“

“ LifeWealth Group Publix Foundation Powell Design Studio Alan Hayes Coldwell Banker-Tony Hubbard Century Link Retriever Payment Systems USS Agency Safeguard United Healthcare Superior Residences McCoy Federal Credit Union Sam's Club All of our golfers, volunteers and committee

members.

Eileen Scates

T h a n k Y o u t o O u r P a r t n e r s To join us contact Sandy

352-617-8788 or

sandyfarnsworth@nbcfl.org

www.nbcfl.org

In Central Florida, 40% of the population earns less than $25,000 per year. New Beginnings helps more than just the homeless—we serve people in danger of homelessness, as well as the working poor. We want to empower people to live a responsible life, and we do that four ways: our Helping Hands Outreach, New Beginnings Food Pantry, New Beginnings Thrift Stores and offering affordable housing. New Beginnings launched the Helping Hands Outreach in 2011. Since then, it has grown from a small parking lot endeavor to a regular Saturday outreach in multiple locations offering a hot meal, small supply of groceries, clothing and referrals to anyone in need. “Helping Hands Outreach gives New Beginnings an opportunity to reach out to people in the community,” says Amy McMullen, Volunteer Coordinator. “When people come to us, they are vulnerable, asking for basic necessities like food or clothes, and it really opens them up. We get a chance to get to know them and see if our services might be needed.” Mark Salvador has volunteered on the third Saturday of each month at the Helping Hands Outreach in Clermont for 4 years. “They come here for community,” says Mark. “Last week I prayed with 10 different people. They want to talk, they want encouragement.” Clermont and Four Corners have offered Helping Hands Outreach programs; we launch the Winter Garden Helping Hands Outreach on November

19. (see details at left) Another way we help is through our food pantries. At our dry food pantry, volunteers sort, store and pack donated groceries. These emergency portions of groceries are then distributed at our Helping Hands Outreaches, our drop-in centers and our main distribution pantry location at the Wootson Temple Church of God. The Wootson Temple Church of God donated space for us to store perishable food brought in by our partners alliance, including Second Harvest Food Bank, Panera, WaWa, Carrabba’s, 7-Eleven, Starbucks, Target, Winn-Dixie, Bob Evans and KFC. Food distribution is available by appointment only on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and run solely by volunteers. “In the month of August we fed over 950 families,” says Candi Graham, Pantry Coordinator for New Beginnings, and a volunteer herself. “We don’t just hand out food,” says Eva, another pantry volunteer. “We get the opportunity to talk with people and to pray with them. We find out where they are coming from, and where they are going,” she says. Helping people is the heart of our thrift stores, where we provide gently used house goods, furniture and clothing. Here, our outreach

If you walk into the New Beginnings Food Pantry at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Thursday or Friday you will find Jack (pictured left) busy at work filling boxes with items for the day’s appointments. He is very meticulous about how he packs the boxes, double checking himself to make sure everything is in order. We asked why a 75-year-old man comes in at 6:30 a.m. three days a week to volunteer . That’s easy. To give back what I have already received. Many, many blessings I have received in my life. Showers of blessings. And I enjoy doing this. I have fun. Every day is something different. You know, yesterday I wasn’t feeling so well but today I feel a lot better; I think it’s because I’m here.

YOU Thank

OCTOBER 2016

IMPORTANT DATES Join us for an upcoming event!

Dancing Under the Stars Gala Clermont Art & Recreation Center Thursday, November 17 5:30 p.m. cocktails Sponsorships and tickets available For event information contact Sandy at 352.617.8788 or sandyfarnsworth@nbcfl.org

Helping Hands Outreach Winter Garden West Orange Neighborhood Center for Families/ Mildred Dixon Center Pavilion Every Saturday beginning November 19 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. To volunteer contact Amy at 813-504-2513 or volunteer@nbcfl.org

Thank You to everyone that contributed to our 9th Annual Charity Golf Event

Pantry Volunteers Diego and Eva

Pantry Volunteers Christian, Pamela and Ernest (below, from left to right)

Furniture U.S.A. for donating a 5-bedroom house full of

furniture to New Beginnings. They also have included us in a promotional video.

New Beginnings Food Pantry operates 3 days a week, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. Appointments can be made by calling Candi at 352-638-5412 or by emailing pantry@nbcfl.org

Mosaic Church spent one morning volunteering for New Beginnings during their Mission: Serve day. Together, they cut trees, mowed grass, cleaned and organized, packed bags for our Blue Bag Project and made over 200 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to be handed out at our Helping Hands Outreach.

We appreciate the generous partnership of Mosaic Church.

Helping Hands Outreach: People Helping

People

Lowes Helps Hungry

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“I was just so tired of my rough life,” says Malcolm, resident of New Beginnings Transitional Housing Program. “I chose to be here. I want to better myself.” he says. Malcolm entered our program in July of 2016. This was the second time he had inquired about New Beginnings Program. The first time he inquired about it in December of 2015 he wasn’t ready to make the necessary changes the program required. “I had two jobs at the time and I wasn’t homeless. Jobs were hard to come by and I didn’t want to give that up,” says Malcolm. The fact that New Beginnings does not allow our clients to retain employment for the first 10 weeks of our program came as a shock to him, but this is a crucial step in the healing process for our clients. The pressure of Malcolm’s past mistakes mounted and his family soon faced possible eviction. “I knew it was time to work on myself and my relationship with God.” Through counseling with Dr. Al Huba, New Beginnings’ in-house counselor, Malcolm has indeed been able to work on his relationship with God. “I am humbling myself,” he says. “I am learning to take direction and to let go [of the small stuff] Dr. Al is a great encourager and he has encouraged me to a better relationship with God.” As he nears the end of Phase 1 of the program, Malcolm is making huge strides in turning his life around. With a new support system through New Beginnings he is

getting ready for the job search phase and setting his sights on an education in massage therapy. This goal, that before was just a dream, is now within his grasp with the program’s education assistance support. “Malcolm is really appreciative of New Beginnings and what we are doing to help him,” says Tom Jeffers, Program Manager for the Men’s Residential Program at New Beginnings. “He is doing great,” says Tom, “We can offer all of the programs and assistance that are available and be there every step of the way.

”

“ For I was hungry and you gave me

something to eat, I was thirsty and you

gave me something to drink, I was a

stranger and you invited me in.

community 5

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Join a Helping Hands Outreach

Every Saturday, New Beginnings provides people in need with a hot meal, food,

clothing and spiritual encouragement. To get involved in Clermont, Winter Garden

or Kissimmee, contact Amy at volunteer@nbcfl.org

Fill a Bag

New Beginnings recently launched our Blue Bag Project. (see top left) All you have to do is get your church group, civic group or friends together, fill the bags with the

items listed on the outside, and turn them in to one of our 3 drop-in locations. Email info@nbcfl.org to get started.

Donate to the Thrift Stores Will you consider donating to one of our 3 thrift stores located in Clermont, Winter

Garden and Kissimmee area New Beginnings also offers free pick-ups for

your larger items. For information on how to donate, contact Kim at 352-988-9510

Become a Mentor

Each client who arrives in the residential program is matched with a volunteer from

the community. Will you offer someone encouragement by just meeting together for

one hour? Email our mentor coordinator at suzanne.k@nbcfl.org to learn how.

Teach a Class

Our on-site partner, Anointed Community Services, Inc., provides job, life skills and computer training every three weeks to

both the community and to New Beginnings clients. Contact Linda at

352-404-7898 to become a volunteer teacher.

A Community Involved: The Blue Bag Project

Fighting poverty can feel overwhelming. Yet your donation of canned goods to the New Beginnings Pantry builds a bridge of help to your neighbors in need. As you participate in our Blue Bag Project, people get the help they need, empowered to live responsible lives. 1) Make the Blue Bag Project a group

activity. Recruit your church, Bible study, sports team, Rotary Club, neighbors.

2) Email info@nbcfl.org and request the number of bags you want to fill and return.

3) Fill the bags using the list printed on the bag.

4) Return the bag to a New Beginnings thrift store/ministry drop-in center nearest you—Winter Garden, Clermont or Kissimmee.

ways to help your

People We Have Helped August Y.T.D.

Total Families Helped 396 3,396

Total Individuals Helped 1615 12,288

Total Number of Volunteers 157 1,650

Total Volunteer Hours Worked 2,351 19,382

Bags of Groceries Distributed 280 3,307

Pounds of Food Distributed 10,535 130,434

Lowes does more than Do It Yourself. Employees of the company are also doing for New Beginnings. Jason Roberts in the Hardware department of the Clermont store painted the collection box below and his creation is being used to collect a storewide goal of 1,000 pounds of donated food for New Beginnings’ pantry. Then throughout October, Lowes of Clermont will send work teams to New Beginnings property for two full days of work at two different buildings. Chairman, President and Lowes CEO Robert Niblock said, “As a purpose-driven company, Lowe’s is committed to

helping people love where they live.” The teams’ projects with New Beginnings include installing blinds and repairing doors, replacing a ceiling light, replacing damaged eaves, building a bathroom cabinet, repairing

drywall, painting and replacing the front steps, building racks for the sorting room and more. “Both of these days

are packed full of tasks that hopefully can be completed,” says Keith Rugh, our operations director, “but even if they don't [finish them all], we will

Do you know someone that needs our services?

South Lake County 415 Citrus Tower Blvd Clermont, FL 34711 352-404-6946 Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

West Orange County 14041 West Colonial Drive Winter Garden, FL 34787 407-614-3359 Wednesday-Friday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Four Corners 8553 U.S. Hwy 192 Kissimmee, FL 34747 407-778-4750 Monday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Matthew 25:35

coordinators interview people in need and write a voucher for items at either a larger discount or free, in exchange for volunteer hours. “We've all gone through some difficult times and have needed some type of assistance,” says Kara Dewberry, Area Manager for our three thrift stores. “We will provide items needed for families, but have found if they have to work for the items, they are appreciated more—not a free hand-out, but a helping hand. Many ‘in need’ would like to feel like they've earned it.” Lastly, it is not surprising that one of the greatest causes of homelessness is unaffordable housing. In the summer 2016, New Beginnings received a $19-million grant to bring a 96-unit affordable housing project to the Clermont area. “Affordable housing is a real problem,” says Steve Smith, President of New Beginnings. “Many people have a steady job but they cannot afford the rent,” he says. New Beginnings is working with developer, Blue Sky Communities, to complete this project by December 2017. Coming together as a community to achieve a common goal has its challenges, but it also has its rewards. “We have to set judgment aside,” says Candi Graham, Pantry Coordinator. “We have to try to learn more about people’s circumstances, their story. What got them to this point and what else can we do to help?”

continued from page 1

Malcolm’s Plan for His Future

We have 3 locations to serve your community.

To learn how you and your coworkers, church group or friends can match your passion with real need, contact New Beginnings’ Volunteer Coordinator,

Amy McMullen at volunteer@nbcfl.org.

Families