CrossPointe Church, Atonement Lutheran Church, and Vista Church are gearing up to celebrate the holidays and more importantly-to help those in need.
Atonement Lutheran Church recently moved into their new green facility on Lee Vista Road, just in time for holiday services.
At Atonement Church’s new location in Vista Lakes, members have two things to celebrate-the new church and the holiday season. The process of moving the staff and the congregation may have been stressful at times, but it will not stop them from giving back. They are still holding weekly Advent services, putting on a children’s Christmas program, and providing scripture lessons and carols on Christmas Eve.
CrossPointe Church in Lake Nona may not have as many special church programs taking place during Christmas time, but the church has community groups throughout Lake Nona and East Orlando which host holiday parties and celebrations.
Vista Church is located off Chickasaw Trail, making it a short drive for East Orlando families. They have a few Christmas activities this year, including their Youth Give Back. They have also been growing, and are going to have two Christmas Eve services this year.
CrossPointe’s Project Thanksgiving, which is hosted by the Lake Nona YMCA and other area churches, is centered on a worldwide service project called Operation Christmas Child. Participants bring shoeboxes filled with toys and gifts to the event where they will be shipped to children in Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. “This event is a celebration where we eat together, enjoy some live music, and celebrate that we as a community can unite together around helping others,” says Ryan Walker, the connections pastor at CrossPointe.
“We strive to be aware of needs people have, like a family who may not be able to celebrate Christmas because they do not have the financial means to do so,” says Walker. “We want to see those as opportunities to serve those in our community.”
This year is Vista’s second year holding Youth Give Back. The youth “raise the funds needed to buy the gifts for local families who are struggling and not able to “make ends meet”. They ‘rent themselves out’ by washing someone’s car or windows, raking leaves, etc.” says Deb Fielden, the Connections and Children’s Director. The children then bring the money they make to Wal-Mart and break into groups and shop for specific families. Fielding believes that, “It helps them take their eyes off themselves and on others at this special time of year.”
At Atonement, their candy cane card project will supply the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida with even more than candy canes and cards. “We feel that this is a small outreach that we can do at this point because of our move,” says Karen Combs, director of family ministry at Atonement. “It’s just something that we can do to spread a little Christmas cheer and information to the Coalition for the Homeless.”
Atonement has also been collecting money for Toys for Tots this year instead of gifts as another result of the move. This money will allow many children throughout the country to experience the joy of opening new toys.
Although the holidays may be a rough time for some, all three churches welcome new members while maintaining traditional programs for existing ones.
Vista welcomes anyone who wants to join them in their worship. “We like to create environments where families can celebrate together,” says Fielden. “Our church community becomes ‘family’ for many whose blood relatives are far away.”
“At CrossPointe we want to be like family to those people so they have a place where they can feel loved and accepted no matter what they may be going through,” says Walker.
“My favorite part of the holidays is just letting people know that this is Christ’s birth that we’re celebrating,” says Combs. As she wrote in an article for Atonement’s newsletter: “People need to say Merry Christmas.”
CrossPointe Church’s community Christmas Eve service will be held at the Lake Nona YMCA, Atonement’s services will be held at their new Vista Lakes location, and Vista Church will be holding their Christmas Eve service at their facility off Chickasaw Trail.
Article by Aimee Hoyt
This year, the “Giving Season” has an entirely new meaning for thousands of families across East Orlando and Central Florida. For them, the shoe is on the other foot. Due in large part to the economy, these individuals are turning to nonprofits for basic human needs like food and shelter after losing their jobs. They need help. This is their version of the Giving Season.
Many nonprofits throughout the community are positioning themselves for a busier holiday than usual. This year, even the smallest donations can make the biggest difference for the community.
Two Men and a Truck drop off their food donations collected from dozens of community members and small businesses at the 2008 Share Your Christmas event.
“We see this whole new population needing help,” says Dave Krepcho, president and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. Second Harvest is a nonprofit that provides food to about 530 different charitable feeding programs in our area. Last year the organization donated more than 21 million pounds of food to those in need. “We’re in our 26th year as an organization and for 25 years we’ve been basically supplying food to folks at or below the poverty level - nowadays we find ourselves giving food to blue and white collar workers with college educations that never saw themselves unemployed,” he says.
During the holidays, Second Harvest participates in several food drives as demand for food goes up during this time of year. “What we have here locally are a couple of very large, community wide drives that help out tremendously providing us literally with tons and tons of food,” says Krepcho. One such drive is the Share Your Christmas event that local NBC affiliate WESH-TV hosts in partnership with the Salvation Army and Second Harvest.
Many local businesses also get on board with the drive that runs through December 11, 2009, like Two Men and a Truck moving company. “Last year we were able to donate 50 boxes of food and this year we hope to double that number,” says Mike McAllister, general manager of Two Men and a Truck. “I try to stress to people when I ask for donations - even if it’s only one can - it can make a difference. That one can of food could make a difference to someone out there who has nothing,” he says. Krepcho agrees: “We didn’t amass 21 million pounds of food from one source last year, it was a lot of small donations that really add up.”
A Gift for Teaching provides a free store for public school teachers to shop for school supplies year round.
In addition to food, many families are also in search of permanent housing this holiday season as well. “We’re hoping that others will remember during this time and will help us place a family in a home for the holidays,” says Dee Danmeyer, executive director for Habitat for Humanity Orlando.
In addition to volunteer time, Habitat is asking for help this season in the form of gently used appliances and home goods for their Habitat ReStore locations. Donations to the store are then sold back to the general public at reduced prices to cover the costs associated with building homes and administration. “Even though we’re in a tough economy I want everyone to realize that there are people out there who need help and any donation truly helps be that time, talents or treasures,” she says.
The same mentality can be seen across all nonprofits who are trying to give back this holiday season. A Gift for Teaching offers public school teachers a store where they can shop for supplies for free all year. Starting in mid-November, they launched their Seasons for Success program where a $5 donation will earn a holiday card from a student and a personalized letter to whomever the donor chooses. Most importantly, the $5 will result in $50 worth of school supplies thanks to the nonprofits buyback power. “We are 100 percent based on donations so every $5 is huge for us and our teachers,” says Audrey Perrott, director of communications for A Gift for Teaching.
Krepcho says it best: “There’s a lot of people out there and they could easily be your neighbor they are really hurting,” he says. “Something we can all relate to in some way whether you volunteer your time or donate a bag of food or make a small financial donation everybody can make a difference there and everyone has a part to play.”
Article by Corey Gehrold
You don’t often hear someone say they are going to transform a community. Then actually start doing it. You don’t often see the work that goes into revitalizing an area from the inside out. You don’t often feel the dedication it takes to change generations of neglect.
UGO Volunteers organize and hand out clothes during the recent Fall Festival event in Bithlo. More than 600 residents attended the event.
But sometimes, you do.
United Global Outreach (UGO) is an organization dedicated to improving communities around the world through four key elements: food, clothing, shelter and education. But, more than that, they are an organization that delivers change through action. And their newest project? The revitalization of the city of Bithlo.
Behind the junk yards and equipment rental facilities in this one stop-light town lies a rural area filled with the forgotten. They walk the streets because there are no sidewalks. They sleep the day away because there are not enough jobs and no public transportation. When they can find work, they work with their backs because a large portion of the older population cannot read and write.
But, that’s about to change.
“We’re going to transform the community in every aspect,” says Tim McKinney, executive vice-president of United Global Outreach. “Basically, Bithlo has become the outcast of Orange County. If you’re from Bithlo a lot of people say you’re worthless and, over the years, the people here have started to believe that.” McKinney and the staff at UGO have already begun to revitalize the area and it’s residents by renovating a dilapidated church into their base of operations.
Every Wednesday at the center, UGO hosts a meal program where they provide food and top-quality clothes to attendees. Each week the evening grows, recently drawing more than 160 residents. As for the clothes: “It’s a lot of nice clothes, things they’ve never had the opportunity to wear before. When you can continually show them they are worth something, they start to believe that,” he says.
Kids play on a bounce house at the Fall Festival held in Bithlo. Food, music, volleyball and a clothing drive/drop off were just some of the other activities for the day.
That process has already started as the community has noticeably grown closer together according to UGO. “We’ve literally only been out here in full force since the end of July, and we’ve gone from our first community event with just over 100 people to more than 600 at our last event, which is about 10 percent of the population here,” says McKinney. “The community is catching onto our concept where people you didn’t know have helped you and now when they come out they are starting to interact with neighbors, play games with each other and even donate what they can.” He says it’s a far cry from before when most residents would mainly keep to themselves.
On January 4, 2010 the site will also become something Bithlo has never had before: a private school and adult learning center. The Orange County Academy will serve 39 students in grades K5-3rd for the first time in the history of the town, according to McKinney. “We got here not intending to open a private school, but we quickly realized education was lacking for kids and adults here,” he says. Their goal is to provide an education that will rival the level of any first-class private school in the county. At night the school will offer adult reading classes, adult computer literacy classes and an Internet café for those who cannot afford Internet access.
The Orange County Academy will serve 39 students in grades K5-3rd for the first time in the history of Bithlo.
The final element of UGO’s four-step approach involves shelter and cleaning up the community. They identify properties where people aren’t able to maintain the exterior and will clean it and haul away junk and debris. “We don’t believe you’ll get anything better in life unless you learn to take care of what you have,” says McKinney. “Before us things hadn’t changed for at least three generations out here.”
UGO volunteers spend a lot of time walking door-to-door in the area to promote what they are doing and meet the residents who live and support their efforts face-to-face. “A lot of the problems have been overlooked because they didn’t have a voice and we’re here to give them one,” McKinney says.
You can’t always see the change right away. But sometimes you can feel it.
–
Below are a few links to learn more about UGO and their programs.
- United Global Outreach (UGO) Main Web site
- United Global Outreach (UGO) Facebook Page
- East Orange Academy Facebook Page
- E-mail UGO’s Executive Vice-President
Article by Corey Gehrold
The holidays are a time for celebration. This year, when the family is in town, consider starting a new tradition or expanding on some old ones with some of the many holiday-themed area attractions. That’s right, Orlando has plenty of inexpensive holiday festivals for you and yours to enjoy, and many of them are right in our backyard here in East Orlando.
One holiday option, located just outside the University of Central Florida Arena, is Light Up UCF. The holiday extravaganza runs from November 20 through January 8 and features a holiday film festival, nightly light show and the largest outdoors ice skating rink in Orlando. New to the event this year are attractions and rides including a Ferris wheel, carousel, ice slide and Santa’s Workshop complete with a nightly visit from Mr. Claus himself for kids of all ages.
Light Up UCF features a nightly light show, rides, an ice rink and more creating the perfect atmosphere for a new holiday tradition.
“I went last year and really had a lot of fun,” says Daniel Young, an East Orlando resident. “This year, I’m going to bring as much of the family along as I can for the ice skating.”
In Avalon Park, residents can look forward to their annual holiday festival, the 9th Annual Avalon Aglow, on December 5. The day kicks off with a parade presided over by Santa Claus himself and features live holiday music, amusement rides, food, fireworks and, something you’ll rarely see in Florida, a “snow” covered hill for kids to sled down.
This year, Waterford Lakes also becomes an East Orlando holiday destination with Santa’s Winter Wonderland Village from December 4 through January 3, 2010. Activities include a light display, ice skating rink, live music, rides and more. For complete details on the Waterford Lakes area event, see page 10.
If those ideas weren’t enough to keep you and family busy and if you’re willing to drive a bit farther, be sure to check out ICE! at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee. The award-winning attraction features dozens of scenes, carved out of 2,000,000 pounds of ice, centered around a trip to the North Pole. You and your family will be able to explore an ICE! Castle, slides, unique photo opportunities and so much more all at a chilling 9° Fahrenheit. Don’t worry - jackets are provided.
This year, be sure to bundle up as Orlando becomes your instant dose of winter fun with the entire family.
Article by Corey Gehrold
When you think of the holidays, what comes to mind? Along with Christmas lights and reindeer, most of us associate the season with hours waiting at the airport or hair loss from those pleasant extended family visits. For 2009, many experts are predicting that travel will go up compared to last year, although fewer people will travel by air due to budget concerns, reduced airline capacity and added charges.
A recent study reported by AAA says that for the recent Thanksgiving holiday, nearly 86 percent of Thanksgiving travelers chose to travel by automobile while only six percent said they planned to go by air. The projected decline for air travel for this past Thanksgiving is expected to be in the neighborhood of 6.7 percent, or 2.3 million travelers once the final figures are worked out. AAA said the amount of Thanksgiving travelers journeying by air has been declining for a decade.
One of the best ways to aviod the holiday travel stress is to plan early and be willing to compromise, experts say.
Locally, Orlando International Airport is expected to beat the curve in passenger decline when they finalize their travel numbers from the Thanksgiving holiday. “Right now for Thanksgiving, we are down about 4 percent from last year, which is encouraging given what’s happened throughout the year,” says Carolyn Fennel, director of public affairs at OIA.
December air travel numbers are expected to increase compared to last year, but many people are still finding other means to move about the country including trains, buses and automobiles. “People are staying closer to home, not travelling for as long and not spending as much once they get there,” says Pat Tiffany, travel consultant with Travel Leaders. “Some airlines will run a special, but when you have a family of four that still gets awfully expensive.” Especially with airline baggage fees. “For about a year now almost every airline has been charging anywhere from $15-20 for the first bag and $25 and up for the second bag,” says Tiffany. “People are being very careful with their money these days, so sometimes it’s hard to justify that cost.”
Still, whether you’re jet-setting to your destination or having family come to stay with you during the holiday season, you’ll need to be prepared.
A recent study from AAA states that for the Thanksgiving holiday, nearly 86 percent of Thanksgiving travelers chose to travel by automobile while only six percent said they planned to go by air.
If you’re going to travel, the key is to make your plans early. Tiffany suggests being flexible about the dates and times you fly giving you more choices, saving you time and money. Midweek flights are the best option, and if you have to fly on a weekend, Saturdays are less hectic than Sundays at the airport. Remember that weather can also play a factor in your travel time. “Try to fly nonstop whenever possible,” she says. “If you do have to connect, try to avoid cities up north where there will be more weather problems.” There are less delays for flights earlier in the day, and, of course, arriving early allows plenty of time for security. Another way you can avoid delays and save money is by flying to nearby airports of smaller cities, like Sanford instead of Orlando.
If you have family travelling to you this year, remember to expect delays at the airport and on the road. “Even if traffic is down from years past, it will still be hectic getting in and out of the airport,” says Tiffany. She suggests meeting your incoming visitors in the departure area of the airport if they do not have bags to gather from the baggage claim area. “It will be a lot less crazed on the departure level and you’ll have a much smaller headache,” she says.
Most importantly however, remember not to sweat the small stuff. “When traveling, try to have patience and make the best out of time you spend waiting around,” says Tiffany. Even with numbers that are lower than in years past, travel can still be a stressful experience if you let it be. Whether by car, train or plane, remember what the holidays are for. You’ll be a lot happier when you get to where you’re going if you do.
Article by Corey Gehrold
