CENTRAL CHRIS TIAN CHURCH

May 2010

What’s New in Local Outreach

Nancy Bandusky or Shawna Weeks 480.924.4946

“He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?” declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 22:16

In the Spotlight: Homeless Connect

The Arizona Republic
If you can't For two years, Bonnie Howard has relied on an array of
feed a hundred social services to get her back on her feet and turn her life
people, then around. She found them all through Project Homeless
feed just one. Connect, a program that brings a variety of service providers
Mother Teresa together in one place to make access easier for the
homeless.
Project Homeless Connect, coordinated by Valley of
the Sun United Way, offers more than 25 resources for the
Local Outreach
homeless and depends on local churches and volunteers to
Calendar
host the monthly sessions.
The most recent gathering took place Friday, April 23,
Pen Pal at Central Christian Church on Lindsay Road in Mesa.
Training Volunteers began arriving around 7:30 a.m. for orientation to prepare for the estimated 300 guests.
Sunday, May 23 Brian Spicker, Valley of the Sun United Way senior vice president for community impact, said the agency
at 11:30 a.m. in held 11 sessions in 2009 and has continued with one each month this year, each at a different church in
the Local the Valley. He said the sessions wouldn't work without the churches that donate space and Internet
Outreach office connections as well as the volunteers who donate their time.
On any given day, there are 8,000 homeless people in the Valley. More women, families, veterans and
Food Drive newly homeless people have been attending the sessions. "There are more and more individuals sleeping
June 19-July 4 on the street," Spicker said.
Mesa Councilwoman Dina Higgins attended the first Project Homeless
ACTS Calendar Connect in Mesa last year. "It was a huge event, it was very impressive." Higgins
spoke to volunteers at this year's event, stressing how much homelessness is an
issue for entire communities not just for the homeless themselves. "They're your
Mesa Campus neighbors except they don't have a house to live in," she said. "Just because you're
7 a.m.-12 p.m. homeless doesn't mean you're not part of the community. With the struggling
NLC153 economy, homelessness is a concern for more people than ever. Homelessness is
a couple paychecks away for anybody."
Jun 5, 2010
Amy Schwabenlender, Vice President of Community Impact for Valley of the
Jun 19, 2010 Sun United Way, said Project Homeless Connect offers services to people who may
Councilwoman Higgins
Jul 3, 2010 otherwise have a hard time accessing them. Especially in the East Valley, she said,
Jul 17, 2010 the services homeless people need are faraway and they have few options when it
Aug 7, 2010 comes to seeking assistance.
Aug 21, 2010 One former attendee told her she accomplished more in two hours than in the previous two years. "If
Sep 4, 2010 someone doesn't have the money, they're never going to go get help,"
Sep 18 2010 Schwabenlender said. "The day is meant to connect people in a more immediate way."
Oct 2, 2010 Howard, of Chandler, attended her first Project Homeless Connect event two
Oct 16, 2010 years ago. She was homeless and out of work and came seeking help to get back on
Nov 6, 2010 her feet. Howard met up with a volunteer from Maricopa Workforce Connections, and
she was soon back in school to become a certified nursing assistant. Howard passed
Nov 20, 2010
her test, and she was hired by a nursing home soon after. She said Homeless Connect
Dec 4, 2010
made her transition smoother. "It's so much easier having all the resources in one
Dec 18, 2010 place."
Jan 8, 2011 Steve Andrews, a Bank of America employee, volunteered at the event Friday for
Jan 15, 2011 the third time. He was a little apprehensive his first time as a volunteer at a Connect
Feb 5, 2011 event. He didn't know how to act or what to say. But after he got into the swing of
Feb 19, 2011 things, the sessions turned out to be a place for him to really get to know the people he
Mar 5, 2011 was helping. "You get to put a human face with the homeless," he said. “Project
Mar 19, 2011 Homeless Connect gives the less fortunate a place to find assistance without feeling judged. It's a positive,
Apr 2, 2011 warm, caring environment and the people are just happy to get help," he said.
Apr 16, 2011 One of the last people Andrews assisted left with a Social Security card, access to food stamps and
May 7, 2011 shelter information. "When you can help a guest find a place to live and apply for work, it's great," he said.
May 21, 2011
 Prison Outreach News
Central will be hosting a Prison Networking meeting on July 20, at 7 p.m. in NLC152 on the Mesa campus.
If you think you might be interested in prison ministry, this meeting is the place for you to start.
You will hear amazing testimonies of how God has been using our church, and other churches
in our community, to change peoples lives. You will also meet servant ministers from Central
who are involved in prison ministry, and learn about the ministries and programs they support.
For more information, please call Nancy at the Mesa campus or e-mail
Nancy.Bandusky@cccev.com

Pen Pal Training: Do you like to write? Do you have the gift of encouragement? If you
answered yes to these questions, being a pen pal to an incarcerated person may be a great
place for you to serve. We will have a pen pal training on Sunday, May 23 and June 13, at 11:30 a.m. in the Local
Outreach office. Call Shawna at the Mesa campus or e-mail centralprisonministry@gmail.com for more
information.

Project Homeless Connect

Local Outreach would like to thank each and every one

of our servant ministers who helped make Project
Homeless Connect a success. Because of your help
and support, we were able to be the hands and feet of
Christ in our community. Here are some of the ways we
able to help our neighbors:

Numbers Served
• 324 adults- probably more adults were served • 12 bicycles were fixed
some of our regular homeless didn’t check in. • Campaige Place was able to place one guest in
~ 234 men (72%) housing
• Seven children received dental care
~ 90 women (28%) (this is a somewhat higher • 93 guests took showers
percentage of women than usual) • Three women were able to receive a pregnancy
test or ultrasound
Some service provider highlights Volunteers:
• Community Voicemail set up 59 new mailboxes • Roughly 200+ throughout the day
• 45 guests were able to receive medical attention
• La Mesita placed a family in the shelter VIP attendance:
• DES was able to connect 64 guests with services • Mesa Councilwoman Dina Higgins
(birth certificates, food stamps, cash assistance,
AHCCCS health benefits) • Mesa Mayor Scott Smith

Serving Opportunities

♦ Do you have a heart for the homeless? We are looking for individuals who are willing
to make a one-year commitment to help a family transform from homelessness to
wholeness. Contact Nancy or Shawna for more information on Open Table.
♦ The ACTS Ministry is in desperate need of razors, toothbrushes, and trial size
deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner. Please place donations in the ACTS
bins during weekend services at the Mesa or Gilbert campus.
♦ Want to bless the homeless? Would you like to empty the ACTS bins on the Mesa
campus between services on the weekends? For more information or to sign up, contact
Nancy at the Mesa office.
♦ Did you know that Local Outreach collects aluminum cans for the ACTS Ministry?
You can drop them in the white bin on the west end of the Carpenter’s Shop anytime
you are on the Mesa campus.