A Family of 8
We used the $35 and added to it ourselves and with pledges from friends to provide a family of 8 with a stroller for a 5 month old, a $35 gift card for food or whatever at a Wal-Mart Supercenter, and one week’s rent in a weekly hotel in Marietta.
We experienced God yesterday. Thank you Buckhead Church and North Point for the encouragement and equipping to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Our faith has grown.
For table 34 (Min, Erin, Andy, Spencer, Mitch, Christina, Mara and Amy)
Amy
The rest of the story….
I’m writing on behalf of table 34. We weren’t big winners at the Christmas party, so we had only $80 collectively. We divided it and Mara and I took $35 with the goal of buying food and giving it to anyone we met during the afternoon who was hungry. We quickly asked God to show us who we could help.
About that time, we spotted a family - a mom, 4 boys ranging from 11 down to 4, and a dad carrying a 5 month old in his arms, all walking north on Cobb Parkway on a day I was happy to be in a car where it was warm. We didn’t know what this family needed, but they at least seemed to need a stroller.
Not being from this area, we didn’t know what kinds of stores were nearby. We continued driving north and in just a block or so, there was a Wal-Mart Supercenter on the left. But what if the family wasn’t where we could see them when we went back to find them? We needed a back-up plan that would help someone who didn’t need a stroller. So Mara used the $35 for a gift card that could be used by anyone in the area for food or whatever was needed. I headed to the baby section and picked up a $25 stroller. We practically ran to the car on a mission to find “our” family.
We headed back south on Cobb Parkway and caught sight of our family just as they were looking to cross the road near a bus stop. We were so excited! We pulled over and rolled down the window. They didn’t know what to expect. We asked if they needed a stroller. They did. After hearing a little more of their story, we knew that the gift card would be something they could use as well. They’d been evicted just that morning and were looking for another place to stay and their 18-year-old daughter was waiting back at the place where they’d been staying for the past month until their money ran out. Since we were just pulled to the side of the rode, we felt hurried and what they were saying was just sinking in, and we’d already spent more than we’d planned on this family. So we gave them the stroller and gift card and took the picture with T-Mobile in the background, said our God bless yous, and merged back into traffic.
We didn’t have the money to give this family all they needed. And we didn’t know what help was available in the area. So we called my friend again to ask her about shelters. She told us about MUST ministries about 3 miles north on Cobb Parkway. We got the number for MUST, but there was no answer. Still, we hoped to find our family again and tell them about and maybe even take them to this shelter. But this time we couldn’t find them. We looked in the Pro-Move apartment finder that was just across the road where we’d found them attempting to cross. We looked in all the fast food restaurants in the area, all to no avail. On a whim, we decided to drive to the back side of the block behind the Pro-Move. There was a weekly hotel there. We drove around and Mara recognized the husband and wife on the balcony of this weekly hotel using someone else’s cell phone, calling around looking for shelter. We’d found them again!
We called up to them from the ground and met them in the stairwell. Here we could talk without Cobb Parkway traffic pressing around us. We heard more of their story and situation. They told us their trust is in God and they know He will take care of them, but they had not found a church family since moving here from New Jersey a year ago. They had contacted MUST ministries and a number of other shelters, but because of the size of their family and the demands on shelters, there was no place that would accommodate them with anything more than emergency (10 PM to 7 AM in most places) shelter in life-threatening winter weather. They thanked us for showing kindness to them in coming to tell them about MUST, but what they most needed was to be able to stay longer in this weekly hotel. We didn’t know what we could do to help them, but we wanted to encourage them and then see what God would provide for us to do.
Out in the stairwell, we encouraged them with the truth that when people help us in tough times, it is really God working through those people to help us. And that more than what God provides for us through other people and agencies, what God has provided for us through Jesus is everything. He wants to be our life, but real life that is more vital than even food, shelter and clothing. About that time, there were two men, tenants at the weekly hotel, who were walking by on the way to the office, staring at us as they walked by and then lingering outside the office keeping us in view.
We said goodbye to our family again. We took the cell phone number of the phone they’d been using, promising to call later if we found anything we could do to help. As we were leaving, one of the men still in front of the office stopped us and asked us if we were from a church. The younger of the two asked me to repeat the message we had been sharing with the family in the stairwell. So I told him about the precious gift of real life, eternal life, that God has provided for us through His Son Jesus. He asked what church we were from. He asked me for a card for the church because he wants to go there. I didn’t have one so I wrote Buckhead Church down on a slip of paper and explained to him where it is. He wants to visit but will have to take public transportation to get there. I can’t wait for him to visit and be treated as an honored guest by our host team, regardless of how he is dressed. Well - this was the unexpected in the midst of the unexpected!
We began making phone calls to get the $210 that would be needed to house this family for a week. All told, we collected $60 for our family from these new friends, and through phone calls for pledges and from what we could contribute ourselves, we called the family with $220 total to cover a week for them in the weekly hotel.
We drove to the weekly hotel but didn’t see them right away. So we went into the office to find out if the woman on duty knew of the family we wanted to help. When she confirmed it was the family with 6 children, she apologized saying that fire code laws prevented her from accommodating the family there, even if we got two rooms for them, as their rooms were designed for a maximum of 2 adults and 1 child only. Soon after, the mom joined us in the office and told us the place they’d been told to leave that morning would allow them to stay another week if they could pay for it. (As it turns out they’d been staying in another weekly hotel just south of there for the pasts month.) So Mara and I drove the mom and the 2 younge boys and baby back to the weekly hotel where the daughter was still waiting with their belongings - about 5 big garbage bags full of children’s clothes of all sizes, hair shavers, and who knows what else. This place was a little more expensive, $260 for the week, but that was close enough so we made up the difference. This family is in need of winter shoes and clothing, and more stable shelter. They are in need of our prayers and tangible Christian love. We hope to touch base with them again this week with other ideas and at least shoes.
Thanks for passing along this story! Do you have the shoe and clothing sizes for the kids?
Thanks for wanting to help! I know the mom and 18 yr-old daughter (not pictured) both need warm shoes in ladies size 10. I hope to find out the other children’s sizes this week. The dad said his shoes were fine.
i can give clothing for the little girl
how can i get it to you guys??
mckennah1972@gmail.com
wait i am assuming it is a girl?
In the photo, there is the dad and mom at each end. In between are 4 boys left to right ages 6, 11, 9 and 4 and a 5 month-old boy in dad’s arms. Not pictured is the 18-year-old daughter closer to her mom’s size. I’ll update with everyone’s exact sizes once I see them again - hopefully Wednesday or Thursday this week!
If this family has any clothing or household item needs Bibles for Missions can help. We are located at 809 Roswell Street NE, Marietta 30060 just down from the Big Chicken. As part of our community outreach we assist the homeless & job seekers with clothing at no charge. We also provide household goods and furniture for those who are in transition. Just have the family come to the store and ask for Bob.
Amy, one friend told me that she can help with their resume. Also she would like to know if Do one of the children play in the band? may she has a
tuxedo to give away as well.
Just a correction on the Bibles for Missions store the correct address is 787 Roswell St.
The phone number for the store is 770-792-1994
Sorry for the mix-up.
The mother is in need nursing uniforms size 2X. Can anyone help with this?
Thanks Shauna. I drove them there this morning after their visit to Social Services to look for it but only found an empty building. I’ll get this address to them this week.
While they were in Social Services, they met a woman who has a 4 bedroom home for rent that may work for them. The 18-yr-old daughter has applied for a job in a nearby fastfood restaurant. The mom has applied for a grant-based RN program as she currently only has her LPN license. Please pray for this family to find the steady income and stable housing they so desperately need. DFACS has been suggested to them, but they really want to stay together as a family. I hope they will be able to. Their rent is covered where they are through next Thursday.
Their kids are homeschooled so no need for band uniforms, thanks though!
The family would love to visit Buckhead Church or North Point, but the buses from Cobb don’t run on Sundays and nothing connects Cobb to Alpharetta.
I know there was a lot of info, but actually it is a family of 8 - mom, dad, 18 yr-old daughter, 4 boys and a baby boy.
Amy…
Thanks for all you are doing to care for this family. Please keep me updated on this family and their housing needs. I will be praying for steady income so they can move into a residence like that 4 bedroom home. In the meantime, I don’t want to see them back out on the street. When you get a chance, email me and maybe we can come up with some ideas to get their housing paid for a few more weeks until they can get some income established.
joel
joel.thomas@buckheadchurch.org
Christina and I from table 34 are picking the family up for the 11 AM service at BC.
They loved it. Thank you Marie in Guest Services and all you folks on Upstreet who made them feel so welcome! The oldest son (11) who attended Upstreet 4th grade with his younger brother (9) said he’d like to visit his age group in Extreme, but that he really enjoyed “the Word” about a woman (acted out by a kid with a blanket over her head) who gave just 2 small coins. He was encouraged by this message that it wasn’t important how much you have to give but that you give, thinking of how he could apply this himself in giving to others. He also said there was one really nice kid there who when he learned that they couldn’t have a real Christmas tree because of their allergies, the kid (as he called him) said, “That sucks.” He felt really cared for in this statement. Empathy is touching in all its forms!
The two younger boys had to go to “big church” today b/c the 4-year-old wasn’t feeling so great. The 6-year-old cried real tears and the longest face after church because he didn’t get to go. Maybe next time.
Please pray for the mom as she has an interview at Emory for a nursing position there on Tuesday at 10 AM. The daughter found out that the Chick-Fil-A where she applied isn’t hiring until the beginning of the year. Please pray that she will find employment. She has been both a nanny and housekeeper and was highly commended. The dad has some appointments this week regarding his finding potential employment as well.
If anyone wants to send the family an encouraging note, they do check email once a week at jamesautofill@aol.com, or you can send the message to me at amybcooley@yahoo.com and I’ll be happy to pass it along on your behalf.
Practical needs include: winter coats or jackets for the 18-year-old daughter and the 11-year-old and the 4-year-old boys, a breast pump (especially important if the mom gets this job), a reusable water bottle, a couple of nurses uniforms (scrubs type) in size 2x, ladies tennis shoes size 10, boys shoes in sizes 6, 4, 2 for the oldest boys, and size 9 for the 4-year-old, toiletries, size 3 diapers and wipes.
Food is possibly a need but their food stamps should be activated soon if they weren’t activated today.
The mom’s interview was postponed Tuesday until this morning at 10 AM at Crawford Long Hospital. Please pray for a permanent job for her.
So much has been poured out for this family this week. Several people from both Buckhead Church and North Point have mobilized their small groups, friends and even entire neighborhoods to shower this family with many needed items - groceries, clothes, shoes, coats, suitcases, backpacks, freshly cooked meals, over-the-counter cold medicines, a portable electric/battery operated breast pump, laundry supplies, rent through Christmas day (weekly since Dec. 4 at $280 per week), Christmas gifts and a boxed tree.
They were given rides to Buckhead Church last Sunday and the mom and dad were taken Christmas shopping last night and will be taken again on Saturday.
To date, over $3000 have overflowed from your love to them. Thank you all for giving up Christmas!
Their food stamps and medicaid have still not been turned on so groceries are still a need. Also, the oldest son is in need of a visit to an allergist which would be covered by medicaid. They are hopeful their situation will change soon.
The family would like to attend North Point this Sunday morning. Would anyone be available and willing to help me pick them up for the 11 AM Christmas service? They are located just south of the south 120 loop off Cobb Pwy. You can email me at amybcooley@yahoo.com. Thanks!
Amy - all of this because you stopped for a family walking down the road! It is so amazing. Thank you!
I have uniforms the mother can have. I also have winter clothing and a snowsuit for the baby if they are needed.
Their story was featured on 11Alive, when they interviewed Joel Thomas
http://www.11alive.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=124910&catid=3
Hi Wendy. The uniforms would be great. Do you want to deliver them to her or coordinate something through me?
Our family is set through the 31st for rent so they can enjoy Christmas without worry about shelter. And a family in nearly the same situation heard about them and is making Christmas dinner for them today!
The mom and dad came to Buckhead Church on Sunday and want to go through the balanced study with a few of us.
Also, the mom got word today that she has been hired for a permanent postion at Crawford Long Hospital in oncology. Her first day is Thursday. She has one nurse’s uniform.
The mom ended up getting a different job through the Emory system in oncology at Wesley Woods towers. She has also been meeting with a few of us for the Balanced study after church. They are still at the weekly motel, hoping to get into a rental house this week. There has been some delay with the house being ready for them, so please pray for their housing situation to work out soon.