SERVE 6.8 101

SERVE 6.8 101 is designed to give those interested in knowing more about SERVE 6.8 a view of the history, philosophy and vision of SERVE 6.8.

SERVE 6.8 Main Goals:

•   To enhance the level of service provided by compassion organizations within Northern Colorado.

•   To create and maintain structures to mobilize and lead large numbers of volunteers in response to disasters and local needs.

•   To bridge the gap between faith-based organizations, foundations, local government, and local agencies through volunteerism and collaboration in order to best leverage the compassion resources that exist in our community.

SERVE 6.8 is committed to collaborating with organizations in Northern Colorado to help those:

-          Who are homeless or near homeless at The Murphy Center

-          Single parents, widows, adoptive families and those with disabilities through needed home repair 

-          Those impacted by the flood through our Disaster Recovery Team.

           

Our next SERVE 6.8 101 Class will be Wednesday, April 2 at 6:30 in Room 212 at Timberline Church.

For more information about SERVE 6.8 go to serve68.org

Finally Home Foundation - Family Wellness Events 2014

Each of the approximately 500,000 foster children in the United States are a different
shape, size and age, and yet nearly all of them have wounded souls. The loving families who
bring healing to these children are heroes.

Building a family is an adventure that takes many exciting and oftentimes unexpected
turns. Sometimes the amount of energy and effort necessary to care for a child is more than
these heroic families are prepared for. The Finally Home Foundation (FHF) was established in
2008 to provide these families with healing and emotional support.

Their focus is to equip communities to rally around heroes who are foster and adoptive
families. In our community, Welcome Child Ministry will be hosting a Family Wellness Event on
Saturday, February 1st at Timberline Church.

The event will feature:
■ 8-15 hours of Marriage Enrichment and Family Strengthening Education by experienced
foster/adoptive parents and counselors.
■ Refreshments & Catered Family Lunch.
■ Take Home Resources.
■ Follow Up Mentoring & Connection Opportunities.

Additionally, Family Wellness events will include an excellent Child and Youth Program called “Super
Hero Academy,” provided for ages newborn-18 years. Experienced leaders often take
participants of the Youth Program to a variety of off-site activities.

The Family Wellness Event will be a powerful event to inform loving foster and adoptive
families that they are not alone. The event will give families tools to be healthy and successful.
It will help families learn important skills such as problem solving, leadership and
communication. The event will also help marriages focus on their relationships as couples so
they can become better families.

Welcome Child Ministry will host two more FHF Family Wellness Events in 2014:
April 5th: 9-2 pm, Adult Relationships & Solving Family Problems
September 13th: 9-2 pm, Children in Healthy Families & Change

To learn more about the Finally Home Foundation and to register for events, please visit
finallyhomefoundation.net

SERVE 6.8 Clean Up Crew

The owners of this property are an elderly couple.

Our team found the barn with water damage 18" up from surface. Damage to high-end pieces of equipment such a generator, snow blower, rider mower, etc.

Our crew was excellent and hard working. It's a blessed experience to work with such motivated individuals. They didn't want to break for lunch but nor did they want to quit at 5:30, the time I had wanted to quit for the day. Kudos to them, as the job had called for twenty individuals , and our count was nine.

Work proceeded well, with initial emptying of the barn, then discarding of the damaged / waterlogged  items. The inside of the barn was washed from the four foot level down with both power washers being used. Shelving that had been emptied from barn was washed and replaced back in barn.  Tools, children's power toys, and high-end items being washed last. Owner was able to provide a trailer to take waste up to road, which simplified the task at hand significantly.

 

The damage in the area was very moving, especially if you hadn't been in the area previously. I used to spend time with some long term friends at a park  just down the street, and the park has disappeared, with just an edge of grass by the river, with all the park converted to rip-rap. The area to the south of the Johnson's now looks like a beach, rather than a field.

Dee, the housewife, thanked us profusely, and her husband (who has early stage dementia) was just happy at all the work that we did, because he couldn't have done it by himself.

Zane Strange

SERVE 6.8 Missionary

Thank you Parker!

We received this letter and donation from Parker today.  Don't miss his last sentence - My belief is to help other people in need.  

Tom Brady's House

Tom is an old man who is on dialysis 3 times a week and lives right on the Poudre River just up the canyon.

 

After the flood, Tom was found living in his truck.  He was brought to our shelter at Timberline Church, where with our partnership with the Red Cross, was given the proper medical attention he needed.

 

His home is an interesting one to say the least.  As the story goes it's 100 years-old, built around a train caboose!  An addition was added in 1925, with another addition added in 1952.  Probably only 1000 square foot total with a little loft up top. 

 

While we didn't have enough volunteers out on Tuesday to finish the job, we did get a great amount of work done with the few VERY dedicated folks. On Thursday we were back out with a large group and not only finished the task, but got twice done what we thought we could have.  

Tom's property acted like the safety net for all the debris floating down river.   EVERY piece of debris was picked up and hauled back.  We also had a few folks who dug ~80 yards of trenches just to drain out the standing water from around the home. 

Thank you SERVE 6.8 volunteers for making an impact in Tom's life by sharing you time - that was a priceless gift!

 

Digging out a house

This is house is in the Big Thompson Canyon.  Our Volunteer SERVE 6.8 work team will be bringing in some equipment and a lot of hard work to help uncover this house.

A Sweet Package from Oregon

We received this sweet package from a first grader named Lucy in Oregon today!!  Thank you Lucy for thinking of the children that have been affected by the flood - you are a blessing!