Latest Baptist Mission Center News
Christmas basket help
Published December 21st, 2009This snow really messed up some of our Christmas plans. We were going to have a big day Saturday, but we were too busy making snowmen.
Windsor Hills Baptist Church is delivering food for 50 Christmas baskets tomorrow morning at 10am. These aren’t quaint “baskets” though – there is a lot of food involved as well as a few household items. A number of the volunteers that were lined up to help cannot make it tomorrow.
If you can make it out of your driveway and help us unload the truck, sort the food into their boxes, and deliver them, we would greatly appreciate it. Even if you can only help for a few minutes, we could use it.
So if you can help us out tomorrow at Baptist Community Center at 10am, we would very grateful.
Hunger in Roanoke – video
Published December 2nd, 2009How will you respond?
You can help by:
- sponsoring a $30 Angel Food box for a family that will feed them for one week.
- collecting non-perishable food for our upcoming emergency food pantry.
- purchasing food or donating funds for our After-School programs and Ladies programs
If desired, the video can be placed on DVD for viewing for your small group or congregation. Literature can also be sent detailing the ways to connect with our neighbors at the mission centers. Please email Nathan (nathan@rvba.org) or call him at 540.632.2632.
Hunger in Roanoke
Published December 1st, 2009
Did you know that 39% of children living in the city of Roanoke receive food stamps? Neither did I.
On Sunday I was idly thumbing through my iPhone when I came across an article titled “Food Stamp Use Soars, and Stigma Fades”. Many of the folks connected to the mission centers, if not all, receive food stamps. Most data I’ve seen comes from 2007, before the recession really took root. I’ve been hungry for new data to reflect the realty I see everyday at the mission centers.
The numbers are not pretty.
Nationally, one in four children are on food stamps. 20,000 people enroll everyday.
Read that again.
For the city of Roanoke, one in five people receive food stamps. Even more astonishing, 39% of children are on food stamps. Two out of every five children receive food stamps.
Personally, I knew it was bad, but my guess would have been about 25%, not 39%.
Food stamp applications are up 30% since 2007. Compared to surrounding localities, the number of people receiving food stamps are much higher. However, the percentage change from 2007 is high in all areas.
The need is great. The mission centers are located in some of the hardest hit areas in Roanoke. We’re doing what we can, but we cannot serve these folks in Jesus’ name without the support of our churches.
Thank you to all who have helped, and continue to help. This is a problem that won’t go away anytime soon.
(View the interactive graphic)
Happy Thanksgiving!
Published November 24th, 2009Thank you to everyone that donated items and money for Thanksgiving baskets. We are set to hand out several dozen baskets to our program participants and their families.
Last week I dropped food off for one family that is going through an especially difficult time. They only had three small items in their freezer. After today, their freezer was full and they had to store some items at her church because of the generosity of Association churches. My prayer is that family will be able to enjoy the holidays and not have to worry about food for at least several weeks.
I spent the weekend with several teens from the mission centers along with the youth group of Virginia Heights Baptist Church at a youth conference in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. We had a great weekend worshiping God with several popular Christian bands and speakers.
Again, thank you all for allowing our families to be thankful for many blessings this holiday.
Please pray…
Published November 19th, 2009Today we’ve received news that two people very closely connected to the Baptist Friendship House are very sick and have a lot of medical needs. Please pray for comfort, for strength, for healing, and that God’s presence will be felt as these two families journey through these difficult times.
If you feel so led to help beyond prayer, please contact myself, Nathan, at 632.2632. At this time, cards for one family especially would be appreciated. For privacy reasons, please call me for the name and where to send them.
Thank you so much.
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