We haven't posted an article in a couple of months - oops - so I thought I'd add an update on the goings and comings at Clifton....
Our need of the month for January 2009.....PAPER TOWELS!!!!
The guys enjoyed a fabulous Christmas....thanks to the generosity of Mt. Vernon Presbyterian, Pleasant Hill Presbyterian, and several individuals, the Clifton men each received a Christmas bag with clothes, toiletries, thermal underwear, and other fun items. A big shout out to the Mariners' Sunday School class at Peachtree Pres who made sure our guys have proper sneakers to start out the new year! In addition, the great folks at Duffy Realty brought over a bag of Christmas gifts for each of the guys! This was the first time that the Duffy folks had been to Clifton. We're so grateful for their generosity and hope to see them again throughout 2009!
Home for the Holidays....several of our guys went home to their families for Christmas! For some of them, this was the first time they had seen their family in many years. One of the most important aspects of recovery and returning to independent living is reuniting with family and friends. Many times, those relationships are really damaged and/or broken, so reunification can be difficult. The guys are working hard on mending those relationships, so it's always awesome to see when their families welcome them home.
Way to go, Marvin....former guest and Clifton Toastmaster Marvin Perkins was featured in an AJC article on Saturday, January 3 - Metro Section, page 3. Marvin has been writing poems about his life for the past few years and caught the attention of an AJC reporter who met him at a Toastmasters meeting. The AJC crew was at the Christmas program doing their story research and videotaping the event. We're thankful for the AJC interest in Clifton and the guys! Congratulations to Marvin - we're proud of you and your progress!
Interior Design Sale....A wonderful friend of Clifton who owns a great home interior design showroom at the Merchandise Mart has once again donated a large number of items to Clifton for us to sell to our friends and neighbors. We hosted a similar event in the summer of 2008. We have received this shipment of new and beautiful items this past weekend and will hold our Design Sale on Friday, January 30 and Saturday, January 31 at Epworth United Methodist Church, conveniently located across the street from Candler Park on McLendon Avenue. Epworth is the great church that took us in during 2005/2006 during the reconstruction following our arson fire. We love them! Stay tuned for more details regarding the design sale.
Thank you for your support! The business of providing support for men who are homeless goes on at Clifton 365 days a year. Many folks called and asked about providing dinner during the holidays. So many folks, actually, that we had to tell some folks that we didn't have an opportunity for them to serve - we couldn't have stuffed any more volunteers into the facility. However, we can use your help in 2009! Please consider bringing an evening meal, preparing lunch bags, or working one-on-one with our guests. You can contact Alice at (404) 373-3253 or alice@cliftonsanctuary.com for additional volunteer opportunities. You can also hit "donate now" on the website homepage if you would like to make a financial contribution, which is always greatly appreciated. We served 250 men who are homeless in 2008; we anticipate an even greater need in 2009. But it can't be done without your help! Thank you, in advance, and we look forward to seeing you at Clifton in 2009.
Wishing you peace and God's blessing this year.....
