Taking Inventory for Joplin Families

I spent the afternoon at the storage unit going through items that have been donated for victims of the Joplin Tornado.  I am so thrilled to be a part of the Adopt a Joplin Family organization.  This has been so rewarding for me.  My husband and I feel like we cannot teach our daughter to be a servant of God without setting the example ourselves.  She is witnessing first hand as well as participating in what is to our family, a completely self-less act of what we are commanded to do as Christians.

We are not wealthy by any definition of the word but we have been blessed.  Mainly blessed by having good, Godly friends who have jumped right in to help us locate items that are so desperately needed by these folks! I cannot imagine losing everything you have accumulated over a lifetime!  Especially if you have heirloom items.  How does one emotionally recover from that?  I strongly believe that the only ones who survive are those who lean, steadfast in their faith in God.  This is our temporary home.  Material items are nothing compared to eternal life with the Father!

I am so blessed to be meeting these people and being able to provide them with some peace and help restore their dignity.  Thank you, God for this experience.

Would you be willing?

I have become involved with a group called Adopt a Joplin Family.  This was started by a woman in California who simply set up a site for people to post their needs following the devastating tornado that just about wiped the town off of the map! Joplin is only 40 minutes northeast of my home.  This is where we did our major shopping and eating out!   The town is simply unrecognizable.  My heart is broken for those who lost so much and it was only by the grace of God that so many lives were spared.

So many lost everything!  The list of needs is great and is growing each and everyday as people start to either relocate or find places to live as many do not have a home left to return to and lost everything they owned.  As I scanned these needs, I was thinking that for those of you who live too far away to physically take items to families in need or just have no way of knowing how to help, I have come up with a solution.  So, would you be willing?

My challenge is this: Would you be willing to run to your local Walmart store and pick up a $5 gift card? a $10 gift card or a $20 gift card?  This way, those who need sheets, towels, utensils, dishes, pots and pans, prescriptions, diabetic supplies, etc. will be able to purchase these items!  So, would you be willing?

Those of you who are my friends know that I am an honest person.  You know me enough to trust that I will make sure that the gift cards would be placed in the hands of someone who has first of all been screened by the Adopt a Joplin Family organization and secondly, have a true and immediate need.

Give up your Starbucks for a couple of days.  Give up that McDonalds drive thru for a day.  Sacrifice the daily Dr. Peppers for a few days.  These are things that we are able to give up so that a family might have diapers for their child, a clean set of sheets to sleep on or a warm blanket to cover with at night.

So, if you are willing , message me and I will pass along my mailing address to you.   You will never know how grateful these people are to have any assistance that they can get!

Blessings to you all my friends and family!

Jennifer