With Love from Habitat for Hope

February 15, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Many of you already know that Habitat for Hope adopted the FedEx House for Valentine’s Day! Over the next few blog posts, we will showcase the groups and volunteers that made yesterday a huge success as we cared for and loved many families. 
It’s a great day to spread some love!  Yesterday, HFH spent the day at the Fedex Family House.  We served breakfast, afternoon snacks and dinner to the families staying at the house.  On the evening of the 13th, we delivered Valentine treat baskets to all of the families staying at the house.  Thank you to New Hope Christian Church girl’s and women’s ministry for collecting items and putting together these beautiful baskets.

With Love, Diane Smith

Filed Under: Families and Friends, Volunteer

In honor of Margaret Horrocks – please bless the Croyles

February 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

This is a highly irregular post for the Habitat for Hope blog – so please bear with me.

Many of you know that founder Mark Horrocks’ mom, Margaret Horrocks was recently diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. She is about to embark on round 3 of Fulfirinox – a hot-off-the-press chemo regimen that we are praying will be very effective. Margaret has been a tireless volunteer for her son’s work over the years – she loves Habitat for Hope and even more importantly has fallen in love with many of the families we have been blessed to meet. She has clearly seen God’s mercy, healing and grace through the work and people of HFH.

It’s been a tough couple of months for our family – but we are blessed that Margaret’s cancer seems contained – it seems that she has a good chance of beating this deadly cancer.

Enter the Croyle Family.

Just today I read Momastery - one of my favorite  blogs – of Kristen Croyle, her husband Lance, and her 8 kids. Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer. In an interesting twist, the readers of Momastery are sending the Croyles on an amazing family vacation in Captiva, FL – an island dear to our hearts as it is so close to our hometown.
I know there is nothing Margaret would love more than for you to pray and support this sweet mom and her family – and help them have an amazing vacation, for the first time as a family.

So, in honor of Margaret, would you donate to the Croyle’s vacation? You can click the link above, click on the picture, leave a comment for instructions…we appreciate your love for them! Check back for an update soon.

Filed Under: Can you Help?, Families and Friends

Great Job, Tim!

February 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Our dear friend Tim Hutchinson tackled the ultra-marathon beast Saturday – to support Habitat for Hope with 100 Miles of Hope. After some very serious blistering due to the wet conditions on the trail, Tim called it quits after 60 miles – which is still an amazing achievement!  Read his race report here. We are so excited to announce that Tim raised a total of $7781.61. What an incredible blessing to Habitat for Hope! HFH can house one family for 7 months through this gift.

We are proud to call Tim, Christine, Mason and Lara our friends as well as supporters of Habitat for Hope  - their family continues to be an inspiration to us!

Filed Under: Dollars and Sense, Encouragement

Timberline Tree & Lawn saves the “Holy Tree”

January 15, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Many visitors to Habitat for Hope have noticed the large tree to the left of the driveway – namely, because it had a ladder running through the middle. Dubbed the “holy tree” by the Barnhart family (previous residents of the HFH property), it is over 100 years old, and although alive, was hollow in the center. Our friends from Timberline Tree & Lawn have a passion for old trees, and offered to create a solution that would save the tree for generations to come. Apparently, the bark of the tree will now grow over the placed wood – creating a new solid trunk for this old tree. Thanks so much Timberline for your service to the sustainability project at Habitat for Hope!

 

Filed Under: In the News

We’re Hiring!

December 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment

We are so excited to announce three new positions within Habitat for Hope!
To answer a few possible FAQ:
1. We are hiring an Assistant ED, Maintenance Director, and Family Care Coordinator. Read the posting for more information!
2. In the spirit of the rather rapid growth we’ve experienced in our first 5 years of work, we are simply beginning to specialize some roles within the jobs that our current staff works so hard to fill.
3. When these positions are hired and filled, Mark Horrocks will be free to focus on vision and direction of our overall project, including growth into new areas. Andy Gross has already begun to specialize his role into leadership within the Barn Raising Project – and additional freedom will allow him to focus on construction work for BRP.

We excited to meet our next team members who will join Habitat for Hope!

Filed Under: In the News

Thanks Briarcrest Christian School!

November 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Last Tuesday was Briarcrest Christian School’s “Great Day of Service”. Braircrest teamed with Habitat for Hope to hold a material drive for the 7th floor at Lebonhuer Childrens Hosptital. A group of 6th grade girls and 8th grade girls participated.
THANKS Briarcrest!

Filed Under: In the News, Leadership, Volunteer

100 miles of Hope – Tim needs your help!

October 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Once again, pain fanatic and dear friend Tim Hutchinson has signed up for a race to raise money for Habitat for Hope. You’ve GOT to read his latest post, and although we don’t advocate dressing like this to run 100 miles, we think you should witness his dedication to HFH:

20 Questions with Timbeaux

Filed Under: Can you Help?, Families and Friends Tagged With: ,

Notes From a Dragon Mom

October 17, 2011 By 2 Comments

For all the Dragon Moms we have loved so dearly – please click link below.

Notes from a Dragon Mom

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With:

YAHTZEE!

October 12, 2011 By 1 Comment

“Yahtzee!” my grandmother used to yell in exhilaration.  She loved the game.  I could be sure that if we were playing games with Grandmommy and Granddaddy, Yahtzee would be one of them.  The premise of Yahtzee is to put all your die into a cup, shake them up, and roll them out all at once, hoping that when they appear on the table, they are all the numbers you want to win the game.

In my own life, and my work with Habitat for Hope, I have found that we all play a little Yahtzee.  We bury all our problems deep down in our hearts, hoping that no one will notice.  We are careful to not shake things up for fear our issues will spill out onto the table and shine a negative light on our well-controlled lives.

Problem number one:  Despite our illusions and even our best-laid plans, we are not in control.  At some point when pain comes through a harsh reality, like a life threatening illness in the life of your child, a light bulb goes off that you are not in control.

Terror, fear, anxiety, depression, and guilt begin to shake you at your core and all the “other” problems in life that you have been so careful as to hide, come bursting out with force for all to see.  Your marriage, finances, family dynamics, faith, and relationships are not what you have fooled yourself and others into believing are true about them.

Are you in a painful place where it seems all is lost and your problems are not only numerous but insurmountable?  Don’t lose heart!

In every true and good story there is a moment where you believe all is lost, and then suddenly a hero arrives, saving the day.  In the story of our lives this is Christ Jesus.  He says in the Bible that He disciplines those He loves (Hebrews 12:3-12).  My pastor recently put it this way…when he is pruning, He is loving.  Just as the vineyard worker clips away the dead grapes from a vine to ensure its maximum growth, Jesus also brings us through the painful pruning process to bring about TRUE life, joy, and peace.

Filed Under: Encouragement

“It’s Uncivilized…”

October 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment


As many of you know, we are about to kick off (in less than 4 days!) the second annual LUVMUD5K race at Shelby Farms Park in Memphis, TN. This is HFH’s only large-scale fundraiser in 2011…we are hoping to “make it count!”.

 

Overheard at Shelby Farms today – “Oh, we couldn’t do that race. Its much too uncivilized for us.”

You know what feels uncivilized to us?

In 2012, over 14,000 families in the US will learn that their child has a life-threatening illness. 

That over 4,000 of those families will suffer the loss of their child. 

That many of the 14,000 families caring for their sick child will suffer a loss of wealth and security due to their child’s illness. 

That many of the serious illnesses that children are diagnosed with cause disfiguration and permanent handicap. 

That many families are unable to walk closely with a trusted advisor or friend while their child is sick. 

That there is not yet a comprehensive program in the United States to provide grief counseling and/or bereavement care to families that have lost a child. 

That many in our society are uniformed of the serious long-term strain and stress placed on all members of a family when a child is sick for a prolonged (18 months +) period of time. 

So this year, when you register for [crazy, fun] LUVMUD5K, know that you are directly supporting the efforts that God has in place to alleviate such suffering. That God is using the staff and volunteers of Habitat for Hope to make inroads with suffering families, and to commit to love them and counsel them over the long term. That we strive, in all things, to create fun, joy and normalcy as part of everyday life – that we won’t allow suffering and hardship to overcome. As you come out to Shelby Farms Park and enjoy the craziness and fun of LUVMUD5K – remember that you, too, are part of the beautiful picture that God is painting  throughout history. That He remembers us, and that He calls the little children to Himself – and that He promises them joy, laughter and delight – many times now, but most certainly hereafter.

Filed Under: LUVMUD
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