Seeing children battling cancer has always tugged at my heart. Five years ago, I saw a story about a teenager who was battling leukemia. He was fighting for his life at Children’s Hospital, but he spent time going around to other rooms, encouraging kids in their battle. Wow. I was heartbroken when he passed away. I heard his family was struggling to pay his medical bills. A couple nights later, I saw a Kitchen Aid mixer on television and had this wild idea. My mother had a great pound cake recipe. What if I bought that mixer, made some pound cakes and… Read More
Food
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One Saturday of every month, I host a prayer breakfast for adults in my home. One day, we noticed a diverse group of children walking up and down my street with nowhere to go and nothing to do. Idle time can create trouble for pre-teens and teenagers, especially without much supervision at home. I prayed and asked God, "Lord, if you want me to start a Bible class for these kids, then send me five to participate. I could hold a class on the other three Saturdays of each month." I chose the number five because of the five letters… Read More
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My wife and I opened an ice cream shop three years ago, and it's been an amazing experience for our family. Not just the ice cream, although that's good! It's our 12 employees. All but one are young adults with special needs. We have some with autism, some with Down Syndrome and one in a wheelchair. They bless us and our customers each day. They truly enjoy their job and simply pour out love to everyone that walks through our doors. I've been in the restaurant industry my whole career, an industry with a terrible turnover rate. So many people think they… Read More
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I remember a time when family not only meant that which you were born into, but also the people around us who we "do life" with. God is the greatest advocate for community, and I do not believe it is by chance that we find unity there. Bless-N-Basket was birthed from the very idea of putting unity back into community, and loving on our neighbors as Christ commanded. What was supposed to be a small get together for women in the living room of our home soon became a call to start a complete food pantry. The very first meeting in… Read More
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Nine years ago, my friend, Justin, and I were feeling an extreme passion to serve God. Justin felt the need to bring awareness to the homelessness issue in our small town in North Carolina. While we prayed and dreamed, we pulled more people together to figure out how to serve the homeless in our area and beyond. One time, we gathered at the local soup kitchen and asked for folks to drop off supplies while we pulled an all-nighter out in the cold to bring awareness to the growing problem. We didn't really have a plan for what we would… Read More
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When people are going through a crisis, friends need to come alongside of them and lend their support. That is the mission of Neighbor Brigade, a nonprofit started by my childhood friend, Pam Manikas Washek. She was diagnosed with cancer and fought the disease for a decade before losing her battle in 2012. But two years before she passed away, she decided to turn her pain into purpose by helping others experiencing similar crises. So she launched Neighbor Brigade. Volunteers sign up to bring a meal to someone struggling with a medical crisis or a death in the family. They… Read More