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A Hope and A Future
United Methodist Cooperative Ministries/Suncoast, Inc. |
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Family Gets a New Lease on Life
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 Robert* had a good career in the construction industry drafting blueprints for the new home designs of a local architect. His job paid enough, along with his wife's income, to support his family of two children.
Then the new house market began to shrink, and the architect was able to sell fewer and fewer designs. Eventually, he had no more work for Robert and was forced to lay him off. Robert applied for and received unemployment, but it didn't pay enough to meet the family's expenses. After cutting costs as deeply as possible, he had to dip into his savings a little bit each month to make ends meet.
In the meantime, Robert realized that the construction industry was not going to recover quickly, so he began to train as a truck driver. He was able to finish his classes, obtain his CDL, and find a job. During the time it took, however, his unemployment and savings ran out, and he found himself behind on his rent payments. The landlord had given the family notice to leave their home.
Luckily, Cooperative Ministries was able to help Robert out. Now, he and his family no longer have to worry about eviction, his new job is going well, and the family is back on its feet!
If you know someone who is facing eviction or shut off of their utilities, please contact our Help Line at (727) 442-6881 x1. Though not all applicants will qualify for help, we are able to provide financial assistance to those who do.
If you would like to help provide hospitality, intake screening, or help with intake forms to applicants at one of our financial assistance sites, please contact Kitty Carpenter at (727) 442-6881 x5 or kcarpenter@umcm.info to learn more or volunteer.
*Name has been changed
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Coming Events
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June 13 - Summer Camp begins for Children of the World Preschool
June 21 - Summer Camp begins for P.A.S.S. Tutorial Program |
| Want to Help? |
Would you like to be a part of one of the programs or projects of Cooperative Ministries? Click on one of the links below to get involved in the way that's best for you!
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See You At The Ball Game | |
 The Big Game is tomorrow night - don't miss it!
Clearwater Threshers vs. Charlotte Stone Crabs
Friday, May 20th, 2011
Bright House Field
Game time is 6:30 pm - Gates open at 5:30 pm
Tickets are $17 per person
and include the game and all you can eat and drink in the
Hot Corner Cafe from 5:30-8:30 pm.
(Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Cheeseburgers, Peanuts, Popcorn, Chips, Ice Cream Sandwiches, Soft Drinks & Bottled Water)
$5 of every ticket will go to support
Cooperative Ministries projects and programs.
Go to the Group Sales Ticket window and let them know you're there to support the Threshers and Cooperative Ministries!
(Bright House Field is at Drew Street and Hwy 19, Clearwater)
Questions? Call Kitty Carpenter at (727) 442-6881 x5 |
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Volunteer Spotlight
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 In this newsletter, the volunteer spotlight shines down on Helen Sweatt as she serves her second (non-consecutive) term as president of the Board of Directors of Cooperative Ministries. Helen first became active on the board over 20 years ago in the early 1990's while she volunteered for the Producing Academically Successful Students (P.A.S.S.) Tutorial Program at the original Child's Park UMC Church in the Community site. She has remained on the board, faithfully giving her time, talent and service to the ministry over the years.
"I like the combination of empowering people with education and helping people with immediate needs, such as feeding the homeless," said Helen about her interest in Cooperative Ministries. "I also believe in churches being involved in missions together; more things can be done by the district as a whole than by individual churches." |
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Campers Ready to Go "Out of This World" Thanks to You
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Listen for a rumbling sound coming from the west coast of Florida this summer.
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At last year's camp, students had fun with Math Madness.
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Has NASA moved its space program? No, it's the children of the P.A.S.S. Tutorial Program attending the "Out of This World" Summer Learning Camp at First United Methodist Church of Dunedin. They may not notice how much they are practicing their reading, writing and math skills as they learn about the solar system through experiments, crafts, and reading challenge competitions designed to teach them about God's amazing universe. Add in field trips, and it's a fantastic five weeks of enrichment for 60 1st-5th graders from low-income families.
All of this is possible because your response to the Annual Scholarship Drive and Tea for the camp has also been "Out of this World." So far, the drive has received over $11,500 of the $12,500 needed to fund the camp, and donations are still coming in. The drive began in March and was highlighted by a Tea with Lunch held on April 9th at First United Methodist Church of Clearwater. Supporters enjoyed a delicious meal and helped raise $750 in silent auction bids. Scholarship funds have been donated by approximately 80 individuals and 14 UMW, UMM, and other groups. We are so grateful for the generous response from all of you who love to help children reach their full potential!
This stellar program presents volunteer opportunities for high school students, 15 and older, that can commit to the camp program to serve as counselors. This is a great way to earn Bright Futures or other school-required service hours. Adult volunteers are also welcome. For volunteer information, call 727-442-6881, ext. 5, or contact kcarpenter@umcm.info.
While the camp is almost fully funded, we can still use a little bit more help. If you'd like to donate items for camp, the P.A.S.S. Wish List can be found on our website: www.umcm.info. Additional donations may be made through www.umcm.info or by mailing a check to: P.A.S.S. Summer Camp, 1625 Union Street, Clearwater, FL 33755.
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| Florida Advocacy Days | |
Drawing inspiration from the biblical story of Queen Esther, United Methodists and members of the AME Church from across Florida joined together to speak to state leaders on behalf of children April 3-5 in Tallahassee.
About 60 people from the two denominations gathered at Trinity UMC in Tallahassee for Florida Advocacy Days, the Methodists' contribution to Children's Week, an annual advocacy effort organized by the United Way of Florida. Florida Conference Bishop Timothy W. Whitaker and AME 11th Episcopal District Bishop McKinley Young were present to lead the assembly.
Rosemary Uebel, Vice President of the Cooperative Ministries Board of Directors and Marylina Carbungco, Director of Support Services at the Children of the World Preschool, were among those attending. To read the e-review article and see photos from the event, click here. |
| Promote Your Business and Support the Preschool Yearbook Fund | |
Great advertisement space is now available in the Children of the World Preschool 2010-2011 Year Book.
Promote your business or send good wishes to students in this yearbook full of photos of adorable children whose families hail from 18 different countries around the world. The book is a great memento for the families and one they proudly share with friends and neighbors. It is also used as a promotional piece for attracting new students and financial support.
Cost of the advertisement:
$90 for a full page;
$60 for 2/3 page; or
$30 for 1/3 page.
To reserve your advertisement space, call Marylina Carbungo at Children of the World Preschool, 727-526-0017 or email MCarbungco@umcm.info . Deadline for reservations is May 27.
All funds raised from advertisement costs will be used to pay for printing of the yearbook. Funds collected from the purchase of yearbooks by parents, family and friends goes to the Vanessa Petrie Scholarship Fund, which provides financial assistance to students who face sudden financial hardship that would prevent them continuing their preschool education.
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 I hope you've enjoyed this month's e-news! On behalf of all of us at Cooperative Ministries, thank you for all you do to support our work. Your prayers, time, and donations mean so much to so many. Sincerely, Pamela Qualls, Executive Director
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| Info | United Methodist Cooperative Ministries/Suncoast, Inc.
1625 Union Street
Clearwater, FL 33755-1363
(727) 442-6881
www.umcm.info
contact@umcm.info |
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