services, pick up an order form from any of the Men of St. Nicholas, click here to print an order form, or call the church office at 706-628-7272 between 9am-1pm M-F. Pick up will be at St. Nicholas located at 69 Mobley Rd in Hamilton, GA, on Saturday March 24th between 10am-1pm. Payment will be due on the day of pick up and checks can be made payable to St. Nicholas Episcopal Church.Take a moment to place your order today!

The Thrift Shop will be holding a $5 Bag Sale Thurs., March 15th from 10am-3pm, Fri., March 16th from 10am-3pm, and Sat., March 17th from 10am-1pm. Receive a bag when you arrive, and everything you can fit into the bag will be $5. Fill as many bags as you like for only $5 each! We are not going to be closed a week for restocking …but plan to reopen Thurs., March 22 with our spring and summer clothes.

Thrift Shop volunteers: We have now a “communication board” in the back room. Please check the board when you arrive for info on housekeeping items and other updates concerning the shop. We have some new volunteers and we can always use more… our goal is to have enough people, each with specific task or jobs to cover the duties in the shop. Let us know if you’re interested in helping out and invite your friends and neighbors to participate as well!

Don’t miss the Empty Bowl Dinner at Harris County High School! What is Empty Bowl? This is one of the largest events that takes place at Harris County High School, and it is non-profit. It takes place during the Youth Art Month Festival, which lasts from March the 23rd to the 25th, and is sponsored by the National Art Honor Society (Teacher: Mrs. Sondra Palmer). Empty Bowl itself takes place on March 24th and the proceeds go to FOCUS. The way the event raises money is that the students hand-make bowls and sell $8.00 tickets to people which include a ceramic bowl of their choice and whatever soup they would like to eat at the event. Each student tries to bring their own soup, but that is not enough to feed 400 people! This is why we look for donations and we would love to have your help! They would be so grateful if you could donate soup, as that’s what’s served at the dinner, but they would also be grateful for any other foods such as bread or desserts. Empty Bowl Contact Information: NAHS President: Julianna Wells- (706).628.5335, Art Club President: Olivia Cain- (706).457.1402, Art Teacher Sondra Palmer: palmer-s@harris.k12.ga.us

Office volunteers: In order to continue purchasing SNAP food (for families with children), we now need to submit one short story every month about a family we helped and how we affected their life with our food. Please think of one family that you encounter that really touches you and just jot down a few lines about them. There will be a paper in the office on the desk so as the occasion comes up, you can note their name, date, a few facts and your initials. In this way, Julie will have stories to pick from every month when she turns in her report.

We have a new 10 minute power point program telling all about FOCUS, if you would like to have someone come to your church and present this please call Beth at 706-570-6850 or the FOCUS office at 706-628-9955. It is unbelievable how many people in Harris County have not heard about FOCUS so please help us spread the word.

As always, we’d like to express our continued appreciation for Chris & Jenny Jackson, owners of Jenny Jack Sun Farm located in Pine Mountain, Georgia, for the fresh locally grown produce they donate straight from the farm. www.jennyjackfarm.com The farm is closed for the season but will re-open this spring. We’d also like to thank John & Maria Makin of the Bakery and Cafe at Rose Cottage in Pine Mountain for donating fresh loves of handmade artisan bread. Please show your support for these wonderful local businesses that so graciously provide food for those in our community.

FOCUS is on facebook! Be sure to ‘like’ the FOCUS facebook page to receive regular updates. Once you ‘like’ the page please share it, and ask your friends, family and neighbors to like and share it too!

March commodities sign up at Enrichment Services is Tues., March 13th from 8:30am-2pm. Food pick up will be Tues., March 20th from 9-11am at the old Christ the King church on Hwy 27.

EMPTY BOWL
Where: Harris County High School
Sponsored by: National Art Honor Society (Teacher: Mrs. Sondra Palmer)
When: March 24, 2012
For: FOCUS- This is a non-profit organization in Harris County that provides affordable family clothing, free food and other aids to needy families.

What we would be so grateful for you to donate: Our main focus is soup, as that is what shall be served at the dinner, but we would be grateful for any other food goods such as bread or desserts.

What is Empty Bowl?
This is one of the largest events that takes place at Harris County High School, and it is non-profit. It takes place during the Youth Art Month Festival, which lasts from March the 23rd to the 25th. Empty Bowl itself takes place on the 24th. The proceeds go to FOCUS which provides for those people in need in our local area. The way in which the event raises money is that the students hand-make bowls and sell $8.00 tickets to people which include a ceramic bowl of their choice and whatever soup they would like to eat at the event. Each student tries to bring their own soup, but that is not enough to feed 400 people! This is why we look for donations and we would love to have your help!

Contact Information:
NAHS President: Julianna Wells- (706).628.5335
Art Club President: Olivia Cain- (706).457.1402
Art Teacher Sondra Palmer: palmer-s@harris.k12.ga.us

Board members: There will be a Board Meeting Thurs., March 15th at 6pm.

It’s almost here! The FOCUS Thrift Shop will hold a ‘Bag Sale’ March 15-17. You’ll be given a bag when you arrive and you can fill it full for only $5! Fill as many bags as you want! Don’t miss it!

$5 Bag Sale:
Thursday, March 15th, 10am-3pm
Friday, March 16th, 10am-3pm
Saturday, March 17th, 10am-1pm

The Men’s Group at St. Nicholas is having an Easter BBQ sale with all proceeds benefiting FOCUS. Choose from Slab Ribs ($22), Butt ($24), or 1/2 Ham ($35), all smoked with a wonderful rub and delivered without BBQ sauce.

Order your holiday food in a number of ways…
Stop by the church after the 8:30am or 11:00am services
Pick up an order form from any of the Men of St. Nicholas
Click here to print an order form, Call the church office at 706-628-7272 between 9am-1pm M-F.

Pick up will be at St. Nicholas located at 69 Mobley Rd in Hamilton, GA, on Saturday March 24th between 10am-1pm.

Payment will be due on the day of pick up and checks can be made payable to St. Nicholas Episcopal Church.

In an effort to reach out to the greater Harris County Community, a 15 minute PowerPoint presentation has been developed explaining the services offered by FOCUS. Rufus Riggs, who is heading this initiative has sent letters to many County churches, offering to come and give the presentation to those who want to learn more about FOCUS and how they can become partner in this ministry. Waverly Hall UMC is on the calendar for February 15 and First Baptist Church of Pine Mountain will be visited on February 16. If your church or organization would like to schedule a presentation, please contact Rufus at samriggs@charter.net.

Board to Meet With Pastoral Institute

A few months ago, several members of the Board met with representatives of the Pastoral Institute to explore ways for FOCUS to expand its ministry. The leadership has felt increasingly led to find ways to aid people in moving from poverty to self sufficiency and realized that guidance was needed on that journey. The Pastoral Institute, with its commitment to “help those in leadership gain vision and develop leadership skills” was chosen to act as consultants.

This initial meeting resulted in the restructuring of the Board from a working to a governance or policy model. Directors with needed expertise and insight were recruited from the community, adding strength and depth to an already committed Board.

On Thursday, March 1, this new Board including the ex officio members will meet with Dr. Ron King and John Adams of the Pastoral Institute for a half day strategic planning meeting. This meeting will begin the process of discerning God’s plan for FOCUS’ future and setting goals and objectives to support that plan in order to strengthen FOCUS to better serve those in need.

This is a very exciting and challenging time in the life of this organization which will require some change, and change is never easy. We ask that you, as Friends of FOCUS, help us in these tasks by giving us your support and especially by praying that we listen to, and be guided by, the Spirit as plans are made.

We will let you know the results of our meeting, and the actions to be taken, in future newsletters.

Sue Halmrast
Chairman

How We’re Helping…
In January we distributed 164 bags of food to 83 families for a total of 188 individuals and 25 families with children. Our Emergency Services office served 100 families.

Our home repair project is well underway for 2012. We currently have 4 applicants in process. This year, we’re asking applicants to provide the labor to help with the projects and FOCUS will provide the materials. We realize in some circumstances, this will not be possible and in those cases we’ll try to obtain help from various churches and organizations throughout the county.

The Harris County Rotary Club is currently prepared to build a wheelchair ramp for a disabled 11 year old. Carpenters for Christ, a men’s group from Cornerstone Baptist Church in Ellerslie, will provide manpower for plumbing and electrical repair work for a homeowner who doesn’t have the available funds to pay someone.

We would like to invite each church/organization to sponsor a project in conjunction with FOCUS. In this way, we could help many more of our elderly and disabled in Harris County. Our goal is NOT to remodel homes, but merely to keep the owners safe, warm and dry. Please give us a call if you would like to help with the Home Repair project.

Announcements…
Our Board Members will hold a Strategic Planning Meeting with the Pastoral Institute on Thursday, March 1, 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. The regularly scheduled Board Meeting will be Thursday, March 15 at 6:00 p.m. in the FOCUS office. Please note our regular board meetings will continue to be on the third Thurs. of the month at 6pm.

Office volunteers: In order to continue purchasing SNAP food (for families with children), we now need to submit one short story every month about a family we helped and how we affected their life with our food. Please think of one family that you encounter that really touches you and just jot down a few lines about them. There will be a paper in the office on the desk so as the occasion comes up, you can note their name, date, a few facts and your initials. In this way, Julie will have stories to pick from every month when she turns in her report.

We’d like to thank Cub Scout Packs 109 and 315… Their annual food drive provided almost 1400 pounds of non-perishable food items for the food bank!

We had a great start to the new year in the Thrift Shop! We invite you to continue to shop with us as your support allows us to finance FOCUS ministries for Harris County residents. We are pleased to have several new volunteers but we are still in need of two cashiers (only needed on a monthly basis). In addition, we would love to have several more volunteers working in the “back” sorting and pricing. Our goal is to have enough people where each person has a specific job. This will keep the thrift shop operating like a well-oiled machine!

We’d also like to thank Creekside Elementary School’s 4H program for collecting and donating numerous bags of clothing for the thrift shop!

We now have cards available, both “in Memory of” and “in Honor of”, for gift donations.

As always, we’d like to express our continued appreciation for Chris & Jenny Jackson, owners of Jenny Jack Sun Farm located in Pine Mountain, Georgia, for the fresh locally grown produce they donate straight from the farm. www.jennyjackfarm.com The farm is closed for the season but will re-open this spring. We’d also like to thank John & Maria Makin of the Bakery and Cafe at Rose Cottage in Pine Mountain for donating fresh loves of handmade artisan bread. Please show your support for these wonderful local businesses that so graciously provide food for those in our community.

FOCUS is on facebook! Be sure to ‘like’ the FOCUS facebook page to receive regular updates. Once you ‘like’ the page please share it, and ask your friends, family and neighbors to like and share it too!