We are so thankful for how far My Father’s House has progressed since opening our doors just seven years ago. It hardly feels like it has been that long, but since opening we have helped 170 families. 2008 seemed like an eternity away, and now here it is. This year will certainly be a mile-stone year for us. In April we plan on moving into our new home. Even though we have been working towards opening a new facility to shelter thirty families, it’s a little scary too. Imagine doubling your household expenses in the next year. What would you do differently? How would you plan on meeting such a huge need? Of course, if it were our personal lives, we would be devastated at such a huge financial obligation. We would be looking for a second or third job. And yet, that is what many homeless families have staring them in the face. No job, and even if they were able to land a job in the next month, they could not earn enough money to dig themselves out of a hole before they lost everything. When a family finds a job, it usually doesn’t quite meet their needs. They have to continually choose, electricity or water? Heat or rent? Some may have to choose between their utilities or food this month?

Helping families transform their lives is what My Father’s House is all about, giving families the opportunity to become successful. Zig Ziggler puts it this way, “Success means doing the best we can with what we have. Success is in the doing, not the getting-in the trying, not the triumph. Success is a personal standard-reaching for the highest that is in us-becoming all that we can be.” Helping someone ‘be all they can be’ is one of the greatest rewards you can experience. Recently we received an email from a single father, Galen who left our shelter in September. He writes, “The streets hold no hope for the homeless and when you’re down and out the thought of a normal life, really doesn’t exist. With just a prayer and our loving friends at My Father’s House, Sadie and I have found new hope and trust in God. I want to thank you all, from the bottom of our hearts for being so kind and for giving us this gift.”

The challenge of success for My Father’s House, in doing the best we can with what we have, lies in 2008. Increasing from helping five families at a time to thirty will stretch and grow our entire organization. Our goal hasn’t changed, just expanded. Thankfully, our facility will be paid in full when we move in. No mortgage for us! But operating a huge 27,000 square foot building will still increase our expenses. From the very beginning, our financial goal was to have 10,000 people giving just $10 per month. But we are not quite there yet. We can’t house, teach, support, encourage and love on people without being able to pay the electric bill, gas bill, water, garbage and…well, you get the picture. We need you to partner with us in helping families transform their lives. So, if you’re wondering just how you can support My Father’s House, may I suggest helping one family at a time, by making a commitment this year of $25.00 a month. You will be glad that you have helped make a difference in transforming a family’s life forever!  Visit our website for more information!

Cathe