Ephesian Solutions

Doing Christmas Differently Part 10 - From a Local Harrisonburg Bank

Today, I had the pleasure to hear a great story. I attended huddle (meeting) at my Old Town store and at the end Melissa the Store Manager thanked her team for looking pass the tree in the lobby and the decorations and putting the customer first.

Toria Gil a teller at Old Town stood up and told the below:

Toria said that Henry a regular customer came into the store a couple of weeks ago hunched over. Once he got to her, she asked Henry if he was okay. Henry said they cut his hours at work and he did not have

a lot of food. Toria went to the back and cried. She then went to her Service Manager Peggy and said we have to do something. She got her entire team together and they pitched in and got him some groceries.

Henry was very thankful.

They found out that he was an orphan and had his hours reduced at work, but could not get food stamps, because he was a student.

Henry came back into the branch last week to make a deposit and Toria asked him what did he ask for on his Christmas list (he is young, so Toria thought he was going to say X-Box or some type of game), well, he didn't he said food. So Toria gave him a piece of paper and said write down what type of food you like. Henry did. Toria took the list to her team and they were all in. The team got together and last week they gave Henry a trunk fool of groceries. Henry was very thankful and cried.

I wanted to share this story, because this team came together and went out of the way to help this customer in a time of need.

Thank you to the Old Town team for showing the true meaning of teamwork and giving back.

Posted December 20, 2010 by Ephesian Solutions

Doing Christmas Differently Part 8 - KIVA

The gift of a KIVA investment is a creative and exciting gift to give for the holidays. The gift that keeps giving allows someone in need to get their business started this holiday and the person you are buying for an opportunity to be a part of something much bigger than receiving a gift. With a 98.91% ROI the individual can help someone and very likely get that money back to do with what they want. Even better than a gift card or gift certificate this is a way to allow the person to do with the gift what they want, but as a part of helping someone else get their feet under them. Is there a better gift at Christmas?

Here's an example of how $375 is changing lives:

"Thanks for your support to Valentín, he has a tire repair shop in Paraguarí and purchased tires in the capital Asunción for his business. He has been a client of Fundación Paraguaya for about 20 years and believes in hard work and on-time payments as a guarantee for future credit.

His business has been in the same place for 20 years now and proudly tells us his was the first tire repair shop in town. When he started there was no electricity in town so he had to purchase a generator. Throughout many years he has built a reputation for quality work and has a good number of regular clients. Among them, several buses that run local routes. He also mentions that unlike other shops in town his business is registered, has all permits required and pays taxes.

About his family there's a correction from the profile; he has 4 children, two sons and two daughters. Three of them are alreay on their own and one lives with him. Valentín is a proud father, thanks to his work three are now professionals (a physical education teacher, a nurse and a math teacher) and the other one runs a tire repair shop just like him. "

http://www.kiva.org/

Posted December 17, 2010 by Ephesian Solutions

Doing Christmas Differently Part 7 - Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry

FHFH is an organization created for those that have an interest or skill in farming or hunting to also give back. I think there is no more a perfect opportunity to go back to a historic and Biblical way of sharing out of our abundance.From the beginning people were sharing their skills with those that didn't have. Hunters bringing back the kill to feed the village or farmers producting enough food for the winter so that everyone could survive.

What a great way to make a hunting trip have a bigger impact on your family and community. There's often an overabundance of deer population and counties ask hunters to come out to help contain the population. These deer are frequently left or discarded in the woods that could go to feed many.

Make this year's hunting trip make a difference and feed those in need.

How about the end of year food supply? Did you have a big year on your farm or from your trees or garden. Do you have jars that often go bad because you can't get enough friends to take them off of your hands? It happens, but let this year's process go even farther.

http://www.fhfh.org

Posted December 10, 2010 by Ephesian Solutions

Doing Christmas Differently Part 6 - Toys for Tots

My eldest sister and I were decorating the tree at my parent's house today and talking about gift giving. She mentioned how it is so hard for people to accept that the child really just doesn't need anything. In fact their are gifts with the tags still on that people gave her son that she just can't get to. She encourages friends to give to Toys for Tots, Kiva or other organizations instead of them. One of her favorites is Toys for Tots. Many don't take the offer seriously and try to convince her to spill a need so she gives in and picks something, but she genuinely wishes more people would do it.

I noticed Borders offers the opportunity right at the check out you can purchase a toy on the spot and they'll deliver it for you. Many churches, non-profit organizations and even bands offer the opportunity to give (they had one at a Toby Mac concert I went to last year at George Mason).

This isn't George Costanza's human fund, 96% of your donation goes to gifts or you can donate a gift directly. This is a real opportunity to give to a great cause and make a Christmas gift for a child truly meaningful for the child, and your friends and their kids alike. Make a difference with your gift in a person's life and allow your friends to share in it. Many people today honestly don't need or want you to think through what to get them. Rather fill a genuine need in their name and buy a gift for a truly needy child and make this Christmas a special one.

http://www.toysfortots.org/donate/default.asp

"The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation enjoys one of the very best program to support ratios within the nonprofit world; 96:4. This means that over 96% of your donation goes to our mission of providing toys, books and other gifts to less fortunate children. The 4% spent on support principally covers fundraising expenses - not one donated dollar goes to pay for salaries or any other manpower costs. "

Posted December 8, 2010 by Ephesian Solutions

Doing Christmas Differently Part 5 - Advent Conspiracy 2010

A youth group at the Nazarene Church in Harrisonburg Virginia is doing Christmas differently in 2010. They got on to a group called Advent Conspiracy that looks how billions of dollars is spent in the US on gifts during Christmas. Often times gifts for individuals, that while they appreciate it, could live without it. They instead encourage folks to give one less gift to someone that doesn't need in favor of giving that money to change a life. This might include clean water so that some individuals can survive this Christmas season.

Or be more creative and find ways to give inexpensive meaningful gifts this year.The group in Harrisonburg are coming together on an evening and helping to create or raise money together to buy materials to create inexpensive gifts instead of purchasing them at a store this year. The left over money that would have spent is being pooled together to help purchase clean water.

1.8 million people die every year from water born illnesses. That includes 3,900 children a day

$10 can provide an individual clean water for life. Isn't it worth it this year to buy something worth less to go to something more worthy?

I think Advent Conspiracy's home page sums it up:

"The story of Christ's birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love.

So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists.

And when it's all over, many of us are left with presents to return, looming debt that will take months to pay off, and this empty feeling of missed purpose. Is this what we really want out of Christmas?

What if Christmas became a world-changing event again?

Welcome to Advent Conspiracy."

http://www.adventconspiracy.org/

Posted December 5, 2010 by Ephesian Solutions

Doing Christmas Differently Part 4 - Salvation Army Bells

We often take for granted the many volunteers that sit outside for hours ringing a bell at the grocery store. It's a great cause and a lot of fun to do with family or friends. I'm looking forward to doing it on Saturday with some friends.

Salvation Army bell ringers didn't mean much to me until the last few year when I've done and then heard stories about it. A lot of people look at differently. Sometimes we'll drop a few dollars, drop some change or maybe make eye contact and say Merry Christmas. Other times maybe we don't, maybe we look away because we give to so many other causes or just don't want to be involved this time. I heard a Pastor once who commited to giving $5 to every Salvation Army person that he ran into and $5 for each of his kids. It was just something he felt he wanted to commit to and wanted to be involved with and what a great cause to commit to.

It can be seen as a strange commitment, a small commitment or an excesive one, but in the end it is a commitment and left an impact on me. It is definitely doing Christmas differently and I'm certain his kids are impacted as well.

Posted December 1, 2010 by Ephesian Solutions

Doing Christmas Differently Part 3 - Sweet Things

Yesterday I spoke with Mama Africa, my adopted South African Mother, also know as Ursula Nomdo. She is really a generous lady and it was such an awesome experience to be there at Christmas time two years ago. We visited many projects and got to be involved in a lot of giving to real needs during the holiday season. One of the projects we visited was Sweet Things day care. A woman named Virginia thought that without an affordable day care many people in her community couldn't work. She decided to start her own and has been running it for a few years now. Those that can afford pay and those that cannot do not. She struggles to pay the bills, get quality help and have enough food, supplies or other for the kids. However they make it work and it allows the kids a safe, educational place to go and the parents thefreedom to look for or do work.

I'm not sure an organization has had a more fitting name. The kids are as kind and full of laughter as I've met anywhere in the world. They are disciplined and happy in an area where if they were on the streets, as they likely would be without Sweet Things, a lot of real dangers from gansterism, drugs, HIV/AIDS and worse could and likely would befall them.

On the phone yesterday Ursula told me that Sweet Things was again able to celebrate a Christmas party. Last year with the help of some generous donations we raised enough to throw Sweet Things there very first Christmas celebration. It was awesome seeing the kids get candy and something nice to eat for their meal. We also got some educational supplies for the walls and some activity books so that Virginia could teach the kids something new and in a new way. Having heard about last year a number of foreign individuals that are volunteering in Cape Town pooled some money together to get the kids some sweets and toys for Christmas 2010.

It was so exciting and I can just picture how excited Virginia is that others have helped her in such a worthy cause. It was awesome to experience even for one year, a Christmas season not focused on giving to those we know or those that would give in return, but to those with real needs.

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Posted November 29, 2010 by Ephesian Solutions

Doing Christmas Differently Part 2

Trees for Troops is provided for by the Christmas Spirit Foundation and some 16,000 trees were provided in 2009 to military families stationed from bases here in the US all the way to the Middle East.

Veterans day was only weeks ago and while it is nice to post and say thank you, maybe this year we could do a little bit more. Some young men are in the Middle East for the first time and it's their first Christmas away from their families, young children and wives.

Others like Cara Figueroa's who's husband has been deployed for 3 of the last 4 Christmas' are making even bigger sacrifices. What a joy to be a part of cheering them up in a small way this season. It's a great way to bring a smile to her and others' faces and make this Christmas special with your own family.

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Join in this spirit of giving to remember military families and our soldiers that are serving abroad. Maybe this year you and your family could get a smaller tree or skip a single gift to chip in together to donate toward a tree for a family who's father or mother is far from home this year. Check out on the video on the website to see what an exciting opportunity this organization offers!

Posted November 27, 2010 by Ephesian Solutions

Doing Christmas Differently Part 1

With Thanksgiving tomorrow and Christmas around the corner I've been coming across a lot of exciting ways that people are choosing to celebrate Christmas a little differently. With that in mind I wanted to share some of those stories and maybe a few organization opportunities over the next few weeks in case you want to write your own story of doing it differently. If you've got a favorite holiday experience, maybe an organization or story please email me and I'll add it on.

Two years ago I had the great opportunity to spent Christmas with TLC in Cape Town, South Africa. They have some great winter projects:
http://www.tlcprojects.org.za/gallery.php?id=2

The one I was involved in was feeding street folks in Table View. It was really an incredible experience to spend time with those that literally have no home, no family, no one to spend the holidays with and sing carols, share laughs and provide a hot meal, perhaps their only one of the year. Many of them were children, victims of HIV/AIDS or drug habits. With a $200 from Dwight Wyse of Wyse Solutions in Harrisonburg, VA we were able to feed over 100 people, offer blankets or jackets and make a plate of food for each to take with them.

If it comes to mind and you feel led, make a donation on the TLC website. TLC was started by and is led by Colleen Peterson whom I spent a lot of time with personally. She sold her home (a mansion) and moved to an apartment and used the money to purchase farm land for the homeless. Your money will be in good and trustworthy hands.