Fwd: REAL Life Community Services December 2017 Newsletter

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: REAL Life Community Services <rod@reallcs.org>
Date: Tue, Dec 12, 2017 at 12:57 PM
Subject: REAL Life Community Services December 2017 Newsletter
To: philandkelly@gmail.com

REAL Life Community Services December 2017 Newsletter

REAL June Enews View this email in your browser DECEMBER 2017 E-NEWS Annual Fall Banquet Wrap-Up   All of us at REAL Life Community Services want to thank everyone for supporting us by coming out to our annual Fall Banquet in October!  We were blessed to have Hershey Farms Restaurant & Inn cater the dinner!  We also enjoyed entertainment from the DK'ers, juggling act!  We heard an update from our Executive Director and a couple stories from our volunteers; Donna Smith who oversees the Power Packs Project, and Mike Brill, Ministry Director of the Lighthouse Youth Center.  We also had a chance to meet the Declaration House leadership team with Rod, Ray D'Agostino (CEO of LHOP), and Jackie Concepcion (CEO of Welsh Mountain Health Centers).  We finished off the evening hearing from our new Capital Campaign Chair, Scott Lied, CFO of Ephrata National Bank! Overall, it was a fantastic evening! Denver House Update First, I would like to thank all of those that have been supportive REAL Life since we acquired the Denver House in 2016.  We are currently working with a campaign steering committee to bring our vision for the Declaration House to fruition.  As we revealed at the Fall Banquet, the Denver House Project has been awarded a low-interest loan from the federal Rental Housing Program. This money is allocated locally by the Lancaster County Housing and Redevelopment Authority. The Authority responded very enthusiastically to our request for support, and they decided to award Declaration House the full amount we requested. So that means there are federal dollars coming to Denver in the amount of $600,000!  That along with a pre-approved low-interest loan for $500,000, is a huge blessing from God and takes us one step closer to seeing this project become reality.  But, our project will not see this funding unless we can raise the remaining $2.3 Million to begin construction within the next year.  We ask that when members of the Steering Committee contact you in the coming weeks, please take their call. Give us the chance to earn your support for Declaration House in whatever way works for you whether that is: writing a check, making a pledge amount over five years, donating stock or an IRA, recruiting your church to sponsor an apartment, including Declaration House in your will or estate plans, or donating labor, materials, or equipment to the renovation.  Remember, EVERY GIFT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE and together, we can change lives and transform Denver.   For more information, please contact Rod Redcay at rod@reallcs.org. Extraordinary Give 2017 The Extrarodinary Give in Lancaster County took place on Friday, November 17th.  The annual event is hosted through the Lancaster County Community Foundation with Rodgers and Associates and the S. Dale High Foundation as the presenting sponsors this year.  This year the stretch pool was $500,000 in total!  For the past five years, in just 120 hours of giving, the Extraordinary Give has raised $22.5 million for more than 500 organizations.  We would like to thank all of our donors for their generous donations that day.  We raised $21,615!!  All of the money raised will go towards REAL Life Community Services and help us continue to serve our local community through the Lighthouse Youth Center, our transitional home, our social worker, and Power Packs, just to name a few.  We are blessed to serve our neighbors in this capacity! Lighthouse Youth Center Update By Mike Brill First, I would like to thank all of our supportive Prayer Partner, praying regularly for the youth that attend the Lighthouse Youth Center.  We are very busy in the current season at the youth center.  We currently have over 100 youth on the roster and are seeing 25-35 attend regularly on Tuesday nights.  Overall, we are seeing so much hurt and pain in the youth.  One of the biggest hurts is missing fathers and mothers in the lives of these children.  We have spent several Tuesdays nights talking about depression and suicide as this is a real issue for these kids.  This should not be the topic I need to talk about, however that is not reality.  As I looked around the room during these conversations, their faces were intense.  You could hear a pin drop, which is not normal.  I shared with them about God's unconditional love for them.  I also talked about how life is most of the time hard to understand.  I am never sure if they understand or not, but my goal is to love them no matter what.  That is what God does for all of us.  Thank you to all who are supporting the ministry.  God is moving in a mighty way.  If you would like to partner with me in praying for our teens, please contact me at mike@reallcs.org.  The Hub By Chris Hibbert It has been an exciting year since I started working for REAL Life Community Services.  Since last October, we have given help to 46 clients!  You are probably wondering who our clients are.  They are working families who must choose between paying bills and buying food for their families.  They are single moms or dads working hard to provide housing and food for their young families without support from significant others or family members.  They are elderly people looking for assistance with eyeglasses or medical insurance. They are families who are faced with foreclosure because of a disability that has forced them to stop working.  They are families with young children who need to find dental care.  They are homeless families that are homeless due to mental illness, disabilities, or losing a job.  They are families that live in motel rooms due to poor credit and a competitive housing market.  At any time, they could be you or they could be me!  As the saying goes, we all are only one paycheck away from poverty. Sometimes my job can be very disheartening.  The issues our families face are so immense and at times seem insurmountable.  I ask God for wisdom and pray for the families I'm working with. When I'm feeling discouraged, I remember a legend my Pastor taught years ago, the Legend of the Starfish.  It basically recounts the story of a boy who is seen throwing starfish into the ocean after they have washed up on the shore.  A businessman sees the boy and asks him if he really thinks he is going to make a difference.  The boy answers by saying that it makes a difference to that one.  When I'm feeling disheartened, I try to remember that I am making a difference to that one individual or that one family.  By supporting REAL Life Community Services, you have made a difference in 46 clients' lives.  You are helping our families get much needed food, temporary housing, diapers, gas, daycare, heating oil, and so much more.  Thank you for your gracious support this year and for making a difference in our community!  God bless! If you would like to make a donation to REAL Life Community Services, there are several ways to do so: 1) Mail your donation to:  REAL Life Community Services at PO Box 22, Denver, PA 17517 2) Go online and donate at www.reallcs.org 3) Contact  us to donate time for upcoming events and projects at info@reallcs.org Learn More About REAL Give Online Copyright © 2017 R.E.A.L. Life Community Services, All rights reserved. Thank you for your continued support of R.E.A.L. Life Community Services. Our mailing address is: R.E.A.L. Life Community Services P.O. Box 22 Denver, PA 17517 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list