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Christian Service Center
News and Events

This is our facility. Click for a larger image.
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Matters
of Importance to the Center
August Food Pantry Volunteer Schedules
Open with Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader

Sirens of the Sea Food
and Funds Donation The lovely ladies
of the Sirens of the Sea
visited the Center on Thursday May 27th and made a contribution to the
Center. The photo below shows Kay Palmer, representing the
Center, recieving the check. Thanks ladies for your continuing
generous support of the Center and it's mission. Sorry for the
slight blur.

Annual Mayor's Prayer Breakfast
The Annual Mayor's Prayer Breakfast of Pleasure Island
was held on Thursday May 6 2010 at the Eire Myer Civic Center in Gulf
Shores, AL. The program consisted of performances by the Sims
family, Mrs. Joan Hand, Top Hat & Jackie, Julianna Cooper, Bailey
Kennon and Basch Jernigan. The Pleasure Island Rotary Club was
again the host of the breakfast which was provided by Katy's Catering.
Sound and Lighting was by Rick. The producer and Master of
Ceremonies of the breakfast was Ralph Gilges who did his customary fine
job. Also participating were Rev. Dr. Alan McBride, UMC,
Orange Beach, Rev. Robert Warren, St. Andrew By the Sea, Gulf Shores,
Trip Pitman, Alabama State Senator, Steve McMillan Alabama State
Representative, Robert Craft, Mayor of Gulf Shores, Tony Kennon Mayor of
Orange Beach, and Bonnie Lee, Rotary Club President. American
Legion Participants were Donna Stacy, Larry Henning, Bob Rankin, Jay
Nieves and Derrick Schliepler. The proceeds of the event were donated to
the Christian Service Center by the Rotary Club in order that the Center
may continue providing emergency aid to those in need in our
communities. We are grateful for their generosity and
thoughtfulness as well as caring attitude to those in our area of
service. Some photos of the CSC Volunteers and others who attended
the event may be viewed by clicking the small photo below for larger
versions.

Here are some of the performances captured during the
breakfast
Bailey Kennon
Julianna Cooper
Basch Jernigan
Top Hat and Jackie
Mitchell Sims and The American Legion Participants
Mitchell Sims Finale
Camp
Happy
Sands
CSC is now accepting applications for Camp Happy
Sands, which will be held June 7-11. Client children ages 6-10 are
eligible for sign up. Click
HERE to view a
slide show of prior year activities in the form of a slide show.
Gulf Shores Publix Joins Food
Donation Program
The Gulf Shores Publix was opened on Wednesday
April 21, 2010 in Gulf Shores, AL We are pleased that the Center's
representatives were invited to the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting and
are particularly pleased that this store, like its Orange Beach sister
store will be contributing food to the center to fight hunger in our
communities.. Show below are some photos of the Ribbon Cutting
Ceremony with lots of dignitaries from Publix management and the City of
Gulf Shores and the Chamber of Commerce. The photo on the right is
of Bennie Dalzell , manager of the Gulf Shores store, Pam the loading
dock manager, and Bill Martin during the first pick up of donated food
on Thursday April 22, 2010. Click to enlarge the photos.

Officers 2010-2012
Shown below is a photo of the officers and program
chairs for the Center for 2010-2012. They were installed at the
meeting of the board of directors on Monday April 12, 2010 by Rev.
Rollins who is shown in the left of the first row. Please pray for
and support these volunteers as they carry out their duties. You
may enlarge the photo by clicking on it.

Ten Years of
Service Based on the latest complete
year figures available, the Center continues to serve more and more
people on an annual basis. Shown on the chart below are the total
number of individuals served for the 10 year period 1999-2009. May
we continue to be able to meet the challenge. You may enlarge the
chart by clicking on it. It should be pointed out that 2005 was
the year Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast.

Keeping the Pantry Full Each
month at least two of the churches which sponsor the center provide food
or funding to the center to keep our shelves stocked with items to give
to our clients Shown in the photo on the left below is the
contribution of Christian Life Church this past Monday, March 1st 2010.
This food was delivered to the center by volunteer Stan Moss, who is a
member of Christian Life Church. The photo on the right below is
the bread contribution from Publix in Orange beach for a Sunday and
Monday to the center. The bread was picked up by two of the
center's volunteers and delivered to the center before it opened at 9:00
am. If you would like to volunteer at the center or become
involved through your church in their efforts to help us, please stop by
the center or call 968-5256 for more information. Clicking the
photos will enable you to see a larger version.

Spaghetti
Supper
The Christian Service Center's Annual Spaghetti Dinner was
held on Monday, February 22, 2010 from 4:30-7:00 at Gulf Shores
United Methodist Church Connections Building on High 59 in Gulf
Shores. The Jubilee Pickers provided the entertainment. Dozens of
volunteers provided the work needed to make the dinner a success:
cooking, serving, busing, washing, selling tickets, collecting
tickets, setting up, taking down, disposing of the leftovers, and
many other tasks too numerous to recall. To all of you who helped
THANK YOU! To everyone in the community who came out to enjoy the
meal and the music THANK YOU! You made our future a bit brighter by
your love and support.
To view a slide show
of events before and during the supper, click the small images below.

Click the images below to view a larger version



Spaghetti Supper Sponsors
| Don Meghreblain |
Sirens of the Sea |
South Baldwin Regional Medical Center |
Brett Robinson Real Estate |
| Gulf Shores Woman's Club |
In Memory of Matthew Flanigan |
Kaiser Realty |
Original Oyster House |
| St. Andrew Men |
RBC Bank |
Our Lady of the Gulf Alter and Rosary
Society |
Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church |
| The Villadsen Family |
Wisconsin Sno-Bird Club |
Baldwin Bone & Joint PC |
Shake's Frozen Custard |
| GSBP Automotive |
WalMart |
Winn Dixie Gulf Shores |
Liberty Linen |
| Big O's |
Publix |
Longhorn Steakhouse |
Holy Spirit Thrift Shop |
| St Andrew By The Sea |
Jubilee Pickers |
Gulf Shores United Methodist Church |
Lagoon Baptist Church Women's Group |
| |
|
Three Palms Realty |
|
Thank you for your support
To view the letter to the editor which Linda Chappelle sent to local
newspapers, CLICK HERE.
You will need Adobe Acrobat to open this.
Four
Winds Barbershop Chorus Come and enjoy a delightful
evening of memorable songs in perfect harmony performed by the Four
Winds Barbershop Chorus benefiting the Center on Thursday February 18
2010 at the Orange Beach United Methodist Church at 28751 Canal Road.
The concert is free, however donations will be accepted to be given
entirely to the Center's ministry.
Recent Photos These
are photo recently taken and used in articles appearing in newspapers in
our area. The photo on the left shows Linda receiving a check from
the Clothes closet. The photo in the center shows our volunteers
at the In-Service held at the Gulf Shores Presbyterian Church in January
and the photo on the right shows Mary Claire Dover with P.U.R.E.
volunteers with recycled toner and ink cartridges
.

Christmas Food Boxes Handed Out
Volunteers worked Monday through Wednesday
the week of 14-18 December to prepare food boxes for the 201 families in
our area who requested food for Christmas Dinners. The boxes
included a turkey or chicken, dressing, bread, dessert, vegetables,
fruit, and cranberry sauce plus some other odds and ends. The
boxes were finally ready for handing out on Thursday and Friday and that
process went very smoothly thanks to the efforts of our volunteers and
members of the Gulf Shores fire department. Some photos below will
give you a feel of the effort put forth. Thanks to all of the
volunteers who prepared the boxes, helped hand them out and to those who
provided food and money to the center to make this all possible.

Lions Club
Donation The Orange Beach Lions
Club made a cash donation of $200.00 in December to the Center to help
cover the costs of providing food for the hungry in our community.
Thanks Lions. Making the presentation were Pam Davis and Charles
Larrimore of the Lions Club and accepting the donation on behalf of the
Center were Kay Reese and Jim Denison as shown in the photo below.
Click the photo to view an enlarged version. It should also be
noted that Charles is a regular volunteer at the center as well.

Donation by Community Association Organization
The Community Association Organization of
Pleasure Island presented a check for $1000.00 to Linda Chappelle,
President of the Board of Directors of The Christian Service Center
on Tuesday 8 December 2009 at the Center's office in Gulf Shores.
Shown in the photo below from left tor right are Keith Jiskna,
President, Linda Chappell of the Center, David Sharpe, Vice
President, and Jeniee Hudson, Secretary of the Community Association
Organization.

Sponsor Appreciation Reception On
December 4, 2009 The Center held a Sponsor Appreciation Reception at
the home of Radney and Bev Tucker. The reception was for those
who have contributed and continued to support the CSC. Photos
were taken during the reception and may be viewed by clicking the
small photo below. It was a fun evening for all who attended
and the Board of Directors is pleased that so many of our friends
and supporters were able to attend. A special thanks to Radney
and Bev Tucker for the use of their home and to Fay Cook and those
on her committee for all the hard work that went in to planning and
preparing for the event. The food was delightful.

Food
Drive
Curves Workout
Center of Gulf Shores recently participated in their 4th
annual Holiday toy and food drive to help the clients of the
Christian Service Center located in Gulf Shores, AL. Tina Watkins,
owner of Curves, says Our Curves members are a family, not only our
local members, but our wonderful winter guests who join us part of
the year. We have an amazing support group and truly enjoy helping
those in need.
Tina's commitment to helping others in
need has resulted in hundreds of magical toys for children who would
have little chance of receiving a toy and a twice annual food drive
that gives a needed hand up to local families working hard to secure
their financial footing again.
Curves looks forward to participating
in numerous charitable events in the community by promoting
charitable causes, learning about health-related issues and
developing lasting friendships.
The Christian Service Center salutes Tina
Watkins and the Curves clientele for their continued commitment to
this community. The Christian Service Center will be collecting
Christmas Toys for local children through December 18th
at 317 Dolphin Ave. To view a photo of the food collection by
Curves, click the small photo below.

Island Spirit Award
Linda Chappelle, President of the Board of Directors for the
Christian Service Center was awarded the Island Spirit Award on
Monday December 1, 2009 at the Center's offices on Dolphin Drive.
Congratulations Linda on winning the award. No one deserves it
more and we are pleased that you were recognized for the work you do
on behalf of the Center, the community, and those who need the
services of the center. Two photos of the award are shown
below. Click them for larger images.

Food Drive
A food drive sponsored by the Alabama Gulf
Coast Sports Commission, Kaiser Realty, South Baldwin Regional
medical Center, and Tacky Jacks was recently completed and the
approximately 300 pounds of food was donated to the Christian
Service Center. It was delivered to the center on Wednesday
December 2, 2009. Shown below is the food at delivery with
representatives of the food drive and the Center. Click the
photo to view a larger version.

Santa's
Helper Toy Drive Benefits Local Children
The Christian Service Center and
Sunny 105.7 FM are teaming together to ensure local children have a
happy and delightful Christmas this year with the kick off of
Santa's Helper Toy Drive. No child should feel left out at
Christmas, not for any reason. These children have little chance of
receiving any gift unless it is through a toy drive for needy
children says Christian Service Center case worker and toy drive
co-chairman, Janice Moss. It just breaks my heart thinking
that any child would experience Christmas without a single gift.
By providing Christmas toys for children from birth to 16 years,
families with over-stressed finances will receive relief so they can
pay their bills. Because of this successful program, over 2000 local
children have been blessed with holiday toys in past years.
The Center is expecting a greater
number of children this year, and many area businesses are offering
to help out as locations for toy donations.
Toys do not have to be expensive to be special. Whether a
child needs a left-handed base ball glove or a Miss Kitty purse,
Christian Service Center volunteers happily glean through each
donation until every child's wish list has that special touch of
Santa. Knowing a needy child will receive something
special for Christmas is our greatest gift says Mrs. Moss.
You too can help delight a child this Christmas by bringing an
unwrapped toy to these business locations: Sunny 105.7 Studio, Gulf
Shores Pharmacy, The Happy Shak, Hope's Cheesecake, Robertsdale
Feed, Dr. J.D. West, Sweetie Pies, Back To School, The Original
Oyster House, St. Charles Place, Milos, Duck's Diner, Longhorn Steak
House, The Office Lounge, Merrill Miller Interiors, Charm Boutique,
Manning Jewelry, W&W Flooring, Kitty's Cafe, and Pack & Mail.
Toys can also be dropped off at the Christian Service Center at 317
Dolphin Ave in Gulf Shores Monday to Friday 9 am until noon. For
more information, call the Christian Service Center office at
968-5256 or
http://www.sunny105.com.

Left to right Janice Moss, Lee Hagan, Mary
Claire Dover
USDA
Releases Startling New Statistics on Hunger
The USDA reported that
49 million
Americans, including nearly 17 million
children, are food insecure. The new data reinforces recent findings
from a research study conducted by Feeding America reflecting a
dramatic increase in requests for emergency food assistance from
food banks across the country.
The 2009 report on Household Food Insecurity in
the United States shows an increase of 36 percent over the numbers
released one year ago by the USDA, which found that 36.2 million
American were at risk of hunger. “It is tragic that so many people
in this nation of plenty don’t have access to adequate amounts of
nutritious food,” said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding
America. Although these new numbers are staggering, it should be
noted that these numbers reflect the state of the nation one year
ago, in 2008. Since then, the economy has significantly weakened,
and there are likely many more people struggling with hunger than
this report states.
Escarra observes, “Our network food banks are
calling us every day, telling us that demand for emergency food is
higher than it has ever been in our history. Feeding America will
continue to work closely with our partners at USDA to ensure that
the public and charitable sectors are keeping pace—as best we
can—with the dramatically increasing need for food assistance.”
The dramatic increase in food insecurity makes
our mission more important than ever. With Child Nutrition
Reauthorization around the corner, President Obama and Congress have
a chance to make a real difference for millions of hungry Americans
by strengthening child nutrition programs. It is up to the
anti-hunger community to keep up the pressure on our elected
officials and urge them to make ending hunger a priority.
You can use the Hunger Action Center to send a
letter to President Obama and your Members of Congress. Just click
here!
Upcoming Fund Raisers

Brent Burns Blue
Moon Benefit Concert
Adult Activity Center Gulf Shores December 31 2009
See Below
Night to Howl!
The perfect stress relief is at your fingertips.
Shake off 2009 by celebrating at the Christian Service Center's Brent
Burns Blue Moon Bash on New Year's Eve. This is the 2nd
annual Burn's Bash fundraiser for the Christian Service Center Food
Pantry of Gulf Shores.
This event offers a good time to celebrate an actual Blue Moon event for
all ages, with reasonable prices, early hours and a
bring-your-own-everything type of party. The gathering is at the Gulf
Shores Adult Activity Center on 260 Clubhouse Drive in Gulf Shores on
New Year's Eve from 7 -10PM. Cost is $15 per person plus a non-perishable food
item. Tickets are advance purchase by credit card (MC/Visa) by calling
251-948-8863. Don't delay and don't risk being left out,
as seating is limited!
Check the our
website at Needs list page for specific food items needed for the
food pantry program that feeds hundreds of local hard-working families
every year. This party is strictly BYO Everything. We will have tables
and chairs set up and ice is available, but you're on your own for
refreshments and food.
Itâ' pretty casual so no need to break out the formal attire! Guys,
you'll be happy to know that there is a dance floor and Brent plays some
rocking music to howl at the moon by!
Hope you'll join us! Call with your MasterCard or Visa at 251-948-8863
for reservations. We hope you'll get into the spirit and decorate your
table. Brent will give a bottle of champagne to the most beautifully
decorated table and another bottle to the most 'unusually decorated'
table. We'll open the doors at 6:30PM so you can decorate before Brent
starts. Please join us for a howling good time and a great start on
2010!

Sand Spur Band January 24th 2010 Christian Life Church in Orange
Beach. 7:00 PM Tickets $10.00
 Four Winds Concert
February 18th 2010. Orange Beach United Methodist Church
7:00-8:30
Sirens of the Sea Food
and Funds Donation The lovely ladies
of the Sirens of the Sea
visited the Center on Tuesday 17 November with a donation of food for
the pantry and a hefty check to enable the Center to continue operating
and meeting the needs of our clients. Photos of the occasion, taken in
the food pantry are shown below. Each of the photos may be
enlarged by clicking on the thumbnail. Thank you ladies for your
generosity and your concern for those in our community who need our
help.

IFA and
South
Baldwin Food Drive The Inshore
Fisherman's Association and South Baldwin Regional Medical Center
sponsored a food drive during their Redfish Tournament held Friday and
Saturday 6-7 November 2009 at The Wharf in Orange Beach.
Participating in the food drive in addition to IFA and SBRMC were
Columbia Southern University, Peninsula Golf Resort, Craft Farms,
Emerald Coast Redfish Club, and the Alabama Convention and Visitors
Bureau. Photos were taken on Saturday of some parts of the event,
and on Monday after the food was delivered and unloaded at the Center.
They may be viewed by clicking the small photo below. With over
3500 lbs of food delivered to the Center, we can only say Thank You over
and over to all who made this generous donation. You have helped
us meet our food needs for weeks to come.


Newcomers Club Donations The
Newcomers Club of Pleasure Island held it's monthly luncheon and
business meeting on Tuesday 3 November 2009 at the Beach Club on Fort
Morgan Road. The speaker for their program was Bill Martin, Food
Pantry Co-Chair of the Center. Edith Bolster, a volunteer at the
Center, arranged for Bill to present the program about the Center and
its many programs to aid those in need in our service area. The
ladies of the club brought cans of soup to the luncheon to stock the
pantry at the center, resulting in over 165 cans of various kinds of
soup being donated. Thank you Newcomers for your generosity.
A photo of Bill and the CSC volunteers who are members of the Newcomers
club was taken after the luncheon and is shown below.

Health Care Screening
Free health care screenings are available on Tues. Nov 24,
2009 from the Christian Service Center and Sacred Heart "Mission in
Motion" team from 9:00 to 11:30 AM at Gulf Shores First Presbyterian
Church parking lot, 309 East 21st Ave, Gulf Shores. Fasting 4 hours
prior to testing is recommended, but not required.
Same day and free results available for Cholesterol, Diabetes,
Anemia and Blood Pressure tests. Participants need to be at least 18
years old. No ID is required.
5 Great Benefits by attending: 1. Free health care.
2. Keep results to take to your doctor later. 3. No waiting,
immediate results 4. Maintain your health. 5. Fast, friendly
and free! Need more information? Call Sacred Heart at 850-416-7826
or the CSC at 968-5256.
Food
Drive By Mid South Home Health
The Christian Service Center was the recipient of the food collected
during a recent food drive put on by Mid South Home Health located in
Foley at 1390 N. McKenzie Street. Over 700 pounds of canned and boxed
food items were in the dozens of bags of food collected by Mid South
Home Health, over 300 pounds of which came from Mid South Home Health
employees. Volunteers from the Center picked up the food with the
aid of Mid South Home Health employees, and transported it to the Center
for distribution to clients of the center seeking food and other
assistance. Several photos were taken during the pick-up and these
may be viewed by clicking the small photos below. Clicking on the
photos will enlarge them for more detail. The large photo below
the smaller ones is of the entire Mid South Home Health crew on duty in
Foley the morning of the pick-up. Thank you for your generosity
and for helping us help others in our area.


Rummage Sale
A Rummage Sale to Benefit the Christian
Service Center will be held at the Gulf Shores First Presbyterian
Church from 8 a.m. -- noon on Saturday, October 3.
In anticipation of this event, Pastor Steven Kurtz suggested
allowing neighbors to also be a part of this support for the
Christian Service Center's efforts to help the needy in our
area, through a unique type of scavenger hunt appropriately called
"Little Bit Better Hunt".
Each member will start with an item, simple as a paper clip, and
challenge each home to trade up with a better item for the up-coming
rummage sale. Kurtz said, "It might make for some interesting items
for sale in addition to the usual clothing, books and household
items."
Any person with items to donate to the Rummage Sale may bring them
to the Church at 309 East 21st Avenue in Gulf Shores, or call (251)
968-7720 or
www.gspres.com for
further information. If you need large items picked up call Jean
Adcock (251) 974-3148.

Pat Humphrey, Jean Adcock and Janice Runnels Sort
Through Rummage Sale Items
We're In The New Facilities
The Christian Service Center expansion and remodeling project is
complete and all of the new additions and remodeled areas are now being
used. We are grateful to the Erie Meyer Foundation for the grant,
to WAP Inc for their construction skills and management, to the dozens
of volunteers who aided in the construction, to those who fed the
volunteers, and to all of the volunteers who man the center on a daily
basis for their patience in working around the many changes made
necessary by the disruption during construction. We will now be
able to serve more in need in our community. Photos of some of the
new areas taken Tuesday September 22nd may be viewed by clicking
the small photo below.

Certificate of Occupancy Obtained
The Christian Service Center expansion and remodeling project reached a
big milestone on Friday 11 September 2009 when we got our certificate of
occupancy from the city of Gulf Shores. Now there remains the
final touches inside both the Auxiliary building and the new offices in
the main building. To view photos of the work done since the last
report click the photo below.

Howard, James, Jimmy Best Construction
Crew Ever
Construction Continues
The Christian Service Center expansion and remodeling continues.
We have the end in sight as the addition to the auxiliary building has
been dried in, insulated, and sheetrocked. The shelves, freezers,
and food from the main building food pantry have been removed and we are
temporarily operating out of cramped quarters in the auxiliary building.
The walls have been built for the two new offices and sheetrock was
completed on Wednesday 26 August. We have had a dedicated group of
volunteers who have done this work, and have been blessed by folks who
have brought lunch each day. Soon we will all be moving into our
new facilities. Photos of work accomplished since our last report
may be viewed by clicking the small photo below.

Cool Change Charter Aids Center
The Christian Service Center recently received two checks from Captain
Joe Nash and First mate Kyle Partain of the charter fishing boat
Cool Change which is
out of Orange Beach. Captain Nash ran charters on a weekend, the
proceeds of which were donated to the Center. Captain Nash donated
$1500 to the Center and his First Mate Kyle Partain donated his tips for
the day totaling $170 for a total contribution of $1670. The
center is grateful to Captain Nash and the crew of the Cool Change for
their very generous contribution to the Center. The funds
collected will help the Center as it continues to assist those in need
in our community. A photo of the check presentation is shown
below.

Left to right are Cindy
Brown, Capt Joe Nash, Jennifer Jackson, 1st Mate Kyle Partain, and Stan
Moss
News Flash.....Fabulous Fashions Show for
Charity.....read
more
Famous
Donated Car for Sale......Read
More
Growing to Serve More and Better The Christian
Service Center is in the process of expanding our auxiliary building in
order to consolidate all of the food handling, birthday club, and
medical equipment processes into that building in order to gain more
space to see clients in our administrative building during our hours of
operation. Currently we sometimes see overflow clients in the
hallways, front porch and even reception area. Once the auxiliary
building is complete, the admin building will be remodeled to include
more offices and other improvements. The work on the auxiliary building
and follow on work in the admin building is being done by volunteers and
what a great group of folks they are. To give everyone a flavor of
what has taken place to date........August 10th 2009, click the small
photo below for a slide show of the construction from start to now.
More on growth will be provided later and YES you can volunteer to work
on the construction and remodeling. Just come to the Center and
you will be given a job.

Donation from Christian Life Church
Pictured left to right: Administrative Pastor Phillip Anthony of
Christian Life Church presents a check for $3,100.00 to Christian
Service Center President Linda Chapelle also pictured are Christian Life
Church members Janice Moss and husband Stan Moss.

Donation from Sirens
of the Sea
The Christian Service Center received a donation from
Sirens of the Sea and were visited by Barbara Pugh and Helen Shivers of
the Sirens when the check was presented to Linda Chappell, President of
the Board of Directors of the Christian Service Center on July 21st
2009. A photo of presentation of the check may be viewed below.
Left to right in the photo are Barbara Pugh, Linda Chappelle and Helen
Shivers.
Newest Food Donor
The Christian Service Center's newest donor is Pleasure
Island Produce located on East 20th Street, near Hope's Cheese Cake.
They are providing us the produce that is left at the end of the day for
distribution to our clients the next day. Stop by and thank them
when you can, and buy some corn or watermelons.....everything they sell
is great. Click the small photo below to view a larger version of this
business.
Rotary
Gift
The Pleasure Island Rotary Club presented a check for
$2000.00 to the Christian Service Center on Thursday May 21st 2009 at
the Rotary Club's weekly luncheon meeting. The check was presented
to CSC President Linda Chappelle by Pleasure Island Rotary Club
President Rick Burdick. A photo of the presentation may be viewed
by clicking the small photo below.

Mayor's Prayer Breakfast
The Pleasure Island Rotary Club sponsored the Mayor's
Annual Pleasure Island Prayer Breakfast held at the Erie Meyer
Civic Center in Gulf Shores, AL on May 8, 2009. Ralph Gilges, a
member of the Rotary Club and husband of CSC volunteer Cheryl Gilges,
was the MC. After some brief remarks were offered by Ralph, the
opening prayer was offered by Rev. Rick Long, pastor of Christian Life
Church of Orange Beach, after which Rick Burdick, President of the
Pleasure Island Rotary Club spoke, followed by brief remarks by the Hon.
Carolyn Doughty, Mayor Pro Tempore of Gulf Shores, standing in for Mayor
Robert Craft and by the Hon. Tony Kennon, Mayor of Orange Beach.
Then appreciation for the contributions to the community by the
Christian Service Center and its volunteers and the Civil Air Patrol was
expressed by Ralph, followed by his introduction of Guest Speaker,
Congressman Jo Bonner of the First Congressional District of Alabama.
Music throughout the breakfast was provide by the Sims Family Quartet.
The closing prayer was offered by Rev. Neil McDavid of the Gulf Shores
United Methodist Church. Several photos were taken of some of the
CSC volunteers and others at the breakfast, and these may be viewed by
clicking the small photo below of Congressman Bonner, Linda Chappelle,
CSC President and Ralph Gilges of the Pleasure Island Rotary Club and MC
of the event. Thank you to all who made this event happen, to the
inspiring speakers, the Sims Family quartet, and especially the Rotary
Club for their generous gift of most of the proceeds from this event to
the Center.

Newest Food Donor
The Christian Service Center is now receiving chicken
generously donated by Clucker's Fried Chicken located at 116 East 20th
Avenue in Gulf Shores, AL, Our thanks to Clucker's for agreeing to
give their unsold chicken at the close of the day to the Center, which
in turn will enable us to continue fighting hunger in our community.
Photos of the store are shown below. Click the smaller images to
see a larger version of each.

Publix Continues Donations
The Publix store in Orange Beach continues to supply the
needs of our community with bread and pastry products every day.
Volunteers from the Center pick up the bread and other items at the
loading dock of the store and deliver them to Center before opening at
9:00 AM Monday through Sunday. The pick up by our dedicated
volunteers is made rain or shine. To view a photo of the Publix
store and what a typical pick up looks like click the small photos
below.

|
Illinois Snowbird Club Donation
The Christian Service Center was presented with a big
check by the Illinois Snowbird Club as many of its members headed for
home. The check was presented by Frank Borror to Kay Reese on
Friday 13th (A lucky day for the Center) which drew a big smile from
those attending the presentation. Click the small photo below to
view a larger version of the presentation.

Spaghetti
Supper Fund Raiser
The Christian Service Center's
annual Spaghetti dinner fund raiser was held Monday March 2nd 2009 at
the Gulf Shores Adult Activity Center. To view two slide show taken
before and during the event Monday, click the two small photos below labeled
The Supper. Clicking the other photos below will enable you to see
some larger photos sent to the web master by Mary Claire Dover for use
on the web site.
 The
Supper Photos by Bill Martin and Mary Claire Dover

Some Cooks Photo by Mary Claire Dover

Our Major Sponsor for the Spaghetti Supper
Holy Spirit Thrift Store Gulf Shores, AL
January 2009
In-Service
The CSC In-Service was held Monday January 26th at the
Gulf Shores Presbyterian Church. Photos were taken by several
folks and the one shown below was sent to the web master by Rev. Steven
Kurtz. Thanks Steven. To view a larger version of the photo
click the small photo.

Here is the announcement
which was placed in the local papers regarding the Center's work in the
community for 2008.
The Christian Service
Center of Gulf Shores, a United Way Agency, held its Annual In-Service Day
breakfast rally on January 26, 2009
with President Linda Chappelle and Program Chairmen announcing 2008
accomplishments and plans for 2009. Run entirely by dedicated volunteers,
the
Christian
Service
Center
is a nonprofit food pantry / emergency aid agency established by the
Pleasure Island Ministerial Association offering emergency aid to
Gulf Shores,
Orange Beach
and Fort Morgan
residents.
Since inception in 1991,
30,000 individuals, including 14,000 children have received personalized
crisis assistance from
Christian
Service
Center
caseworkers offering “hand-up” solutions.
In 2008, the CSC
experienced a 69% increase in the number of clients, exceeding the number of
clients receiving assistance in either 2004 (Hurricane Ivan) or 2005
(Hurricane Katrina). The CSC met this increase thanks to strong support of
area churches, businesses, schools, snowbird clubs, service clubs and
organizations, local merchants, restaurants and individual donors.
The CSC’s newly adopted
ink and toner cartridge recycling program further reduces office expenses.
Cartridge drop offs are joyfully accepted at the CSC office and at the
Gulf
Shores
and Orange Beach Public Libraries.
Every position at the
CSC is filled by a dedicated and eager volunteer. No one is paid a salary,
making the CSC’s overhead of 1% one of the lowest in the nation. The one
percent overhead expense also allows 99 cents of every donated dollar to be
reinvested in the community.
No two people are alike,
or their challenges. From loss of work hours, home fire disasters or
domestic violence relocations, the
Christian
Service
Center’s
caseworkers tailor their programs to meet each client’s individual need.
Other CSC programs are Ozanam Charitable Pharmacy Program,
Gulf
Shores
and Fort Morgan Meals on Wheels, Children’s Birthday Club, Handicap
Equipment Loaner Program and Agency Referral Program.
CSC 2008 Accomplishments:
Assisted
a total of 4429 individuals including:
1802
Children and 2627 Adults
2008
Food Pantry Program
Supplied
73,500 balanced meals
2008 Emergency Aid Program
Assisted
978 families
2008 Christmas Cheer Christmas Toy
Program
Island’s
Largest Toy Drive for local children
468
children received 1800 Christmas Toys
2008 Christmas Cheer Christmas Dinner
Program
175
Families served / 500 people.
2008 Christmas Cheer for the Homebound
Program
35
families visited
2008 Sacred Heart
Mission
in Motion Free Health Care Program
113 Free Flu Shots
143 Free Cholesterol and Glucose
Tests
2009 plans include
expansion of the
CSC Accessory
Building
and remodeling the CSC offices at
317 Dolphin Avenue,
Gulf Shores.
Enlargement of the
Accessory
Building
will provide greater food handling efficiency and capacity for both the CSC
clients and several area nonprofit agencies supported by the CSC. The
increased counseling space will provide clients greater personal assistance,
more client confidentiality and increased resources in problem resolution.
In order to meet the growing needs, the
Christian
Service
Center
is in need of an additional $20,000 for the project to become a reality.
Excitement is increasing
in anticipation for the upcoming March 02, Annual CSC Spaghetti Dinner
fundraiser. Held in the
Gulf Shores
Adult
Activity
Center;
the event is a favorite with both locals and winter visitors. Dine in or
take out is available from 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm. Great food, live music by
Jubilee Pickers and “just-fun” camaraderie for the all-inclusive price of
$8.00 per plate. Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser tickets benefiting Christian
Service Center programs are available at the CSC office, Jubilee Gifts, Just
Books, Smart & Sassy, Foley Performing Arts Center and Wall to Wall
Interiors.
Christmas Toys and Food Boxes
During the month of December the Center distributed over
170 boxes of Christmas Dinners and 400 bags of toys for children in the
community. It took the work of dozens of volunteers and hundreds
of hours of service to make this happen. Without the contributions
of our communities of Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Fort Morgan none of
this would have happened. Thanks to everyone who worked hard to
make this all possible, and a special thanks to Wade Ward for donating
space to store and distribute the toys so the daily and Christmas food
distribution would not be interrupted. To view three photos of the
Christmas food boxes just prior to their distribution click any of the
small photos below to view a larger image.

Shown below is a photo taken by Mary Clair Dover of some
of the crew which helped distribute the Christmas Boxes. Click the
small photo to see a larger version.

Publix Joins List of Food Contributors
Publix recently opened a store in Orange Beach, AL and as
a part of their community involvement have agreed to provide food
products to the Center which would otherwise be discarded and not used.
We are pleased to add them to the list of other businesses in our
community (see our Home page) who are fighting hunger by contributing
food which can feed the hungry rather than letting it go to waste.
Please use the Publix store whenever you can, and when you do, thank
them for their participation in this program which is vital to our
success. Please continue to do this with our other business
partners as well. Three photos of some of the food received on
Monday September 22, 2008 may be accessed by clicking the small photos
below.

Where Dollars Count More
This story appeared in several news papers and is
repeated here for those who missed it.

Linda Chappelle receiving check from Cal Hanson a
volunteer for the Christian Service Center and spouse of a retired
ExxonMobil employee.
The
Christian
Service
Center,
a United Way Agency, announces the receipt of an additional $500.00
ExxonMobil Grant from the ExxonMobil Foundation in 2008.
This grant purchases more
than USDA food for the
Christian
Service
Center's
Food Pantry program, this donation purchases dignity. Dignity is
provided by way of food for hungry children, clothing for families of home
fires and medical help for domestic violence victims. When the rug is
unexpectedly pulled from underneath, the
Christian
Service
Center's
counselors and food pantry volunteers help clients regain balance in their
lives. This is why supporters and volunteers know miracles occur daily
inside the walls of the
Christian
Service
Center
located at
317 Dolphin Street
in
Gulf
Shores.
The successful CSC food
pantry program, emergency aid program and Meals on Wheels nutritional
program are also supported through the generosity of area churches,
businesses, schools, service clubs and organizations, local merchants,
restaurants and individual donors. In a time when burdens may feel
overwhelming, the
Christian
Service
Center
offers Christian hope and guidance to the residents of
Gulf
Shores,
Orange
Beach
and
Fort
Morgan.
The Christian Service Center and their clients are
grateful to industry leader ExxonMobil and their employees for their
generous monetary and volunteer service gift to help this community.
ExxonMobil supports programs targeted to worldwide health issues because
they believe that good health is a springboard to opportunity, achievement
and development. ExxonMobil also supports the individual volunteer service
of their employees and family members.
If you are in need of Christian Service Center
services or you would like to volunteer at the CSC or offer your support,
please call [251] 968-5256 for more information or view their website at
www.cscgs.com. All monetary and food
donations are welcome and are tax deductible.
Every dollar received by the Christian Service Center is expended in
purchasing food and services for families in our community.
New Briefing To view a narrated briefing about what the Christian Service Center does,
click the slide photo below and wait for the Microsoft Media Player to load.
It may take a moment

Mullet Wrapper News
The Mullet Wrapper shows our new officers and offers a fine article about
the Center in its April 23, 2008 issue.
Click here to go to the issue which contains
the article and then use the search box at the top of the page to search for
Christian Service Center, and then view the photo and read the article.
A copy of the photo from the article is shown below.

Click Here to Read the
Article in it's entirety.
CSC Clients
Served
David Saunders, the Vice President for the Christian Service
Center has compiled statistics regarding the number of clients served by the
Center from 1991 to the present. To view a spreadsheet which displays
those statistics click the small spreadsheet below.

Learn About Hunger
America's Second Harvest helps feed the nations hungry. We use their
services through our Bay Area Food Bank. To learn more about hunger in
the United States
CLICK HERE
.
To view a video about hunger in America produced by Second Harvest,
CLICK HERE.
This clip is from
YouTube.

A News Report About Food Prices from CNB
News
All over America people are facing rising costs for food and
transportation to get to places to purchase food.
CLICK HERE to view a film clip on some of the aspects of this
problem. It is real, and the problem is local to Baldwin County even
if this clip is about another area. This clip is from YouTube.
A Report from PBS about Hunger
All over America people are turning to Food Banks and Food
Pantries for food to help them make ends meet.
CLICK HERE to view a report on PBS TV
with Bill Moyer reporting.
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