Although 2020 was a challenging year, Helen and I consider ourselves as fortunate as ever and remain grateful for our many blessings. We still have our health, our home, a beautiful family, and wonderful friends. We’re also blessed to have a wonderful church family that adds greatly to the joy that fills our lives.
Going back for more years than I can remember, our church members had delivered Christmas gifts to families in Roses Creek, a tiny Appalachian Mountain community where hard times moved in when coal mining moved out. Helen and I have adopted a family in years past, and I usually help with the delivery. I look forward to participating whenever I have the opportunity.
The project gets rolling in early December each year when the project organizer receives a list of family names from the Roses Creek Community Center Director. Church members volunteer to adopt a family and purchase items requested by the Roses Creek Family. Helen and I guessed that our family was a young married couple as only two people asked for gifts. The list included clothing, silverware…and an ax.
Helen shopped for the clothing, and I bought the ax from a local hardware store. Each gift was wrapped and placed in a large bag. Each bag was tagged and taken to the church for delivery.
On delivery day, volunteers gathered at the church and loaded a generous offering of bags and boxes into cars and trucks for delivery. In previous years, this task took place during a weekday with no children involved. Fortunately, we had the help of several children this year, and all were very much into the process and extremely helpful. After Justin led us in prayer, we moved out.
The Roses Creek community is about 75 miles north of Knoxville, within a few miles of the Kentucky border. I led the convoy of about eight or nine cars up Interstate 75. After driving about 60 miles, we left the highway and followed a narrow winding road over a mountain ridge into a valley below. Roses Creek flows through that valley leading to the community center.
In previous years, members of the community welcomed us and offered refreshments after bringing the gifts inside. This year, one person greeted us, wearing a mask, and pointed to the room where we assembled everything. We worked quickly and left. No time for contact, but that is emblematic of the year we’ve lived through.
I always get more out of this journey than I ever put into it. Have a blessed New Year, everyone. I’m Easin’ Along…and counting mine every day.
What a wonderful community project, Joe. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Wishing you all a happy, healthy and peaceful year ahead!
Happy New Year, Donna,
I always look forward to this opportunity. All the best to you and Richard. Looking forward to keeping up with you in the year ahead. Please stay in touch. Joe
What a wonderful thing to do for so many!!! Happy New Year and happy travels in 2021!!!!
Happy New Year, LuAnne,
This experience is always a joy. Have a blessed 2021!
I know this was satisfying to you and Helen. Congratulations on all you have done for these people.
Eddie
Happy New Year, Eddie,
I thought about you while up there. I know you hauled coal out of the area back in the day. It would do a lot for the folks there if something could replace all of the jobs lost. Say hello to your family from us. Joe
Joe, what a wonderful thing for your church to organize at Christmastime. That ax may make the difference between a cold night and a warm one.
Take care.
Happy New Year, Suzanne,
When I saw an ax on the shopping list, I thought the same thing. Almost every house we passed had firewood stacked on the front porch – and stacked high. We love our church and our church friends. Have a great week! Joe
Wonderful project! In our Chicago parish we donated to the new moms project and bought socks ,gloves and hats for a nearby pantry. It is so nice to be part of a giving community. God Bless you and Helen!Have a healthy New Year!
Happy New Year, Arlene,
I’m certain your donations were gratefully received and much appreciated. Americans are such generous people. Have a wonderful start to the year and please stay in touch! Joe
Yours is one of the most heartwarming Christmas stories of the season, Joe. Thanks for sharing! Best wishes to you and Helen for a year full of magnificent and memorable adventures!
Happy New Year, Mary,
Our church has many generous members in the congregation. In addition to supporting an Appalachian community, another group adopted schoolchildren living in a low-income area. I heard the donations were overwhelming. Helen and I send best wishes to you and Alan for a happy, healthy, and safe start to 2021. Please stay in touch! Joe
What a wonderful Christmas tradition of generosity and truly helping others. Wishing you the blessings of a healthy, joyful, peaceful New Year.
Good morning, Laurel,
A trip to Rose’s Creek and the opportunity to spread a little Christmas cheer with others is always special. Wishing you and Eric a great start to 2021. Helen and I will be in touch. Joe
It is so wonderful to be involved in a community project, Joe. We hope to get involved with a new church in our community when we get moved in. The church I left in Sacramento is pastored by a former Spokane native and I already miss him and his wife. Both are in their 50s and wonderful servants of the Lord. In the last 20 years, our congregation donated to Convoy of Hope’s One Day to Feed the Hungry at Thanksgiving. Our small church donated over $36k in 2019, and an impressive $29k in 2020. Bless you and your wife for your giving and volunteerism!
Good morning, Terri,
I don’t know what we would do without our church. It is the center of our life outside of our home. In addition to supporting the Rose’s Creek community at Christmas we also “adopted” children at a local school and bought gifts for them. Helen and I have both served as Elders and she is much more involved than I am–singing in the choir, working with the flower committee, and organizing meals for the sick and shut-in. Again, it is truly a blessing in our lives. I’m certain the Lord will lead you to a good church home in Spokane that is as giving as your church in Sacramento. Impressive indeed! Wishing you and Hans a wonderful start to 2021. Joe