Pages

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Why Not Me – Helping at Urban Vision!


In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 5:16


Good works don’t save, but they are evidence of salvation.

Sometimes, believers are called to witness through our actions. Answering God’s call to work for His kingdom glorifies His name.




What kinds of good works?

Right now, practical ones. Like helping Urban Vision staff members with painting their sanctuary.




Urban Vision's sanctuary has seen the lives of many at-risk youth brought into Christ's kingdom. Here, the UV In His Steps ballet team is practicing.



Tell me more.

This Monday, May 18th, through Saturday, May 23rd, Urban Vision’s painting project is taking place. If you’re an adult, please feel free to assist the UV staff with this effort during the hours of 8 AM through 8 PM at their facility in north Akron. For more information, please contact:

Nathan Kreis, Urban Vision Volunteer Coordinator, at 330.762.1163, or

Barbara Ammirati of CCC’s Local Outreach team at: barbara.ammirati@ccchapel.com .

For more information on Urban Vision, please visit: http://urbanvisionministry.org/home0.aspx





Tuesday, May 12, 2015

PSS: A Life-Saving Volunteering Opportunity!



And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?”

Luke 6:9, ESV




Jesus is about our Father’s business: saving lives.

He demonstrated He was not just the Lord of the Sabbath, but the Lord of life.


Jesus’ followers are about the same business.

One way we are called to save lives is by sharing the Gospel. Another involves a great volunteering opportunity with Pregnancy Solutions & Services (PSS).






Tell me more.

PSS has an immediate need for volunteers. The organization has a new ultrasound technician. To meet her certification requirements, she needs to perform a certain number of ultrasounds.

If you are in your 1st or 2nd trimester and would be willing to have a free ultrasound, it would be huge blessing to Pregnancy Solutions & Services, and to Jesus’ life saving work in the Akron area.

For more information and/or to schedule a free ultrasound, please contact Wayne at: wmorgret@pregsolutions.org .

Or, you can contact Barbara Ammirati of the Christ Community Chapel Local Outreach team at: barbara.ammirati@ccchapel.com .






Sunday, May 3, 2015

FG Solutions: Packaging with an Eternal Purpose



  
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

From Psalm 121


Help for those in need comes from the Lord.

CCC Local Outreach ministry partner First Glance has many committed staff people and volunteers devoted to providing help for young people in need in Akron’s Kenmore area. Some come to the First Glance youth center in need of clothing or food. Because these are recurring needs, First Glance staffers began thinking about the long term potential of these youth.



God’s people can lift up others by encouraging them to lift up their eyes to the Lord.

Perhaps you’ve heard this saying:

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.



This is the principle on which First Glance affiliate organization FG Solutions was founded.  FG Solutions creates job and training opportunities for those students and young adults who need help in Kenmore – those who need to learn how to earn a living. FG Solutions also gives them Christ-focused emotional and spiritual support in that learning process.  They learn to live out Psalm 121.


An FG Solutions worker converts bulk goods into salable SKUs, or stock keeping units


The Lord has provided.

In its first year, FG Solutions provided roughly a quarter of a million dollars of income to 77 employees as they have learned how to earn a living.  FG Solutions does contract packaging – work that is outsourced by local companies.  And, it does 'Packaging with a Purpose' - helping its students and young adults get prepared to earn a living.


 Just as with First Glance, FG Solutions is all about the long term relationships formed


And there is more to be done.

The ultimate goal of FG Solutions is to train people up with experience, and then help them gain employment beyond FG Solutions.  So, FG Solutions, with about one year of experience under its belt, is looking for companies that need to hire workers with experience in just-in-time packaging services.

Likewise, FG Solutions would like to expand its base of contract packaging customers. This would allow more people to benefit from the training and life skills counseling offered by FG Solutions administrators Tim Beck and Rob Abel. It would also allow those customers to reduce their packaging costs while enjoying 24 hour turnaround.  One firm had several thousands of dollars of ‘dead money’ inventory in bulk shipping pallets, but no staff to repackage it. FG Solutions converted the inventory to salable goods by quickly and cost-effectively repackaging it into retail packaging, ready to be shipped and billed.

Furthermore, FG Solutions is constantly looking for more efficiency in its operations. For example, any donations of the following types of equipment would help the organization be competitive yet employ more people.


A bagging machine with a level of automation


A foot-operated bag sealer


Wire racks





Where might I come in?

Perhaps you have some ideas on how FG Solutions might gain additional customers or acquire more equipment.  Or, ultimately, how you might be able to offer employment to recent FG Solutions graduates. If you would like to learn more, please contact:

CCC's Local Outreach team at barbara.ammirati@ccchapel.com or  

FG Solutions at office@fgsolutions.org, or at 234.228.0134