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C.A.R.I.T.A.S.
Congregations Around Richmond Involved to Assure Shelter |
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2012 C.A.R.I.T.A.S.
September 1 - 8
Please be in prayer for our guests, and stop by in the evening to
visit!
Marty Garber & Cindy Paxton, CARITAS Co-directors
2011 CARITAS
September 3-10
If you have a heart for those
less fortunate, there is a place for you to serve! Call Cindy Paxton at
559-8820. We sure could use your help.
C.A.R.I.T.A.S. 2010
September 4 - 11
We hosted CARITAS Single Adults
(men and women) September 4 - September 11, 2010. Thanks to all of you
who made a commitment to help with meals, snacks and
staying overnight.
Thanks so much for helping others.
Marty Garber & Cindy Paxton, CARITAS Co-directors
C.A.R.I.T.A.S. is a community based organization enabling member
congregations to provide shelter and hospitality to homeless people in
the Richmond metropolitan area.
CARITAS is the largest community shelter program in the Richmond area.
Each winter our Single Adult Program provides approximately 26,000
nights of shelter to more than 1000 different single men and women. The
average length of stay in CARITAS is 28 days.
Cool Spring houses C.A.R.I.T.A.S. guests for one or two weeks in the
spring of the year. These are usually families or a single parent
and children within the C.A.R.I.T.A.S. program. However, in the
fall of 2009 Cool Spring also housed a group of single men for one week
to meet an emergency need.
Future C.A.R.I.T.A.S. updates will be posted on this page as they become
available.
Below is a listing of the weeks that Cool Spring has involved in the
C.A.R.I.T.A.S. program as well as activities and volunteer opportunities
that were available. There are photo pages of C.A.R.I.T.A.S. from
2004 and 2005 as well.
Cool Spring is also involved in C.A.R.I.T.A.S. Works (formerly EMBRACE
Richmond). This organization collects furniture, dishes, and other
household items to help C.A.R.I.T.A.S. guests transition to homes of
their own.
If you are interested in a role with CARITAS or CARITAS Works this year,
please contact the Missions office at 746-8972 x1.
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C.A.R.I.T.A.S. 2009 |
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C.A.R.I.T.A.S. was 1 week in 2009 during the week of April 11 – 18.
CARITAS & CARITAS WORKS (Formerly EMBRACE Richmond)
Cool Spring housed our CARITAS guests the week of April 11-18.
Some of the
volunteer opportunities included: Food Services, Activities/Reading, Parish Nursing, Babies,
Facilities Services, Administrative Services/Welcome Center, Prayer,
Shower Monitoring and Nurturers. Our guests enjoyed the new Mission Café
in the basement for breakfast and snacks and Sunday morning classes prepared dinners in the Fellowship Hall.
Most days during this week we also conducted a furniture drive
with CARITAS Works in the parking lot at Cool Spring. This ministry
helps homeless that are able to find a home, furnish it. Click here for
a flyer about what donations are needed and accepted.
C.A.R.I.T.A.S. also requested emergency shelter for their homeless
singles Tue. Sept. 8 to Sat. Sept. 12 and Cool Spring met that need.
Volunteers helped with prayer, showers, laundry, staying overnight and
food.
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C.A.R.I.T.A.S. 2008 |
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C.A.R.I.T.A.S. 2008
April 26 - May 10
Our C.A.R.I.T.A.S. guests joined us at Cool Spring from April 26 to May
10.
Our two weeks of CARITAS and Embrace Richmond ministry were a tremendous
success. We ministered to 26 people in 9 families. Thank you to the many
volunteers for your time, resources and prayers. We logged over 2,500
volunteer hours in CARITAS and filled over two PODS with furniture for
Embrace Richmond!
Pack the Pod!
Embrace Richmond, a charitable organization, provides furniture and
other household items to individuals and families as they transition
from Richmond area homeless shelters to their home. You can assist these
families by donating furniture and household items that our families
could use to set up their new homes.
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C.A.R.I.T.A.S. 2007 |
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C.A.R.I.T.A.S. 2007
April 28 - May 5
If you prepared one of the 156 meals for 9 families, washed clothes,
read books, cleaned bathrooms, rocked babies, organized showers, moved
furniture, set up rooms, prayed, played games, filled PODS., or
sacrificed time and energy to care for our CARITAS families for a week:
Thank you! God bless you for being his hands, feet, mouth, eyes, ears,
and heart!
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C.A.R.I.T.A.S. 2006 |
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C.A.R.I.T.A.S. 2006
April 22 - May 6
C.A.R.I.T.A.S. 2006 Theme:
God doesn’t call the equipped; he equips those who are called.
CARITAS Trivia…
How many lunches will be packed during the two weeks of CARITAS?
Answer – 420!!!!! WOW!!!
2006 Daily Schedule:
Saturday, 4/22 - Cool Spring volunteers and Boy Scouts will set up the
guest's rooms. Parish nurses will to an assessment of guest medications
after they arrive. A fire drill is scheduled with a fire truck on
display.
Sunday, 4/23 - Guests will attend Richmond area churches or the CARITAS
non-denominational service. Pray that our guests will experience God on
this day of worship.
Monday, 4/24 - Jill Baughan will have her first 1/2 hour session of "Chillin
with Jill". This 1/2 hour will give our guests an opportunity to discuss
the day and unwind a bit in a devotional setting. This is the first
night that the children will be read to by our volunteers. The Boy
Scouts will be having activities with the CARITAS children in the gym.
What takes place is very dependant on the number and ages of the
children.
Tuesday, 4/25 - Our choir will have a "Sing-A-Long" at the dinner hour.
Pray our guests will be receptive.
Wednesday, 4/26 - No activities are planned. Take this day to ask God to
be with and bless all the volunteers that are on the cleaning crews.
Thursday, 4/27 - Each family will have an opportunity to have a family
portrait taken.
Friday, 4/28 - Friday is Family Movie Night!
Saturday, 4/29 - The game room has been reserved for our CARITAS guests.
Pray for the volunteers that have been doing laundry for our guests each
day.
Sunday, 4/20 - CARITAS will not allow our guests to attend our worship
services, but they are required to attend a non-denominational service
sponsored by CARITAS or they are provided transportation to their own
church.
Monday, 5/1 - God will smile down on this one - horse rides and picture
taking! Spend some time talking with God about all the volunteers
handling the food services for CARITAS.
Tuesday, 5/2 - The youth are in charge of cooking dinner for our guests.
Every night we have volunteers that spend the night.
Wednesday, 5/3 - Our regular Wednesday night activities will be taking
place. Many in a different location. Let's pray everything goes
smoothly! Every day volunteers have been at the church praying for and
with our guests.
Thursday, 5/4 - This is the last night of the "Reading Time" with the
children. They will have an opportunity to select favorite books to take
with them as they begin to think about leaving soon!
Friday, 5/5 - This final evening will be spent viewing a video that has
been made of all the activities that have taken place during the 2 weeks
of CARITAS. The guests love it, especially the children! This is an
emotional evening for both guests and volunteers!
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C.A.R.I.T.A.S. 2005 |
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2005 C.A.R.I.T.A.S. Report
April 16 - 29, 2005
# Guests: 27 #Families served: 12
# Children: 15 (youngest: 12 months, oldest: 17 years)
# CARITAS organization staff: 9
# Expectant moms: 6
# Volunteers: 325
# Volunteer hours: 2326.60
Professions of Faith: 1
Countless hours of prayers for staff, volunteers,
guests in groups and one-to-one.
For two weeks, volunteers provided:
Haircuts, massages, manicures, videos, crafts, daily showers, laundry
services, breakfast, bag lunches, dinner, all day Saturday activities,
clown shows, cookouts, Parish Nurses, personal items, Rec Center
activities, and 20 prepaid phone cards were sent to CARITAS.
See Photos and Volunteer Opportunities
from C.A.R.I.T.A.S. 2005
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C.A.R.I.T.A.S. 2004 |
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2004 C.A.R.I.T.A.S. Report
March 13 - 20, 2004
In 2004 Cool Spring was blessed to meet the needs of:
11 Families with
20 Children, from months old up to age 11
This year's C.A.R.I.T.A.S. provided many opportunities of service and
ministry to our guests. About 350 volunteers worked over 1500 hours in
some form of personal service. 3 guests received Christ as their
personal savior during the week, and one family moved into an apartment.
Activities included craft nights, a clown show, and recreation nights
with the youth as well as with Boy Scouts. Parish nurses provided blood
pressure checks.
Manicurists pampered the guests while our team of
nurturers helped to watch children during the evening.
Breakfast and Evening meals were provided, as well as bag lunches. Clean
showers, soft towels, and a laundry service were provided. Each family
had their own individual room.
Prayer was provided constantly during the week, with three guests
accepting Christ as their personal savior.
See Photos and Volunteer Opportunities from C.A.R.I.T.A.S. 2004
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C.A.R.I.T.A.S. 2003 |
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2003 C.A.R.I.T.A.S. Report
In 2003 Cool Spring was blessed to meet the needs of:
26 guests, including:
8 families,
9 adults,
17 children, from 9 months of age to 15 years,
and 5 CARITAS staff.
This year’s CARITAS week provided Cool Spring opportunities to minister
in various ways. Nurses, tax preparers and tutors were available to
assist our guests. Our Youth provided a well attended recreation night
and devotional time. Spanish speaking interpreters from our church and
the IMB helped make our Spanish speaking guests feel at home. Our own
clown brought her clown friends and put on quite a show. As always the
guests enjoyed craft times and were pampered by our manicurists. We
opened our recreation center for various activities and provided clean
showers, warm water and soft towels. Our GA and RA groups prepared
personal toiletry bags. Twenty-one meals along with evening snacks were
prepared. Our team of nurturers helped mothers have an easier time with
their children throughout the evening.
Prayer and ministry were a pervasive part of CARITAS. Multiple times
during the day and each evening ones were praying and prayer walking.
One evening we offered individual personal times of prayer. Bible study,
sharing God’s truths, emotional and spiritual encouragement were all
part of our ministry. By testimony of our guests, God’s presence was
felt. Louis Brothers launched CARITAS 2003 for us and became an integral
part of the week. He attended several evenings and has continued to
reach out to our guests, sharing God’s love.
We cared for 26 guests and 5 CARITAS staff. There were 8 families, with
9 adults and 17 children ranging from 15 years old to 9 months. Together
334 volunteers, working 1,497+ hours in some type of personal ministry,
came together and became the hands of Jesus to these special people for
one difficult week in their lives.
One mother of two sons wrote in her
thank you note, “I was sad when I started at CARITAS last Friday. I
didn’t know what to expect. This Friday I’m able to smile. I want to
thank God for working through all of you. You have made my road a little
less frightening. I love you.”
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C.A.R.I.T.A.S. 2002 |
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2002 C.A.R.I.T.A.S. Report
April 7 - 13, 2002
During the week of April 7 - 13, 2002 the needs of 37 guests and 6 staff
persons were met by members of Cool Spring Baptist Church. More than 200
people signed the activity sheets showing their individual involvement
in some sort of hands-on ministry that directly related to the CARITAS
week. The time logs indicated that 1188+ hours were spent in preparing
and caring for our guests. An additional 145 individual hours were spent
in two training sessions and a church wide prayer meeting.
The CARITAS ministry project was successful with only minor (not
unexpected) "bumps in the road". The guests felt the presence of the
Lord and openly spoke of it. After the guests moved on, we received
reports that they frequently talked of their week with CSBC. Members of
CSBC continue to share how meaningful this opportunity to minister was
to their lives. All feedback received has been very positive. For this
we give the Lord thanks!
The CARITAS leadership team had one central focus that directed all
planning, decisions and activity. It was: "To rely on God alone through
constant prayer." Someone, led by God, shared that quote with the team
as they began their work. The quote is from Hudson Taylor.
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Missions
Opportunities at Cool Spring: |
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