March 2006 Report

The crowds keep coming. We handed out 210 sack
lunches in February. Our goodwill also comes with
the gospel. We like to share a Bible verse before lunch.

DINNER FOR DENNIS

He sat alone at a table for two on Valentines Day. The setting was Panera Bread at 71st & Lewis. There was no way to hide his homelessness. Everything about his appearance gave him away. His only company was a cup of coffee until a young woman asked to sit down with him. One of our officials observed the entire encounter. She invited him to Victory Christian Center. We followed her good deed by getting a sandwich and cookie for Dennis.

EXTREME ROOM MAKEOVER

You’ve seen the show. Now you should see the modern-day labor of love taking place right here in T-Town. Members from at least eight downtown churches are remodeling the 6th floor for residents at the downtown YMCA. Through your gifts to Filling The Void, we provided $400 in funds to sponsor one of the rooms. The cost covers everything from paint and flooring to new blinds and bedding. Many of the men who receive our sack lunches each week come from the “Y.”

GEORGE’S NEW JOB

We have an update on one of the men we told you about in our last report. And there’s a good reason we haven’t seen him in nearly two months. George got a job! We are told that he’s working four hours a day at a nursing home in East Tulsa. We also believe that he has abandoned his homeless camp near the OSU-Tulsa campus in favor of an apartment he shares with a friend.

WE SAW A SAMURAI

Please pray for David, 21. We met him on Feb. 15 at the clock (3rd & Boston). He goes by Samurai and bears all the marks of a wayward heart. Maybe it was the marijuana logo on his hat. Maybe it was his claim about fathering five children or having a brother in prison. Maybe it was all those things. One thing is for sure. He’ll need more than a sword to slay his problems. He needs God.

DOLLARS AND SENSE

We raided the sales racks at Wal-Mart, Sears and JC Penny again this year to replenish our supply of new clothes. We now possess another 250 pair of gloves and 380 heavy-duty flannel and fleece-lined shirts to give out next winter. The retail value was approximately $13,260. Of course, that’s not what we paid. Try $3,400. That comes to $5.39 per item – or about 75 percent off. Our shopping spree was largely supported by a grant from The Williams Companies, Inc.

TERRI’S TIMELY GENEROSITY

Terri is an associate at a Broken Arrow Wal-Mart. She didn’t ring us up at the register on Feb. 15, but she checked us out all right. And we’ll never forget her kindness. After watching us fill two shopping carts (see previous story) with 66 men’s shirts, she had to ask, “Why?” A few minutes later she returned with a purchase of her own – a $20 gift card for our ministry.