Quarterly Newsletter

July 1, 2007

Volume 1, Issue 2

Hello out there in PATH-land.  Here it is at the midpoint of the year already, and we have two major items before we get to our columns. 

First, our website is www.pathministriesofyorksc.org.  Path is a common name, and therefore many addresses already contain it, so my apologies that it's so long.  And if it has a bit of a handmade look, remember that a Winthrop student built it (and did a fine job I think) and I wrote all the content, so please be kind.  For those of you who are new to our mailing list, you can see our last quarterly newsletter there.

Next, I had intended to give you some numbers about our volunteers this quarter anyway, not anticipating the shortage we have had recently.  Now it is even more crucial to get the work out.  It is best to have about 35-40 active volunteers at any given time working at PATH, with 25 being bare minimum territory.  We recently experienced an awful lot of attrition at once, due to various reasons (health issues, moving, needing to be somewhere else, the constraints of paid employment, etc), and our number fell to about 18.  Thankfully to God, we have had several new volunteers join us, both permanently and temporarily.  Thanks to all of you who have stepped in and eased our mission so much:  Susan Jones, Linda Lowman, Susan Evans, Tom Burton, Don Kidwell, Ronnie Hogue, Gordon Barrett, Kim Ramsey, Joshua and Jeremy DIllon, Dale Conrad, and David Arrowsmith (who is also our new Board member, yay David).  We can always use new volunteers, both in intake and the pantry, and especially at the Thrift Store on N Congress Street (and volunteers there aren't even counted in the 35-40 number).

The month of Oct will be Volunteer Appreciation Month here at PATH, so all our volunteers will want to be present for goodies and surprises.  If anyone reading this knows a PATH volunteer, please tell them how much everyone appreciates their selfless work and generosity.  We couldn't do it without them, as the recent Fashion Show at the Thrift Store proves.  What a fabulous job everone involved did there, and they raised $5000 for PATH!!!  Special thanks to Jean Garris and Frank & Patricia Dickson for heading up this effort, and to the approximately one million volunteers who pulled it off!

Mundane but necessary:  We have been having trouble with our garbage and recyclable collection lately, with regular trash mixed in with recyclables.  This necessitates a call to the city, and the recycle truck won't pick up trash.  Please try to be careful to keep these separated.  Thanks.

We would love to receive the bounty of anyone's garden now, so if your family just can't face any more zucchini, please bring it to us.  Also, we very much need someone to volunteer to come by and pick up two big stacks of paperwork needing shredding.  We only need this done about once a year, so we don't have one, and we'd really appreciate this before it becomes a fires hazard.  Thanks so much. 

I've received in the mail 72 coupons for $10 off Carowinds admission, good through Sept 3.  I hate to waste what amounts to $720, so if anyone wants any, please come by and claim them.

A group from Catawba Nuclear Station wanted a one-day project recently, so they put up wonderful shelving on one of our walls and did some beautiful landscaping.  Thanks Catawba, you did a great job and we love it!

The before-and-after pictures of Mel Hageman's fantastic yard work are now on the bulletin board.  You should really see what shape our grounds were in before he took over last year, and what they look like now.  Oh, and our new volunteer Ronnie Hogue has taken on this job too, in addition to his pantry work, and Mel says he's a wonder.  If Mel Hagemen says someone is a hard worker, then they're a Trojan!  Thanks Ronnie, you're the man.

Quick note to intake volunteers:  Clients are allowed a Thrift store voucher every THREE months now, not two, so please double check this and remember to record every voucher given in their record.  Most clients weren't requesting one that often anyway.  Thanks.

I've realized that many volunteers don't have my cell phone number.  It is 704-813-6401; please make a note for your reference.  Also, non-profit postage is not cost-effective for us at this time, so if everyone who is willing to receive this via email would send theirs to me at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , that would help save ink, paper, envelopes, and postage.  Thanks again. 

Tom Burton is now our official coffee-maker on the Weds that he's here.  On his first day I had not one but several people come up and tell me how great his coffee is; apparently it will pick you up and put you down.  We invite all people interested in supporting PATH in ANY way to come in and visit.  See our shelves and landscaping, look at the pictures of Mel's work, tour our facility, pick up some Carowinds coupons, have some of Tom's coffee, sign a contract to volunteer for the rest of your life.  You know, that sort of thing. 

Feature: Drivers  

Our feature this quarter is our drivers.  You just don't know what a great and vital job our drivers do, delivering food into our warehouse.  Our Food Bank (Second Harvest in Charlotte) drivers on Fridays are:  Bob Ballard, Bob Parker, Bo Lowry, Charles (Monk) Currence, Dale Conrad, Dave Thielbar, and Mel Hageman.  Our Mon-Wed-Fri drivers who pick up at the Food Lion and Bi-Lo in Lake Wylie are: Dave Thielbar, David Arrowsmith, Tom Burton, and Gordon Barrett.  Go Bob, Bob, Bo, Monk, Dale, Mel, Dave, David, Tom and Gordon!  (You guys have to imagine all of us doing The Wave for you here.)  We could still use one or two more drivers.

Special Thanks 

This brings us back to Dave Thielbar.  Dave is now doing, let's see, I think it's maybe octuple duty for us.  He's here practically every time we open the doors.  Thanks guy. 

Huge thanks go to Second Harvest Food Bank for delivering about 3000 pounds of free dry goods, from Lowe's Foods, and with the help of the United Way, on Fri, June 29.  This will make a difference in the low-donation months of July and August. 

Very special thanks to our dentists in York who provide free services to our indigent clients who sometimes so badly need dental care.  If you see Dr Sandifer, Dr Greiner, Dr Cauthen, or Dr Johnson, please tell them that you also appreciate their contribution.

And thanks to Jayne Burton for being so willing and helpful always. 

Needs 

Did you know that almost 18% of all children in the United States live in poverty?  That's about one in every five!  And that's not counting those who live very near the official poverty levels.  Please remember that children are out of school right now, and therefore missing the meals some of them receive there.

Someone recently donated, in a box from one of our churches, a can of Campbell's soup with one dollar taped to it.  Oh, if only 1000 people would do the same. 

We are much in need of liquid items (dry goods tend to be not only non-refrigerated but also, well, dry), such as cooking oil.  Our clients need and have been requesting this much lately in order to cook the items we give them.  Please try to get the healthier canola, not corn, oil.  We also need boxes of ramen noodles, sugar, large size diapers, Depends for our elderly, and still more soups.  And starting next month we will be giving out school supplies.  We difinitely need NO crayons, but we can use everything else, up to and including book bags.  THANK YOU SO MUCH.   

2 Chronicles 20: 15-17

He said, "Listen, King Jehoshaphat!  Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem!  This is what the Lord says:  Do not be afraid!  Don't be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God's.  Tomorrow, march out against them...But you will not even need to fight.  Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord's victory.  He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem.  Do not be afraid or discouraged.  Go out there tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!"

Luke 6:38

(Christ says) "Give, and it will be given to you.  A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap.  For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Calling all Prayer Warriors, here's our current prayer request list:

Sue Nance                                     Ruth Huffstetler

Dave Thielbar                             David Arrowsmith

 Family of Sam Dressler   Family of Anne Huneycutt

 Jane Ballard                                          Larry Edson

Let us know of anyone you'd like added to the list.

Here's a snatch of poetry from W. H. Auden, who also said, "In our morale must lie our strength."

                                                               The funniest

mortals and the kindest are those who are most aware

of the baffle of being, don't kid themselves our care

is consolable, but believe a laugh is less

heartless than tears.

From a sign posted at the entrance of the Ashland, Oregon public library:

 "Ice cream, bare feet, children, long hair, short hair, no hair, cats, dogs, and small dragons are welcome here any time."

"You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." (Christopher Robin to Pooh)-----A. A. Milne

We are so blessed in ways we don't even know.  God bless us more!

Cheri Curtin