A LETTER WRITTEN TO SUPPORTERS IN JUNE, 2007
Friends.....I'm thrilled to finally be able to share the impact of our first "First Tuesday
Circle of Giving" sponsorship of the Robbs family in Los Angeles. It is well worth the read
when you have the time to sit back and feel the pride and delight over the miracle that
your support helped to create for this family. As you are well aware, we researched and
carefully chose a family that was not only needy but very worthy in their willingness to
partner with us in improving the quality of their lives. In the 41/2 months since we met
this family, we've gotten to know Laura Robbs as a woman who, despite her enormous
daily stressors, has managed to worked diligently each day in an effort to support herself
and her 5 children. The 5 of us on the steering committee in LA were initially sickened to
witness how they were living, and yet moved at how much love there is between this mother
and her children and how precious each one of them really are. Every cent this woman
earns goes to rent and food, but these kids still know how to love and be loved.
The last 6 months we were very busy fundraising, in order to offer the degree of aid that
they desperately needed. Part of our mission has also been to connect this family with
community resources (medical, spiritual: Agape International Spiritual Center) that will
hopefully help to maintain and sustain their well being. Thanx to generous financial
donations, coupled with the many wonderful donations of goods and services, we pulled
it off with zest , love, and style!! The climactic day really felt like it was something out of
Oprah/Extreme Makeover episode...but better....because WE able to bear witness to
how our community’s grass roots efforts succeeded in making a major impact on
one family .... consisting of 6 individual lives. Its ripple effect is surely to be present
for years to come.
We raised $21,000 which helped to launch our non-profit and offer this family assistance
on many fronts; some examples: helping financially during a time when her governmental
support was severed due to her making too much money (that would be $10 per hour by
the way...this is the plight of the working poor). We were able to help her maintain her
phone service, made several grocery runs (while training her a bit on healthier shopping
options for her and her kids), provided for Summer Camp at the Boys and Girl's club of
Venice, and got everything in this home from soup to nuts....literally. We found this family
bereft of everything except some of their cloths and televisions. We re-carpeted,
re-painted, put flooring down in bathroom, furnished the entire place......from their first
beds in their lives to sleep in to salt and pepper shakers and tooth brush holders in
their bathrooms. Their home now is not only functional, but beautiful.....Thanx to all
of you who believed in the vision, even before and during its unfolding.
Ok.......now for the juiciest stuff..............Almost impossible to describe this
transformation but here's a visual peak of what occurred on June 3rd...........read
descriptions in pink.
Friends.....I'm thrilled to finally be able to share the impact of our first "First Tuesday
Circle of Giving" sponsorship of the Robbs family in Los Angeles. It is well worth the read
when you have the time to sit back and feel the pride and delight over the miracle that
your support helped to create for this family. As you are well aware, we researched and
carefully chose a family that was not only needy but very worthy in their willingness to
partner with us in improving the quality of their lives. In the 41/2 months since we met
this family, we've gotten to know Laura Robbs as a woman who, despite her enormous
daily stressors, has managed to worked diligently each day in an effort to support herself
and her 5 children. The 5 of us on the steering committee in LA were initially sickened to
witness how they were living, and yet moved at how much love there is between this mother
and her children and how precious each one of them really are. Every cent this woman
earns goes to rent and food, but these kids still know how to love and be loved.
The last 6 months we were very busy fundraising, in order to offer the degree of aid that
they desperately needed. Part of our mission has also been to connect this family with
community resources (medical, spiritual: Agape International Spiritual Center) that will
hopefully help to maintain and sustain their well being. Thanx to generous financial
donations, coupled with the many wonderful donations of goods and services, we pulled
it off with zest , love, and style!! The climactic day really felt like it was something out of
Oprah/Extreme Makeover episode...but better....because WE able to bear witness to
how our community’s grass roots efforts succeeded in making a major impact on
one family .... consisting of 6 individual lives. Its ripple effect is surely to be present
for years to come.
We raised $21,000 which helped to launch our non-profit and offer this family assistance
on many fronts; some examples: helping financially during a time when her governmental
support was severed due to her making too much money (that would be $10 per hour by
the way...this is the plight of the working poor). We were able to help her maintain her
phone service, made several grocery runs (while training her a bit on healthier shopping
options for her and her kids), provided for Summer Camp at the Boys and Girl's club of
Venice, and got everything in this home from soup to nuts....literally. We found this family
bereft of everything except some of their cloths and televisions. We re-carpeted,
re-painted, put flooring down in bathroom, furnished the entire place......from their first
beds in their lives to sleep in to salt and pepper shakers and tooth brush holders in
their bathrooms. Their home now is not only functional, but beautiful.....Thanx to all
of you who believed in the vision, even before and during its unfolding.
Ok.......now for the juiciest stuff..............Almost impossible to describe this
transformation but here's a visual peak of what occurred on June 3rd...........read
descriptions in pink.
| LIVING ROOM BEFORE |
| LIVING ROOM AFTER |
| OTHER LIVING ROOM WALL BEFORE |
| THAT SAME WALL TODAY |
| OUR MESSAGES WERE WELL PLACED |
| FINALLY...A WORK SPACE FOR LAURA |
| OLD KITCHEN WITH BROKEN CHANDELIER, 15 YEAR OLD BLINDS AND NO FURNITURE |
| NEW DINING AREA, WITH EXTRA STORAGE UNIT AND CEILING FAN ABOVE |
| WINDOW TREATMENT REPLACEMENT .... much better! |
| BOYS OLD ROOM....all 3 sleeping on old/dirty mattresses |
| BOYS NEW ROOM; MATTRESS ON LEFT IS NOW A BUNK/DESK COMBO UNIT |
| BOYS OLD BATHROOM |
| BOYS NEW BATHROOM: NEW FLOORS! |
| LAURA AND GIRL'S OLD BATHROOM |
| GIRL'S NEW BATHROOM: new floors, storage pieces, shower rods/curtain and great artwork. |
| GIRLS OLD ROOM |
| GIRLS' NEW ROOM |
| THANK YOU LAURA FOR BUTTERFLY MOBILE! |
| HELPING CREW DAY OF HOMECOMING.... THANK YOU ANGEL TEAM! |
| NOW THE MOMENT WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR...THE ROBBS ARRIVE...15 YR OLD MARCUS IN THE WHITE SHIRT IMMEDIATELY SAYS..."MAN...I'M NOT GOING TO WANT TO LEAVE HOME NOW!" |
| THIS WAS LAURA'S EXPRESSION FOR THE NIGHT! |
| TAKING THE GIRLS TO THEIR NEW ROOM! |
| MORIAH CALLS THE BOTTOM BUNK AND CAN'T STOP SMILING! |
| TOASTING THEM AND SHARING OUR BLESSING FOR THEM..."PERHAPS NOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN THE RECIPIENT OF A TRUE MIRACLE BEING BESTOWED UPON YOU, MAY YOU SOMEDAY, IN YOUR LIFETIME FIND EVERY CHANCE TO PAY IT FORWARD...." |
| AND BLESS ALL OF YOU WHO GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED US IN SUPPORTING THIS DEAR FAMILY. WE HAVE HELPED TO CHANGE THEIR LIVES FOR YEARS TO COME. THEY ARE FOREVER GRATEFUL, SO ARE WE AND SO IT IS!! UNTIL NEXT ROUND....I SEND ETERNAL GRATITUDE....marcy |
| or PLEASE MAKE CHECK PAYABLE TO: First Tuesday Circle of Giving L.A MAIL TO: First Tuesday Circle Of Giving 632 W. Deming, Coach House Chicago IL 60614 |
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| Copyright 2007. Marcy Cole |