'WE CANNOT ALL DO GREAT THINGS, BUT WE CAN DO SMALL THINGS WITH GREAT LOVE'- Mother Teresa

 When I began FFCC in 1996, it started with picking up trash in a neighborhood that needed help.  I never dreamed it would look the way it does today, as I work alongside thousands of volunteers from our community. We are providing food, clothes, clean water, medical care, education, solar power AND working on four different continents!  FFCC continues to do small things with great love. These simple things have grown into amazing things and doing them has brought great joy to me, my family, and I trust, to many of you.

These are some of the highlights in 2012:

·         1,550-plus downtown homeless men, women and families were given a warm meal. In addition, hundreds of hygiene kits, blankets and clothing were distributed with the help of over 600 volunteers

·         17 Food Packaging Events were held throughout North County, packaging and distributing over 886,132meals (over eight million meals distributed locally and globally since 2006)

·         1st University Food Packaging Event held at Azusa Pacific University

·         1st High School Food Packaging Event held at San Pasqual High School

·         1st Out-of-State Food Packaging Event held in New Jersey due to the impact of hurricane Rita

·         500-plus Thanksgiving food baskets for families in need in North County

·         100's of families benefitted from our local food distribution and food pantry programs

·         3 trips to Tanzania with 33 volunteers.  (FFCC has traveled to Tanzania, Africa 15 times since 2007)

·         5 trips to Haiti with 76 volunteers.  (FFCC has traveled to Haiti 13 times since 2010)

·          2 medical clinics were conducted in Haiti providing care for 1,900 patients

·         $50,000 was raised to build, purchase and ship a 30' taxi trailer, tractor and plow for the world's 2nd largest leper colony.  This village in Tanzania now has an economic engine that provides the financial resources to create jobs and care for the needs of this community

·         9,000 water filters have been installed throughout Tanzania, Africa

·         14 students graduated from FFCC's Haiti Academy.  Of the 14 students, 12 have been sponsored and are attending college or will begin in 2013

·         FFCC began working with UC Davis producing and distributing solar lights and solar cell phone chargers in Tanzania and Haiti

These are just some of the accomplishments in 2012.  But greater than the successes of these projects are the individual lives impacted by our work.  While visiting Afghanistan in December, I visited a number of people in refugee camps who had fled from the Taliban. As I began to share some of the ways FFCC could help, one of the leaders of the camp said, "We have been praying someone would care enough to come and help us".  Thank you FFCC for being that "SOMEONE" in thousands of lives over this past  year in our community and around the world.

I look forward to this new year with great anticipation and joy in running with all that the Lord has planned.  It is with joy and satisfaction that I run wherever He leads.  Please share this newsletter with your friends and invite them to join us in 2013 for the greatest year yet.  There are many ways that you and your family can partner with us both locally and globally.  Our website, www.ffccsd.org, will list the upcoming volunteer opportunities and trips abroad. Make serving a part of your everyday schedule! I look forward to serving with you in 2013.

Sincerely,

Phil Harris

Phil Harris, Director

Friends & Family Community Connection