Impact Garage Sale, March 12-14

Taking your donations, NOW! Call 713-864-5667

Its that time of year again! We are gearing up for the annual Impact Houston Garage Sale at Trader’s Village. This, along with our Celebration Dinner (see notice below) is one of our biggest fundraisers for the ministries at Impact. We collect and store donations all year long to be able to present a huge selection of ítems of all sizes and value. From sofas to sneakers, from washing machines to water hoses, from books to bureaus, and from toys to table settings, the items are varied are organized for your perusal. All are welcome to come shop for bargains, but the real fun is in volunteering as a vendor, or coming out to help in some other way. Mission groups who come down to paint houses and otherwise reach people for Christ also lend their backs and energies to the craziness of hauling cargo to and from the warehouses and pavilion. The gang from West Houston has honed their skills to produce a well organized events, providing an enjoyable experience for everyone. Not only are there tons of mind-boggling bargains and big-hearted people serving together, but every year new people discover the ministry of Impact. Our hope is that they also see a glimpse of what our Lord has to offer as well.

Impact Night of Celebration 2010!

Our annual Impact Celebration Dinner will once again be hosted on the campus of Impact Houston Church of Christ, and YOU are invited!

Tickets are $25 per person and there are special prices for reserving a table for you and your guests.

This night is “All About Impact,” so bring someone you want to introduce to us. We will let them know what God has been and is doing in downtown Houston.

For ticket purchasing, please call the office at 713-864-5667 or visit us online.

Representing Impact’s Distribution Center at a news conference for the Houston Food Bank and its partners, David Beegle and Patricia Skinner (circled in top row) hold up Impact signs for reporters.

Have a Heart for the Hungry in Houston!

Some interesting data:

· 81% of the clients we feed are food insecure, meaning they live with the day-to-day
risk of running out of food. -Houston Food Bank

· Even though 2008 was a record-breaking year, the number of people we are serving was up 70% in 2009. –Impact Houston

· 60% of our clients are forced to choose between paying utility bills and putting food on the table, up 13% from the last hunger study. -Houston Food Bank

For more data, search the web: http://www.houstonfoodbank.org/hungerstudy10.aspx

Celebrating the 43rd birthday of Manuelito Flores is not only a special moment for a special Impact family member, but the church uses this as a great opportunity to praise God for Manuelito’s miraculous life. On top of that, the Flores uses the celebration to bring people together. Fiestas are so important in developing community.

Impact Testimonial: Daniel Zuniga

Impact is blessed to know many amazing young people. I’d like to introduce you to one of them: Daniel Zuniga moved to Houston after fleeing Hurricane Katrina with his family in 2005. He has been attending here 4 ½ years, and has become an integral part of our youth group. He’ll graduate in 2011, and has plans to attend college. He is, more than anything, a servant, and exemplifies what Impact is all about. He wrote these words after interning with our elementary school children this last summer:

“When I first came here to Houston, it was not very easy adapting to the changes that I was forced to encounter. The culture was different, the people were different, even the weather was different despite the fact that Texas and Louisiana are right next to each other. I first had no idea how to go about my life being in this brand new city. Then, all of a sudden and out of the blue, Impact Houston Church of Christ came along.

“We had been attending a Church of Christ in New Orleans, LA, and that’s how we got in touch with Impact. Impact gave me a place to call home in a brand new, unknown city. They gave me shelter – not only physically but spiritually as well, and a spiritual base to start on. Since Impact has done great things for me, I, in return, want to do great things to help out Impact, its members, and to praise God. What better way to start off than to start off giving my free time to VBS and the children over the summer!”

The world would be a great place if all its young men and women followed in the footsteps of Daniel. -Dennis Jaeger

Impact: A Refuge in the Heart of Houston

We call them “outdoorsmen.” Others use the term “homeless.” It is hard to lump all into one category, but Impact serves a special group of people on a regular basis who don’t have access to basic amenities like showers, laundry machines, or a kitchen. Some of our “homeless” have made homes in tents and garage spaces. Others are more mobile, but when harsh weather hits, like what Houston experienced in early January, Impact wants to be available to all who need assistance. When the temperatures fell to the 20’s for a string of days, Impact opened its doors for those who needed overnight shelter. The Impact kitchen was running almost non-stop making stew, rice and beans, gumbo, and a hearty Chicken Alfredo for a crowd of 76 homeless who needed refuge from the sub-freezing temperatures. Some ministers were around for limited oversight. However, our kitchen staff is so dedicated, energized, and capable, and our guests were so appreciative that all work was being done with ease. Everyone was watching out for one another, and attitudes were incredible. We stayed open from Thursday evening to Monday afternoon, and you would have never known it just walking through our service on Sunday morning. More and more of those we served are making time to give back by volunteering. Others are taking steps to help themselves by using our computers to attain special licenses, or by seeking help they have been putting off. Impact is meeting that enthusiasm with new efforts. A property on Weber St. has been remodeled to house 7 residents as they participate in a recovery program. More ministers are becoming involved in seminars and conferences to gain information, training, and networking from other area organizations that care for those on the streets of our city. Many things like Sunday lunches, midday bible studies, recovery groups, and even the Superbowl Party are things that primarily benefit them, but bless the church in general and give us the opportunity to spend and grow together.