March and April 2012 03/26/2012
“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:32 Updates from Pat . . . Julie’s House came into existence in 2004. We began with no money - only an overwhelming desire to “help the helpless” - children that do not have a place to call home. Our message has spread throughout our community and, as you can see from our newsletters, God’s people are responding in great numbers. God said that He will “graciously give us all things” that we need to fulfill our mission and He is keeping His promise. To God be the glory! WRDW-TV News 12 chose Julie’s House as their January “Time to Care” organization. They asked our citizens to “clean out closets” and donate items to our thrift store. On January 19th, the news team came to our Making Ends Meet Bargain Center and featured us on the noon, 5 o’clock, and 6 o’clock newscasts. We received an enormous amount of donations. Thank you, WRDW-TV News 12 team - Shannon Powell, Marketing/Promotions Director; Bryce Crap, Station & Community Events Director; Liz Owens, Investigative Reporter; and Colin Hilson, Chief Photojournalist and Satellite Truck Operator - for doing a superb job and giving us this opportunity to share our message! Maddy Elledge and Kayla Lyle selected Julie’s House as the subject of their High School Senior Projects. Maddy is a senior at Lakeside High School and Kayla is a senior at Evans High School. Maddy sponsored a fundraiser dinner at her church, Aldersgate United Methodist, and raised $690.33. She also collected many nice donations for our thrift store. Maddy’s mom, Jennie Montgomery, WJBF-TV Channel 6 News Anchor, hosted a fundraiser dinner for us several years ago and Maddy became interested in our ministry at that time. Kayla held a work party at our thrift store. She and her friends did a superb job. Thank you, Maddy and Kayla, for your help and support and for allowing me the privilege of working with you! Our shelter is getting a much-needed new roof due to the fundraising efforts of the Cook/Malzer/Hale Sunday school class at Warren Baptist Church. Nicholas Redfern is spearheading the project. This class, again this year, selected Julie’s House as their “Impact Augusta” project. On March 3rd, they held a work party at our thrift store, did repairs at our shelter, and helped us box and transport truckloads of donated items from the Broad Street Ministry Center yard sale. Thank you, Nicholas, Cook/Malzer/Hale Sunday school class, and contributors! Thank you, Broad Street Ministry Center, for the donations! Kaye Morris is their director. Thank you, Kaye! The Sorrells/Middleton Sunday school class and Anderson Ladies Group from Warren Baptist Church also did their “Impact Augusta” project at our thrift store. Thank you, Sorrells/Middleton Sunday school class and Anderson Ladies Group, for making our store neat, tidy, and beautiful! The High School Girls Group from Warren Baptist Church held a work party at our thrift store. Lauren Starnes and Courtney Parker are their leaders. Thank you, High School Girls Group, Lauren, and Courtney, for your help and support! The Burchard Bible Study Class of West Acres Baptist Church has done many projects at our shelter to include cleaning the garage, connecting a washer and dryer, building shelves, and installing sheet rock. They donated all of the materials for the projects. They, also, helped box and transport the donations from the Broad Street Ministry Center. Robert Farmer leads the team. Thank you, Mr. Farmer and Burchard Bible Study Class! Such an outpouring of Christian love and generosity by so many people is indescribable! I appreciate all of you so very, very much! (Continued on next page) One of the ladies will be moving from Julie’s House in a couple of months. She now has a good job with benefits and will soon have a driver’s license and vehicle. She and her precious baby girl have been with us twenty-one months. The baby was nine months old when we gave them shelter. She is now walking and talking and cute as can be. “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all . . .” Happy Easter! Pat Bourke Making Ends Meet Bargain Center Bag Days April 4, 5, 6, & 7 and May 2, 3, 4, & 5$5.00 for a bag of clothes, shoes, purses, stuffed animals, and/or books La Petite Plaza – Suites 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, & 1F. Off of Washington Road between CSRA Camperland and Bojangle’s Making Ends Meet Bargain Regular Store Hours Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday – 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. – Saturday – 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. Upcoming events . . . Support group meetings - March 22 and April 26. For more information and reservations, call 706-836-2781. We serve dinner. Julie’s House, Inc., is incorporated as a nonprofit organization, is registered with the GeorgiaSecretary of State, and has 501(c)(3) status with the IRS. All contributions are tax deductible. Add Comment “Give us today our daily bread.” Matthew 6:11 Another year has ended and financially it has been a challenging one for the Julie’s House organization. We have had many unexpected expenses. God met our “daily” needs, we paid the bills, we survived, and we are thankful. With the help of many, many generous donors and volunteers, the nine children and their mothers at Julie’s House had an awesome Christmas. Woodmen of the World Lodge #1571 gave them a wonderful party at their lodge on Wheeler Road. They had pizza, corn dogs, gifts, and all the trimmings. Santa Claus also paid a visit. Peggy Ryder planned and coordinated the party. John Ryder, her husband, is president of the lodge. Thank you, Peggy, John, and Woodmen of the World Lodge #1571. The Cook/Malzer/Hale Sunday school class from Warren Baptist Church gave our families a huge turkey for their Christmas dinner. Thank you, Cook/Malzer/Hale Sunday school class! Teddy Collingsworth is their coordinator. Jan Scarbary and Kathy Shuford always help our families not only at Christmas but also throughout the year. Thank you, Jan and Kathy! Eighteen volunteers and board members attended our Christmas party at Red Lobster Restaurant. Virginia Summerall made beautiful party favors and table decorations. Piccadilly Cafeteria donated a delicious cake for a door prize. Robert Whitfield is the manager of Piccadilly Cafeteria. Thank you, Virginia, Robert, volunteers, and board members for giving your time to support our ministry! In our last newsletter, I asked for donations of furniture and appliances for our thrift store. Furniture Rentals on Washington Road gave us a huge truckload of beautiful furniture and a washer and dryer to use at Julie’s House. Thank you, Mrs. Paula Blalock and Stan Blalock, for this kind gesture! Mrs. Paula volunteers at our thrift store and is a member of Warren Baptist Church. Stan is her son. This donation greatly boosted the sales at Making Ends Meet Bargain Center and we very much needed an additional washer and dryer at our shelter. A big “thank you” to W. A. Bragg & Company in Martinez for donating a 50-gallon water heater for our shelter. Gary Judy came to our rescue when the water tank began to leak and Elsie Long and Susan Swanson donated the money to cover the cost of installation of the new heater. Elsie is my aunt and Susan is director of Care Pregnancy Center. Thank you, Gary, Elsie, and Susan! The ladies of Central Church of Christ donated household items for Julie’s House. Sandra Ryan and Sonja Bruce are their leaders. Thank you, ladies, for the gift of these much-needed items! Once again, Julie’s House was awarded a grant from the Border Bash Foundation. Tom Sorrells and I attended a press conference at Beasley Broadcasting Group on December 21, 2011, and received a check for $4,000.00. Thank you, Border Bash Foundation, for your support, Tommy Rogers, for being our advocate, and Tom Sorrells, for accepting the check and giving a beautiful presentation! We need a built-in dishwasher for one of the kitchens at Julie’s House. If you can donate one or have a contact that will give us this item, please let me know. In addition, if your Sunday school class or civic organization would like to donate and prepare a meal for a support group meeting, I would greatly appreciate the assistance. The amount of donations that we receive for our thrift store is amazing and we need many more volunteers to sort the items, to keep our store nice and neat, and to serve our customers. If you would like to give some of your time to fill this need, please call me at 706-836-2781 or just drop by the store and “sign up”. Pat Bourke Upcoming events . . .
“Give us today our daily bread.” Matthew 6:11 Another year has ended and financially it has been a challenging one for the Julie’s House organization. We have had many unexpected expenses. God met our “daily” needs, we paid the bills, we survived, and we are thankful. With the help of many, many generous donors and volunteers, the nine children and their mothers at Julie’s House had an awesome Christmas. Woodmen of the World Lodge #1571 gave them a wonderful party at their lodge on Wheeler Road. They had pizza, corn dogs, gifts, and all the trimmings. Santa Claus also paid a visit. Peggy Ryder planned and coordinated the party. John Ryder, her husband, is president of the lodge. Thank you, Peggy, John, and Woodmen of the World Lodge #1571. The Cook/Malzer/Hale Sunday school class from Warren Baptist Church gave our families a huge turkey for their Christmas dinner. Thank you, Cook/Malzer/Hale Sunday school class! Teddy Collingsworth is their coordinator. Jan Scarbary and Kathy Shuford always help our families not only at Christmas but also throughout the year. Thank you, Jan and Kathy! Eighteen volunteers and board members attended our Christmas party at Red Lobster Restaurant. Virginia Summerall made beautiful party favors and table decorations. Piccadilly Cafeteria donated a delicious cake for a door prize. Robert Whitfield is the manager of Piccadilly Cafeteria. Thank you, Virginia, Robert, volunteers, and board members for giving your time to support our ministry! In our last newsletter, I asked for donations of furniture and appliances for our thrift store. Furniture Rentals on Washington Road gave us a huge truckload of beautiful furniture and a washer and dryer to use at Julie’s House. Thank you, Mrs. Paula Blalock and Stan Blalock, for this kind gesture! Mrs. Paula volunteers at our thrift store and is a member of Warren Baptist Church. Stan is her son. This donation greatly boosted the sales at Making Ends Meet Bargain Center and we very much needed an additional washer and dryer at our shelter. A big “thank you” to W. A. Bragg & Company in Martinez for donating a 50-gallon water heater for our shelter. Gary Judy came to our rescue when the water tank began to leak and Elsie Long and Susan Swanson donated the money to cover the cost of installation of the new heater. Elsie is my aunt and Susan is director of Care Pregnancy Center. Thank you, Gary, Elsie, and Susan! The ladies of Central Church of Christ donated household items for Julie’s House. Sandra Ryan and Sonja Bruce are their leaders. Thank you, ladies, for the gift of these much-needed items! Once again, Julie’s House was awarded a grant from the Border Bash Foundation. Tom Sorrells and I attended a press conference at Beasley Broadcasting Group on December 21, 2011, and received a check for $4,000.00. Thank you, Border Bash Foundation, for your support, Tommy Rogers, for being our advocate, and Tom Sorrells, for accepting the check and giving a beautiful presentation! We need a built-in dishwasher for one of the kitchens at Julie’s House. If you can donate one or have a contact that will give us this item, please let me know. In addition, if your Sunday school class or civic organization would like to donate and prepare a meal for a support group meeting, I would greatly appreciate the assistance. The amount of donations that we receive for our thrift store is amazing and we need many more volunteers to sort the items, to keep our store nice and neat, and to serve our customers. If you would like to give some of your time to fill this need, please call me at 706-836-2781 or just drop by the store and “sign up”. Pat Bourke NEWS: WRDW – News 12 features Making Ends Meet Bargain Center as their “Time to Care” Organization for January 2012 Thursday, January 19, 2012, 1:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. bring items to donate Making Ends Meet Bargain Center Bag Days February 1, 2, 3, & 4 and February 29 & March 1, 2, & 3 $5.00 for a bag of clothes, shoes, purses, stuffed animals, and/or books La Petite Plaza – Suites 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, & 1F Off of Washington Road between CSRA Camperland and Bojangle’s Regular Store Hours – Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday – 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. – Saturday – 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. Upcoming events . . .
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 It has been a “long hot summer” and air conditioning has been an absolute necessity. As with all businesses and households, the Georgia Power bills at Julie’s House and Making Ends Meet Bargain Center have been extremely high. In addition, we have had some major repair expenses on our delivery truck. I “pray continually” that we are able to meet our financial obligations and continue our ministry. A “very special thank you” to the churches, families, Sunday school classes, civic organizations, and businesses that send a contribution month-after-month. May God bless you! We need many more Christian friends to open their hearts and their pocketbooks to support our efforts to rescue homeless children and their mothers. Please help! I would like to express my condolences to Mike Armstrong in the loss of his mother, Mrs. Bernice Kirsch Armstrong. Mrs. Armstrong went to be with the Lord on September 1st. Mike is president of our board of directors and has been a faithful Julie’s House board member since 2005. We have had problems with one of our air conditioning units at Julie’s House several times this summer. Thank you, Plunkett Heating & Air Conditioning and Tom Sally Heating & Air Conditioning, for donating your services to keep our families comfortable! Mr. Roy Wright donated a heat pump unit to us and saved us hundreds of dollars. Thank you, Mr. Wright! Some members of The Columbia County Youth Leadership Class of 2012 chose Making Ends Meet Bargain Center as their community service project. On September 3rd, nine members of this group worked at our store and did a superb job. Thank you! The Cook/Malzer/Hale Sunday school class from Warren Baptist Church volunteers at our thrift store and Julie’s House one Saturday every month and has been doing so since March 2010. Teddy and Angela Collingsworth lead the group. Thank you! You are wonderful! The Sisters in Christ from Freedom Bible Church volunteered at our store August 20th. Thank you, ladies! Kim Thornhill is their leader. We will resume our support group meetings on Thursday, September 22nd, at 5:30 P.M. Please call 706-836-2781 for information and reservations. We serve dinner. Join the fun and fellowship! I ask that you please “spread the word” about our wonderful little thrift store and if you have not “checked it out”, you are missing a “real treat”. We accept donations during business hours and other times by appointment. We especially need furniture and appliances. We now have four families residing at Julie’s House – four mothers and eight children. Every bed is occupied. Many times every day I have to say, “there is no more room”. Seven of the children have settled into their school routines and our two-year-old is in daycare while her mommy goes to work. All of our ladies are now employed and three have vehicles. They are all progressing toward self- sufficiency. Pat Bourke “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.” Deuteronomy 10:18 Updates from Pat . . . “In April 2009, the National Center for Health Statistics announced that nearly 40 percent of babies born in the United States in 2007 were delivered by unwed mothers.” They also found that “children are at greater risk for adverse consequences when born to a single mother because the social, emotional, and financial resources available to the family may be limited.” “Fifty percent of marriages in the United States end in divorce.” (Jennifer Baker, Forest Institute of Professional Psychology). As of noon today, I had calls from three single mothers with minor children that are homeless and desperate. One mother has lost her job and the other two are victims of domestic violence. This has been a typical day. Tonight there is not one bed available in our town for these mothers and their children. I referred them to shelters outside of our area. I can give you pages and pages of statistics on homeless children but, Christian friends, these are the only statistics that I need to convince me that our community needs to support the efforts of Julie’s House to “defend the cause of the fatherless”. We are doing the best that we can with our resources but this need is enormous. Please support our ministry by making a personal financial commitment, volunteering your time, and asking your family members, friends, and co-workers for their help and financial support. On June 4th, Priscilla Davis, owner of Davis Antiques & Collectibles, sponsored a fundraiser/print signing with Jim Harrison, artist and author from Denmark, South Carolina. Mr. Harrison is world famous for his Coca- Cola paintings of rural America. Thank you, Mr. Harrison! The Church of our Savior hosted the event and Marianne Simeneta, a volunteer at our thrift store and a member of the church, made all of the arrangements for the venue. Priscilla also donated a matted and framed print by Mr. Harrison that we will use for an additional fundraiser. Thank you, Priscilla and Marianne! The “Independence Day Celebration Sale” at Making Ends Meet Bargain Center was a huge success. A special thank you to Andrea Key and Lindsey Key for so diligently helping me to solicit donations and Very Vera, Kroger on Columbia Road, Jerry Stone, Teresa’s Mexican Restaurant, Fresh Market, Pepsi Cola, Sean and Robin Allen, Call Me Cupcakes, and Piccadilly Cafeteria for donating the food for our concession! Also, thank you, to the person who anonymously donated the Moon Walk and Broad Street Ministry for your help and support. Julie’s House is the recipient of a check from the Augusta National Golf Club’s Employee Giving Program. Each employee selects a charity to receive $500.00. The check to our organization was $3,000.00. Thank you, Augusta National Golf Club employees. We will not have support group meeting in July or August and our next meeting will be the September 23rd. A youth group from The Sanctuary Church held a work party at our thrift store July 9th. Fifteen young people and their leaders did a great job straightening the store and making it look “pretty”. Marc Smith is Associate Pastor to Youth and Missions for the church. Thank you, Trevor and Barry Wheeler, for helping us to get our pick-up truck repaired! One of our residents at Julie’s House has passed the state board exam for certified nursing assistant and, not only that, she has a job at the Veterans Nursing Home. She and her two-year-old child have been at Julie’s House for one year. What a difference twelve months and “a hand-up” can make in a person’s life. I am so very proud of her. We give God the praise and glory! Pat Bourke May & June Newsletter - Updates from Pat 06/19/2011
“For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13 Fear sometimes causes us not to act when we know in our hearts that we should. Fear can paralyze. This is especially true in cases of domestic violence and child abuse. When a victim makes the decision to leave the batterer, he is three times more likely to kill her and possibly the children. Those who help her to escape can also be “in harms way”. Our ministry gives the victims and their children a “way out” and a better life. I ask you to “speak out” against domestic violence and child abuse. Please support our mission to protect children from physical and psychological battering. God tells us in his word “Do not fear; I will help you.” A group of ladies from Freedom Bible Church held yet another work party at our thrift store and donated much needed supplies for our shelter. Thank you, Freedom Bible Church! We participated in the Missions Celebration at Warren Baptist Church on March 6th. Virginia Summerall represented Julie’s House. She made a beautiful new display board and the Julie’s House table was very impressive. Thank you, Virginia, for all that you did and, Warren Baptist Church, for giving us the opportunity to share our message! I attended the baptism of my ten-year-old grandson, Collin Evans, that evening. God bless you, Collin. I love you!! Once again, several Sunday school classes from Warren Baptist Church selected our organization as their “Impact Augusta” project. On March 26th, approximately twenty individuals worked at our thrift store and at our shelter. A group, organized by Teddy Collingsworth, donated and assembled a swingset and playground equipment. They also did yard work and sorted donations. Thank you, Warren Baptist Church! During the “big wind storm” several weeks ago, two large pine trees fell at Julie’s House. They fell on our fence but there was no other damage. It could have been much worse. Bobby Temenak, owner of Stallion Tree Professionals and a member of Warren Baptist Church, removed the trees and Mr. Phillips, our neighbor, repaired the fence. Thank you, Mr. Temenak and Mr. Phillips! One of our air conditioning units at Julie’s House needs repairs. Mr. Roy Wright, a friend and co-worker of Teddy Collingsworth, has offered his services. Thank you, Mr. Wright! With summer heat fast approaching, air conditioning is a necessity. In response to our plea for in-kind donations, Mr. Walter Massingale with Georgia Bank & Trust Company, referred us to Tabb Pest Control. Mr. Tabb is donating his services. Thank you, Mr. Massingale and Mr. Tabb! Teresa’s Mexican Restaurant donated the food for our March support group meeting and Baldino’s Subs donated the food for our April meeting. Thank you, Teresa’s and Baldino’s! The food was so delicious! InkBoy on Davis Road in Martinez is now printing our newsletter free of charge. Virginia Summerall made the contact for us. Thank you, InkBoy and Virginia! We desperately need a 10ft. or 12 ft. box truck for our thrift store. If you know of someone that is able to donate this vehicle or sell it to us at a very, very reasonable price, please refer him/her to me. One of our clients at Julie’s House is attending school to become a certified nursing assistant and will graduate in a few weeks and one is now working for Richmond County. Congratulations, ladies, on your progress!! I say “thank you” many times in every newsletter. Without the loving support of Christians, we can not accomplish our mission. Pat Bourke COOKBOOK FOR SALE
Making Ends Meet Bargain CenterWhere: 3850 Washington Road – Martinez, Georgia (La Petite Plaza - off of Washington Road between CSRA Camperland and Bojangle’s)Hours:
Leadership:
Julie’s House, Inc., is incorporated as a nonprofit organization, is registered with the Georgia Secretary of State, and has 501(c)(3) status with the IRS. All contributions are tax deductible. March & April Newsletter - Updates from Pat 03/01/2011
“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” James 3:13 Are we “wise and understanding?” Do we do our deeds in “humility” without the need for recognition and praise? The “Sisters in Christ” group from Freedom Bible Church held work parties at our thrift store on January 29th and February 12th and also brought us many household supplies. Kim Thornton organized the team. Thank you, Kim and ladies of Freedom Bible Church. Once again, Teddy and Angela Collingsworth and their Sunday school class from Warren Baptist Church, helped at our thrift store. This class has held a work party for us once a month since March of 2010. Jenna Martin, staff writer for The Columbia County News-Times, read in our newsletter that this class built a play yard for us. She asked if she could write a story about this group and their service to Julie’s House. The article appeared in the January 23rd edition of the paper. Thank you, Teddy, Angela, and Sunday school class members, for your faithful service. Also, thank you, Jenna, for writing the beautiful article. We mentored Austin Vickrey, Dana Dickerson, and Kieran Edmonds as they did their high school senior projects. They each chose domestic violence as their subject. Austin sponsored an archery tournament fundraiser for us, Dana volunteered at our store, and Kieran did a “ride along” with a Columbia County sheriff’s deputy. Thank you, Austin, Dana, and Kieran, for selecting our ministry to be a part of your projects. P.S. Kieran Edmonds is my grandson and in November of 2010, he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. His Eagle Scout Court of Honor and reception were held February 19th at Columbia County Christian Church. His parents are Kim and Eliot Edmonds and Kelsey is his sister. Congratulations, grandson! I am so very, very proud of you! We received a $5,000.00 grant from the Border Bash Foundation. The check was presented to us at the offices of Beasley Broadcasting on February 15th. Thank you, Tommy Rogers, Bob Evans, Tom Johnson, Mike Armstrong, Beasley Broadcasting, Border Bash Committee, The Community Foundation for the Central Savannah River Area, and sponsors. Mike Armstrong, our Board President, accepted the check on behalf of Julie’s House. Thank you, Mike. Becky Padgett wrote the grant for us. Thank you, Becky, for a “job well done”. We regret to announce that Tom Sorrells has resigned his position on the Board of Directors of Julie’s House. Thank you so very much, Tom, for many years of faithful and tireless service. You are a wonderful advocate for our ministry in your church and in our community. Tom and his wife, Lynda, are members of Warren Baptist Church. If you or your Sunday school class or civic organization would like to assist us by preparing a meal for our support group meetings, please contact me at 706-836-2781. The meetings are the fourth Thursday or each month at 5:30 P.M. and the food needs to be picked-up or delivered by 4:30 P.M. We usually serve about fifteen people. Our wonderful new web site is “up and running” and we hope that you will pay it a visit. Thank you, Laura Baareman, for the many hours that you gave to make this happen. Our ten-room house is now at capacity. Every room and every bed is occupied. We have three families in residence—three mothers and seven children. I average two telephone calls a day from women with children who are homeless and destitute. It breaks my heart to tell them that we have no room. A lady called today. She said that she and her two sons, ages fourteen and eleven, slept in their car last night. Please pray for this lady and her children. Pat Bourke “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” Ecclesiastes 4:9 & 10 Another year is history and it is time to analyze the past, learn from mistakes, and plan for the future. Without friends and family to “help me up” when I “fall down” and the love of Jesus Christ, the Julie’s House ministry would be an impossible task. Thirty-one individuals, including staff members, volunteers, support group members, and residents of Julie’s House, attended our Christmas party on December 9th. Lynda, our house manager, and the families at Julie’s House decorated beautifully for our party and Bubba Moore and George Champion, who are part of our thrift store staff, helped to prepare the food. I say a big “thank you” to all of you for a job well done. Thanks to many, many loving Christians, the residents of Julie’s House had a very Merry Christmas. On December 11th, the Woodmen of the World Lodge #1571 hosted a Christmas pizza party for our children and their mothers at their facility on Wheeler Road. Santa Clause brought many gifts and the food was delicious. Peggy Ryder organized the party. Her husband, John, is president of the organization. Thank you, Peggy, John, and members of Woodmen of the World Lodge #1571. A young ladies Sunday school class from Warren Baptist Church prepared and served a Christmas feast at Julie’s House on December 21st. Rachel Carlisle is their teacher. Thank you, Rachel and young ladies, for this wonderful gesture. The food was fantastic and there were lots of “left-overs” for dinner on Christmas Day. Also, a young ladies Sunday school class from Kiokee Baptist Church visited Julie’s House and brought many, many gifts. Beth Stewart is their teacher. Thank you, Beth and Sunday school class, for your generosity. This class has furnished supplies for our house on several occasions. The Lawson and Stephens families visited Julie’s house and brought gifts. They wanted their children to experience the joy of giving. Thank you, Lawson and Stephens families. We can always count on Jan Scarbary and Kathy Shuford to be Santa’s helpers. Thank you, Jan and Kathy. We now have a wonderful and safe playground for our children. A Sunday school class from Warren Baptist Church donated the materials and labor to construct a privacy fence to enclose an area 32 ft. x 25 ft. on our property. Teddy Collingsworth led the team, raised the funds, and planned and implemented the project. This Sunday school class has given many hours for work parties at our thrift store and Julie’s House. Thank you, Teddy and Angela Collngsworth, Sunday school class members, and Warren Baptist Church. We now have a boat, motor, and trailer for sale thanks to David and Karen Ribble. They also donated a Ford Ranger pick-up truck to us last year. The boat is a 1988, Bayline Cuddy Cabin, 17 ft., fiberglass model with an 85-hp outboard motor. The NADA gives a fair market value of $2,100.00 for this boat, motor, and trailer. As with all businesses and households, we are trying to cut costs and operate more efficiently. We are asking that you help us solicit in-kind donations of goods and services that are necessary for the operation and maintenance of our facility. I have listed some of these needs on the reverse side of this newsletter. If you or someone you know is able to donate a service or materials, please call me. All donations to Julie’s House are tax deductible. We have made the decision to publish this newsletter bi-monthly instead of monthly because of the expense and time involved. We will enclose two envelopes in each issue for your convenience. A “special thank you” to Virginia Summerall for processing and delivering the newsletter and donating the paper. This is a huge help and big savings. I wish for you and yours good health, wealth, and happiness in the New Year! May God Bless! Pat Bourke Store that helps shelter is growing 03/01/2011
 By Jenna Martin, Staff Writer, Columbia County News Times Just a year after the Making Ends Meet Bargain Center opened, the Martinez thrift store is looking to expand its facility as donations from the community continue to pour in. Proceeds made at the bargain center benefit Julie's House, a Columbia County nonprofit organization designed to shelter homeless and battered women and their children. "People have been so generous, and this is how it's supposed to be," said Julie's House Executive Director Pat Bourke, who also runs the center. Making Ends Meet opened in November 2008 and has since moved to several locations at La Petite Plaza off Washington Road, by CSRA Camperland. The business is now headquartered at Suite 1C in the shopping center and encompasses four units spanning a total of 2,800 square feet. The center could expand again as soon as February, Bourke added. "This is fun," she said. "When you do something you love, it's not really work."  The store offers clothing, furniture, toys, baby products, household goods, jewelry and other merchandise. Churches, organizations and individuals continuously donate items for the store, Bourke said. Many donations currently are being housed in storage warehouses until more space becomes available. In a year's span, the bargain center has taken in about $52,000, with about half of those proceeds netted by Julie's House, Bourke said. In honor of the store's one-year anniversary, customers can purchase a full bag of clothes and shoes for just $3 every business day in December. The store is open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Wednesday-Friday and from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday. While the business is open to the public, customers in need can receive free items after filling out paperwork. "Not only does it serve the community as far as being able to purchase things at a nominal price," Bourke said, "we also are a resource center for the community." Bourke said she's received about 100 individual referrals from several organizations and churches in Columbia and Richmond counties and helped about 40 families. When speaking of the bargain center's mission, Julie's House Board President Tom Sorrells cited biblical passage Acts 4:32, which states that all believers "shared everything they had." "That's our mission, to have those that have a need not to go without," he said. "It's been a hand-me-down store that has not been a hand-me-down for those in need. "It's been a tremendous outreach of this community." Shirley Helmick is one of about 15 volunteers who lend a hand at the center. She started volunteering about 10 months ago after browsing items in the store with her good friend, Patty Usry. "The same day we came in to check it out, we decided to volunteer," she said. Helmick said she views the other volunteers and customers like family. "We've had people come in and say they love coming in here, because it just makes their day," she said. "That's good to hear. It makes you feel like you're really doing something for them." For information, call Bourke at (706) 836-2781.  From: The Columbia County News Times By Jenna Martin Staff Writer http://newstimes.augusta.com/stories/2011/01/23/new_602949.shtml Helping others can become contagious. At Julie's House, volunteers open their arms every day to battered and homeless women and their children. The nonprofit organization receives help of its own. A Sunday school class from Warren Baptist Church lends a hand to help Julie's House aid women in times of crisis. "I really couldn't run the store and have this organization without my volunteers," said Julie's House Executive Director Pat Bourke. "They come in and do whatever needs to be done." The Sunday school class, known at Warren Baptist as the Cook/Malzer/Hale small group, chose Julie's House as the organization they wanted to assist as a church mission project. "It was something that women and men could both do," said Melissa Widener, a member of the class. "There's always something here for us to do." For the past year, about 10 people from the class have spent a Saturday each month volunteering at the Julie's House thrift store, Making Ends Meet Bargain Center in La Petite Plaza in Martinez. The center opened in November 2008 to house donations that poured in for the Columbia County shelter. The store quickly outgrew its 900-square-foot storefront in the plaza and now occupies 5,800 square feet and most of the shopping center. Volunteers sort through donated items and organize merchandise in the store. "I think we've all started donating here," said church volunteer Christy Warren. Their work doesn't stop there. Men from the church group devote time doing yard work at the shelter and maintaining the 10-room residence. Group members recently raised funds to enclose the playground with a privacy fence to give clients at the shelter a sense of safety. During the holidays, Bourke said, a volunteer from the church also cooked and brought a Christmas meal to the shelter. "They served it, and they were experiencing the joy of giving to others," she said. Bourke noted that the volunteers take time away from their busy schedules and families to do for others. "Families, especially with school-age children, your time is so valuable," she said. "They have been so good to give me their Saturdays." Click here to return to story: http://newstimes.augusta.com/stories/2011/01/23/new_602949.shtml |
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