Holiday Shoeboxes

Thank you for the generosity of everyone who put together a Christmas Shoebox for a child this holiday season!  We well exceeded our goal of 200 boxes!

The Christmas Shoebox project provides holiday gifts for the children we serve through our tutoring, ESL and Bible classes throughout the year, as well as other needy families in the community.  Volunteers were provided the name, age and sex of a child and were asked to fill a shoebox with small gifts, educational toys and a Christmas card or personal note.

A special thank you to the students at St. Paul Lutheran in Westlake who put together a total of 60 boxes!

Below is just one example of the gratitude expressed by those who received gifts this Christmas.  This letter is from a family at Luther Memorial School:

My family were the recipients of many wonderful gifts and blessings this holiday season due to Building Hope in the City. I cannot express our gratefulness enough. I would love the opportunity to help another family. Please send me information regarding Urban Mission Opportunities. May God Bless You All.

Serving the Homeless during the Holidays

The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless reported in 2007 that 20,087 people in Cuyahoga County were homeless at some point during the year.  On any given night there are around 2,000 people without a home to sleep in, and around 200 who are forced to live unsheltered on the streets.  Building Hope in the City’s homeless ministry reaches out to these members of our community, providing food, survival kits, and opportunities for conversation and prayer.

In December, youth groups, Girl Scout troops, families and individuals came together to bring some hope and comfort to the homeless during the holidays.

To learn more about homelessness in Cleveland and what you can do to help, visit the NEOCH web site and the Cleveland Homeless blog.

Volunteers serve homemade chili to the homeless

Girl Scouts sewed backpacks and put together kits to hand out at the homeless dinner at Trinity Lutheran.