Bob and Joyce call Hudsonville, Michigan home.  Bob worked 25 years with Life Savers Candy Company before going into the landscaping business.  After retirement, the Beute’s began coming here as snowbirds from the first of December until the first of March.  They first volunteered in the food pantry before taking on the additional task of landscaping at the Center.  Four years ago they began working with our Christmas Cheer program as well.  Then two years ago they took an even larger role by organizing, stocking, and working full-time in the program.  Thank you Bob and Joyce for your exceptional dedication to CSC during your time here each year.

NAIA Track and Field competitors joined together to sort and bag food for CSC’s Children’s Summer “Backpack” Food Program.  The program is for income qualified families with children who received free or reduced price meals during the school year.  Parents can pick up a bag for each child every week during the summer.  The bags contain one breakfast item, one lunch item, and two snacks for each day five days a week.

Pictured:  John Butterick, Betty Lisle, Linda Chappelle, Father Will Lowry

Holy Spirit Episcopal Church awarded a grant in the amount of $20,000.00 to CSC.  The grant was funded by the Thrift Shop, a ministry of the church.  The annual grant has long been the Name Sponsorship for CSC’s annual Spaghetti Dinner.  We are grateful for this generous contribution and partnership with us to serve families in need in our local communities.

Homeschoolers from Orange Beach show a few of the bags of toiletries they put together for clients of the Christian Service Center,

A group of Orange Beach homeschoolers chose a project to make bags of toiletries for the Christian Service Center to give to local families in need, as well as bags for transients or homeless people.

The group raised funds to purchase items such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and toothbrushes.  They held a car wash, as well as doing face painting and hair wraps at a festival.  These activities brought in $677.00 for the project.  Thirty family bags and twenty transient bags were prepared.  They also donated feminine hygiene products.  After purchases were made, the remaining $81.00 was donated to the CSC food pantry.

What a wonderful project for these students.  What a blessing for the Center and those we serve.