Deb Stewart Campaigns with Hope for the Holidays

Volunteers give something quite different and unique to the organizations they donate their time, money and energy to. The divine love, faith, stamina and compassion that personifies our human spirit, are the fruits that sanction our calling to be participators and not spectators when there is a human need to be met.

We met Deb Stewart during our fundraising event for The Dove’s Nest in September. She is also one of the valued volunteers for The Dove’s Nest, but continues to be an advocate for other causes that are not highly publicized. “I get a lot of personal satisfaction in knowing that God is using me to do my part for His glory,” says Deb. Like most volunteers, Deb shies away from a lot of attention. Nevertheless, in spite of her daily personal challenges, she still campaigns for causes to help rally support for those in need. We ask that you read the following heartfelt petition from Deb, for an organization that not many people have heard of located in Charlotte, NC called Blessings in the Storm. We think her message clearly states it all in the following letter she wrote:

Like many of us during the holidays, I struggle to focus on the meaning of the season more than the glitz and goods and social obligations. I have a tendency to over commit and then to re-evaluate in hindsight. Not this year!

With a group of close friends, I’ve pledged to support a local Christian ministry through monthly visits with gifts and prayers, and quarterly fund-raisers. But this quarter, for many, the busy holidays pose a problem: Who’s got time for another party or benefit? This season, we chose a different approach – we’re holding a “non-event,” an easy way to invite friends and family to make a big difference that demands little time or effort.

No searching for the perfect gift, no gourmet food to whip up … Just lots of Christian goodwill extended to people in dire need. I hope you’ll join me! Here’s how it works:

Your donation to our Hope for the Holidays non-event will benefit Blessings in the Storm, a Charlotte ministry that provides shelter for women and children escaping abuse, abandonment, addiction, or poverty. They arrive on Blessings’ doorstep with more baggage than they can carry, and yet they have next to nothing. They’re broke, and they’re deeply broken.

At Blessings in the Storm, they can heal in a homelike environment where rent and utilities are paid and children are well tended while mothers work hard to stand on their own. Blessings occupies four modest homes along a dead-end street in west Charlotte; but to the women and children there, Blessings is no dead end. It opens wide an avenue to healing, faith, and self-sufficiency. The growth I’ve seen among the women at Blessings is inspiring.

As a Christian organization, Blessings does not receive government funding, relying on private donations, and has struggled to meet operating costs this year. Would you consider helping Blessings with a donation of $10 or more, or a gift card to Target or Wal-Mart? Your tax-deductible contribution will help the ministry pay rent and utilities and will allow the women to buy a small Christmas gift for their children. Every penny goes to the ministry, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

If you’d like to donate, please call (980-254-1952) or e-mail me [dstewart@deborahstewart.ws] so I can arrange to receive your contribution by Dec. 10. Checks should be made out to Blessings in the Storm.

Checks can be mailed to my address:
14512 Limestone Lane
Pineville, NC 28134

Or you may go online to:
http://www.blessingsinthestorm.org/howyoucanhelp.html

Please browse this website to learn more about them. Your donations with make a difference this Christmas season and will be very much appreciated by all who love these women and believe in their future.

I know that, like me, you’ll find a great deal of peace and purpose this holiday season by spreading Hope for the Holidays. And I’m thankful that you’ve considered this opportunity to make one less mark on your calendar and leave one big mark on your heart!

Sincerely,
Deb Stewart
God bless you!

Favorite Things for a CAUSE salutes Deb Stewart for sharing some Hope for the Holidays on behalf of Blessings in the Storm. If you have any questions about donating to Blessings in the Storm, please email Deb at dstewart015@carolina.rr.com. We urge you to visit the website for Blessings in the Storm http://www.blessingsinthestorm.org/ and learn about this incredible mission started by Loretta Harris-Caldwell. Please go to the “Press Release” link and watch the life-changing video that shows you how Blessings in the Storm, is a blessing of deliverance.