Baptist Friendship House

Christmas Celebration

2011-12-25T13:18:00.008-06:00

This past weekend, we celebrated Christmas with our families. Because of some very special "elves" our families were able to have a great Christmas. Each child was able to open gifts and found exactly what they wanted. They (and their moms) are very thankful for those that gave. I one of the kids said that it was the best Christmas ever! When asked why, he said because he was able to open gifts with all his friends and family and see their faces light up.
We thank everyone for their time, gifts, and especially the prayers that you send. Thank you for choosing to be a part of the ministry here. Each part you play in the ministry - prayer, giving, etc. - does not go unnoticed. We are thankful for each of you. We hope you and your family had a Very Merry Christmas.
Have a Happy New Year!

Relaxed Holiday??

2011-12-21T09:36:00.005-06:00

During this time of year, relaxation is not a word that comes to mind; however, giving does. Volunteers from a local church gave of their time and talents to serve our girls from the summer. Our Up2HOPE December event was filled with laughter and relaxation for our girls as they enjoyed "spa treatment" from the ladies (some of our staff took advantage of it as well). They also had a time of devotion. It was a blessing for all involved. Please pray for our girls as they take a break from school to spend it with family. Pray for them to celebrate the reason for the season - Jesus' birth.

The Family Table

2011-12-05T12:56:00.007-06:00

When we think about Thanksgiving, we think of family. The term "family" can take on so many meanings and go beyond our traditional definition. People we call family can be close friends, mentors, etc. Each year, Friendship House sets the table for our family - our community. We invite our community and volunteers to share a table and a meal. Volunteers prepared and served turkey, ham with all the sides one could ask for. Volunteers also helped organize items to be given away. Most importantly, our volunteers visited with and shared conversations with those in attendance. Tables were full of laughter and prayer. We were greatly blessed to have local churches and individuals participate with us this year.

Please pray for our community. Many deal with hunger, grief, addiction, etc. Pray that the light of Jesus would be seen and felt throughout the community as we approach the Christmas season.

Feelin' Girlie

2011-12-05T10:23:00.007-06:00

Saturday, November 19 we hosted another Up2HOPE Fun Day. Acteens and their leaders from South Mississippi hosted this event. Two of the volunteers gave devotions related to how God defines beauty. The day was full of being treated with manicures and make overs. They could also choose to make two different crafts. The girls were able to feel pretty on the outside and but given the opportunity to learn about inner beauty as well.
Our girls love to serve as they are served. As the volunteers finished painting their nails, our girls returned the favor and painted theirs. It was a great day for everyone.
Please continue to pray for the girls as they complete their fall semester of school.

Fall Stuff

2011-11-02T13:11:00.011-05:00

Fall has arrived! It has been an eventful time here in New Orleans and at the Baptist Friendship House. In September we held our annual Back-to-School Bash in which we were able to give away over 100 bags of school supplies to our community. Some of the back packs came from New Orleans Homeless Children and Youth advocates. Of course there was food......what's a good party without hotdogs and nachos? We appreciate the volunteers and partners that helped us put it together and have some fun meeting a need in our community.
October included our Up2HOPE Fun Day and Fall Fest. The Fun Day is designed to be a time for us to continue building relationships with the girls from the summer. It is a time for them to just be girls and catch up with friends made during the summer. We also offer after-school tutoring during the week for those that need it.

Fall Fest is our annual event that we do on Halloween night. This year's theme was "Who Dat Got Talent?" We had a stage for karaoke and several games for the kids (even big kids) to play. We were able to provide a safe place for the community to have fun.

Thanks to your support through prayer, giving, volunteering, etc., we are able to offer these events to our community. We are able to meet with them where they are and as they are. We serve an amazing God that allows us the opportunity to serve Him by loving on people that other wise may not experience true grace and compassion.

New Website

2011-10-14T16:09:00.004-05:00

Please be aware that we no longer will have the website at bfh.lifewaylink.com it is now www.baptistfriendshiphouse.org. Please also understand that we are adjusting to a new way of keeping the website updated. Stay tuned to Facebook or Twitter for the most current news. Thank you for your continued support and prayers. Thank you for choosing to be a part of the ministry in New Orleans and around the world.

Blessings Through Hard Times

2011-08-23T13:39:00.006-05:00

Below is a testimony of one of the many ladies that we assist through the ministry here in New Orleans:

Circumstances may have landed me in the situation that I found my self in, but it was the consequences of choices I made. I have the option of having a "pity party" because of what's not going right in my life or I can look at the positive and learn from them. For example, a little over a year ago, I found myself at a New Orleans bus stop after fleeing from a bad situation out of state. When I arrived in New Orleans, I knew no one and had no where to go. As I stepped off the bus, I had a mini stroke that landed me in the hospital for a couple of days. However, I had a full recovery with in 72 hours and was given rehabilitation services. Everything was paid for, however, I lost everything at the bus station. I was in a big city with no family and no ID and only the clothes on my back. I was able to get to an emergency shelter which housed me and also referred me to another program to help me find a job. It was there that I found a flier advertising for Baptist Friendship House. It stated that Friendship House was offering snack packs and hygiene kits. I went to see what this Friendship House was about. I was given the snack pack and hygiene kit but was also allowed to take a shower. You see, at the emergency shelter I was staying only had 2 showers for 30+ women. At Friendship House, I was met with hospitality like no other. They fed me, clothed me and gave me my dignity back. Only God can open such doors if I allow Him the opportunity and I keep my eyes open. As the old cliche says, we cannot out give God. James 1:5-15 tells me I will be tested and face trials of faith, what will I do?! Stand on faith in God.

Summer Recap 2011

2011-07-24T17:45:00.006-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYWrbuScibM

Above you will see a brief video summarizing our summer with girls from the community. This year we called the summer HUMAN using Natalie Grant's song, Human. The acronym that we used was Helping U Meet A Need. We used curriculum from Woman's Missionary Union's Project Help. The materials cover all aspects of Human Exploitation. We discussed bullying, trafficking (labor and sex), pornography, exploitation of natural resources, and media exploitation. We discussed God's plan and our role as children of God to combat our culture and its demand on our resources and on each other. Our girls also completed the Act 1:8 challenge. They covered exploitation as it appears in our culture at home and internationally, they made prayer squares for our military that will deployed around the world, and they collected money to support a young girl to go to school in India. They also helped us give out Feed the Children boxes in their neighborhood which included food and personal care items. Please prayerfully consider your role in supporting the above ministries and the families here in our community.

Baptist Friendship House Newsletter

2011-06-15T09:22:00.002-05:00

Due to the rising cost of postage, the summer 2011 newsletter will be published here on our blog. To view our newsletter please copy and paste this link into your browser. Let us know if you have any questions or problems accessing the newsletter.

http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/57922610?access_key=key-22dharp8q6czo5sdxvy5

The Beginning of Summer

2011-06-01T15:50:00.003-05:00

The temperature is definitely letting us know that it is summer time- which means UP2HOPE starts in just a few days- June 6! All five of our summer missionaries have arrived and they are gearing up to work with the girls who attend camp. We are looking forward to sharing issues that fall under WMU's Project HELP which include: bullying, sex trafficking, labor trafficking, pornography, media's exploitation of families and children, and exploitation of natural resources. Other activities at camp will include: devotion, dancing, crafts, games, team building exercises, tae-kwon-do, and nutrition/health education. Please be in prayer for all of the summer missionaries, staff, and campers throughout summer.

We would also like to share information regarding a Christian Women's Job Corps training that will be held at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church June 20-24, 2011. If you would like more information regarding how you can attend this training please visit the National WMU CWJC website at:
http://www.wmu.com/index.php?q=blog/ministries/cwjc/starting-site-training

Due to the expense of sending out newsletters our next one will only be sent electronically to everyone on our email list. If you would like to be added to our email list please send an email to bfhjobs@aol.com with your contact information. The newsletter will be sent out this week!

Please remember Dr. Duane McDaniel's family in their time of loss. Dr. McDaniel meant a lot to our ministry as he was the Executive Director for the New Orleans Baptist Association. We are so thankful for his service and how he helped further ministry in New Orleans. The Kathleen McDaniel Children's Educational Fund has been set up to aid in educational expenses for their four children, Mallory 15, Matthew 14, Keanu 8, and Abby 7. Contributions can be sent to The Kathleen McDaniel Children's Educational Fund c/o Russell Honeycutt, 223 Pebblebrook Lane. Macon, Georgia 31220

Family Time :)

2011-04-11T17:06:00.008-05:00

At Friendship House we consider ourselves to be one big family. This comes complete with fun family outtings such as the events of the past two weekends. Oftentimes when people think of the transitional housing part of our ministry, job searching, housing, childcare, resume building, life skills, and other things come to mind. These are all very important priorities in our ministry and it is true that we do all of these and much more. We thought it would be good to also show some of the relaxing and family oriented times outside of the house that we are able to do with our families on some weekends. When a woman is stuck in the cycle of homelessness it is sometimes difficult to find time to spend outside of just surviving, so we find it important to allow the families to have fun just spending time together doing things that most people take for granted. The pictures posted are from a day touring the Swamp last weekend and at the Strawberry Festival in Ponchatoula this past weekend. Please let us know if you would like to help sponsor one of our family events.

Exciting Events at BFH

2011-04-04T11:31:00.009-05:00

Two recent events we have had at Friendship House were an Up2Hope Fun day and our annual Health Fair.

In March we invited girls who had participated in our summer camp to come and enjoy a "spa day." The girls enjoyed getting to feel like the princesses that God has created them to be as they learned about how God cares for each of them, while also enjoying a lunch, manicures, making jewelry, and receiving gift bags. It was such a joy and blessing for us to see their faces light up as they shared laughter and stories with the women that came, other girls at the spa day, and our staff.

The Health Fair was held this past Saturday. We were able to minister to our commnunity throughout the afternoon as they came to our center to receive different medical services. We were blessed with volunteers from churches, LSU School of Nursing, and LSU Ag Center. Men and women who came were able to have their blood pressure and glucose checked, have a hearing and vision screening, receive foot care, among other things that were provided. The individuals and families who came not only received physical care, but also spiritual care as conversations were shared and people were prayed with throughout the day. It was great to see many familiar faces of those we minister to each week, those we haven't seen in a while, and also new faces that we hope to continue to build relationships with in the future. God uses events like the Health Fair to work to bring Himself glory! We are blessed that He allows us to take part in His work. Thank you to all who volunteered, donated items, and prayed. Thank you for choosing to be a part of the minsitry of Baptist Friendship House.

Let Me Tell You a Story

2011-01-13T13:21:00.007-06:00

There is a lady, who not too long ago had a house to call a home. Inside, however, was anything but safe. She was abused by her husband. She eventually got up the courage to leave and divorce him. The divorce left her penniless. The emotional toll taken on her from the abuse left her addicted to drugs and alcohol and eventually led her to being homeless. Homeless and desperate, she found herself in New Orleans roaming the streets. She finds a guy whom she thought would provide protection. Only, she needed protecting from him. He beats her, physically and mentally, he rapes her and then allows others to do the same. There is some safety in knowing that he is there, its the only "safety" she has known and can rely on. She eventually finds a center just out side the French Quarter that she can come in, just her, no men. She comes in. She's been beaten, raped, and has lost her shoes. The staff at the center give her shoes, clothing, and more importantly - they listen as she tells her story. She is angry, upset, and broken. The staff do something she has not seen, possibly ever in her life. They show her genuine compassion.

She asks repeatedly, "Why are you being so nice to me?"
The staff responds, "You are worth it. You are valued and loved by God. We too love and care about you."

She eventually starts coming more regularly. Years go by and she knows that the center is a constant refuge. She begins taking showers at the center. She get clean clothes, shoes, hygiene, and food as she needs it. Her demeanor changes. She knows the staff cares for her and she begins to care for the staff. She starts bringing donations from others that she can't use. She begins to laugh. She attends weekly Bible Study. She starts coming almost daily. She is drinking alcohol less. She tells staff at the center that this year she is going to change.

"It's a New Year," she says.
A staff responds with, "And a New You."
She declares that she is going to get her GED, take classes to work with senior adults, get her own housing, and become sober.

Since this declaration, she has been attending GED tutoring sessions and she has worked with another agency and has obtained housing. She cries. This time, it is for joy.

It's a New Year, It's a New Life.

New Year, New Blessings

2011-01-10T09:50:00.008-06:00

There is never a dull moment at Friendship House, and Christmas is no exception. We celebrated the Holiday Season with our families. One lady said that she was thankful to have a family to spend the holidays with. Thanks to those who adopted our families, moms were able to have gifts for their kids to open Christmas day and even for themselves too!

We rung in the New Year with a big movie night complete with pillow fight with the kids. We watched the fireworks from the porch and then called it a night...or morning.

Our families are doing well. Most have jobs and are working on saving their money. The kids are doing well in school. One is getting ready to start college!

Please continue to pray for our families as they work to save their money to transition in to a home of their own. Also pray for the staff to continue to be sensitive to God's calling and direction in the ministry.

Pray for our city as we seek to find ways to minister to the need. There have been many changes. Changes in the city and ministries has made us more aware that God is up to something big. We appreciate you choosing to be a partner in the ministry here at BFH and in New Orleans.

VOTE FOR US

2010-12-13T10:23:00.003-06:00

For the month of December Baptist Friendship House is in running for the $250K grant from Pepsi. Each Month Pepsi accepts 1000 entries and we were picked! If we remain in the top 100 we will continue for the next month, however, if we get in the top 1 or 2 spot then we receive the grant. Us receiving the grant totally depends on YOU and your daily support through voting.

You can vote via this link: http://www.refresheverything.com/baptistfriendshiphouse
You can also text your vote: text 104857 to 73774 (Standard text messaging rates apply)

Recently, we joined an alliance of other organizations in Louisiana. The idea is that we share supporters in the hopes that we all be able to place in the top 2 places of our categories and thus we all getting the grant we are applying for. Please consider these as well. The link to view them is as follows:
http://www.vote4pepsimonroe.com/main.html?src=%2F
Once on the page you can click on the blue box and a list of all the organizations in the alliance will come up on the Pepsi Refresh Project page ready to be viewed and/or voted on.

Thank you in advance for your prayers, support, and votes. Please consider voting for us daily in order that we may receive this grant. This grant will enable us to expand our ministry.

Fall Fest 2010

2010-11-02T17:41:00.007-05:00

Who Dat?!!! That was the theme for our fall fest this year, which we celebrated on Saturday, October 30, 2010. It was a fun filled day with lots of food, games, and a whole bunch of candy!!! How else can you celebrate Fall and Halloween? We opened our gate and invited everyone into our yard to just relax and enjoy themselves. We even got to top it off with a parade that started right down the street from the center.

The pictures show our wonderful time together better than words- be sure to check more out on our facebook page at

http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Orleans-LA/Baptist-Friendship-House/122754057261

Little girl dressed as Cinderella

Volunteer and girl at the lollipop tree

Kids playing at the fishing pond at Fall Fest

We are Human

2010-09-25T21:22:00.002-05:00

If we will treat everyone as a human then a lot of the
issues in the world will cease to exist. It is basic human
right to be treated as a human.

If you can just think about this:

2010-09-24T16:08:00.002-05:00

Imagine...
You are homeless
You have no where to go and no one to see
All you have is what you are wearing
Your clothes are dirty
A shirt with holes
Pants that don’t fit
Shoes that are too small
Socks that are worn
You walk the streets the whole day
You have no form of ID
You can’t get a job to get back on your own without an ID
To America, there is no proof of your existence
As you walk the streets your feet blister
That’s what happens when your shoes don’t fit
Your toes are in so much pain you can barely take a step by the end of the day
It slowly begins to rain, then pour, as it does in New Orleans
You get out of the rain only after your clothes are soaked
Your shoes are filled with water due to the puddles
Your socks are drenched
You must keep walking because you are not allowed to sit anywhere
Constantly you are run off from places when you just stop for a rest
Now you walk the streets with wet clothes and shoes
The blisters become worse and you get more of them
Most of them are infected
You hurt
Not only physically
People constantly look down on you because you don’t have a home
They don’t even give you a chance
You didn’t have control over the situation that made you homeless
You are trying to get your life back together but no one wants to help
You have no where to go and no one to see
You are constantly walking the streets
Looking for help everywhere
You find a place that helps the homeless
You take a chance, so many times you are turned away
You ring the bell
You are greeted with a smile
The first time someone has smiled at you all week
You see a light in their eyes
You know they care
They feed you, clothe you, and give you hygiene items
They help you clean up your wounds
They look past that you are homeless and see you for you
You are helped
You now have hope and you now have strength
When you walk back down the street
Your chin will be lifted
There will be a light in your eyes
Because they were Jesus to you
It’s simple… Be Jesus to people.

Which way do you look when you see someone who doesn’t have a home? Do you smile at them or frown? Have you ever given a homeless person a chance? A homeless person is just like me and you except for the fact that they don’t have a home. They don’t have shoes that fit their feet or clothes that fit their body. They don’t have a closet to put them in either. They have a heart that does the same function as ours. They hurt just like we do; the only difference is we have a house to hide in.

There are so many stereotypes about homeless people that are untrue. The National Coalition for the Homeless talks about the reasons that people have become homeless over the past few decades. As most people assume, they are all strung out on drugs, unwilling to work, and trying to take advantage of the system. These assumptions are false. Foreclosures, poverty, eroding work opportunities, decline in public assistance, and lack of affordable housing are a few of the main reasons for homelessness in society today. Much of which, cannot be controlled by people.

Other key factors in homelessness include: lack of affordable healthcare, domestic violence, and mental illness. Statistics show that 1 in 3 Americans are uninsured. A single illness can put a person in poverty on the streets. Battered women who live in poverty are often forced to choose between the abusive relationship and becoming homeless. 16% of the single adult homeless population suffers from severe mental illness, of which they have no control. Addiction is rarely a cause of a person becoming homeless; however, once on the street there is an increased risk of turning to drugs.

Homelessness results from a complex set of circumstances and cannot be identified as a result of a single cause.

So, will you choose to be Jesus to the next homeless person you see?

³⁵For 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, ³⁶I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

³⁷"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

⁴⁰"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Matthew 25:35-40

http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/Why.pdf

A Week of Opportunities

2010-09-22T09:37:00.010-05:00

We have had a very busy last few weeks at Friendship House, that have included two awesome opportunities that we are so excited to share. On September 7, 2010 several of the staff members were able to assist with a Feed the Children drop that was here in New Orleans. The NFL Players Association sponsored this drop along with the Teamsters Union. Two truckloads filled with boxes of food were handed out to people in the community. Thankfully, we had plenty of people to help because we lacked a fork lift to unload the trucks. With assembly lines stretching across the parking lot, we were able to successfully unload the trucks as cars began to line up.

Based on the number of people in the household, each family received a food box, a household goods box, and a case of water. The food boxes include canned goods, cereal, rice, and spaghetti and will feed a family of four for ten days. The household goods box provides the family with hygiene and toiletry items, along with other things that are needed in a house.

One of the trucks filled with Feed the Children Boxes and a few boxes unloaded

One of the posters along with boxes of food stacked ready to be handed out

We had an awesome time getting to spend time with several NFL players, both current and retirees. We got to visit with John Stinchcomb, Deuce McAllister, Mike McKenzie, Chuck Commiskey, and several other players. Many of these guys have helped Baptist Friendship House food pantry through fundraisers for Feed the Children.

The NFL Players Association bus

Dr. Kay Bennett with John Stinchcomb

Kendall Wolz with Deuce McAllister

As you know, the week leading up to the NFL Kickoff was a busy time for New Orleans as we prepared to cheer our Saints to a victory on Thursday September 9. We were invited by Cherry Blackwell with Lagniappe Ministries to volunteer and help prepare the floats that were in the NFL Parade. We were also invited to attend the concerts that took place prior to the game. We are very thankful that Cherry allowed us to be a part of this experience.

Dr. Kay helping load coolers filled with cold drinks on to the floats

DeShannan helping on top of one of the NFL Parade floats

Michelle working on top of another float

Back to School Bash = Success!

2010-09-01T15:23:00.002-05:00

We had our annual back to school bash on Saturday August 28, 2010. Despite rainy weather, forcing us to do everything inside, we had a great turnout of people coming to the event. We opened the doors and allowed people to come in and dig through tons of clothing that we had received through donations. We set out food that had been donated and allowed everyone to pack a bag full to carry home with them. The kids had games to play. We also prepared food to eat at the bash. On Saturday alone, we gave out 65 bags full of school supplies to students in need. We gave out several bags in the weeks prior to the bash and we are continuing to give out the school supplies we have left as people come to the door. It was wonderful seeing all the kids just warming up to each other and playing together while their mom’s did all the digging through clothes. We met a lot of new people and saw several familiar faces. This was also a chance for us to see some of our Up 2 Hope girls that we hadn’t seen since graduation. We are so thankful for all the donations we received to make this ministry opportunity possible.

Be sure to check out our website for all of our upcoming events and to check out our needs and prayer request lists.

http://bfh.lifewaylink.com/templates/System/default.asp?id=25232

Please continue to pray for all the ministries at Baptist Friendship House.

Some of the girls drawing during our back to school bash

Backpacks and school supplies we gave away

Some of our Up 2 Hope girls with their new backpacks

All the clothing we were able to give away

Back to School Bash

2010-08-04T16:45:00.003-05:00

Our annual Back to School Bash has been scheduled for Saturday August 28, 2010. It will take place from 11 am until 1 pm at the Baptist Friendship House- 813 Elysian Fields Ave. There will be tons of free food, fun games, and a school supply give away. Everyone is welcome and we hope you will join us.

If you would like to support this event thru giving (school supplies, financially, etc), please contact us at 504-949-4469 or email Dr. Kay Bennett at kbennettbfh@aol.com

Items that will be needed to make this event a success include:

Composition Notebooks (spiral-less)
Backpacks
Pens
Blunt Tip Scissors
Rulers

Up 2 Hope 2010

2010-08-04T16:29:00.000-05:00

Up 2 Hope is our eight week summer camp for girls ages 9 and up. Our theme verse was Luke 10:27- “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind….” The fifty-six girls we had registered were an absolute joy to work with and teach. We had seven summer missionaries who with the guidance of the staff helped make this summer a huge success. We are thrilled to share that four girls made the decision to accept Christ over the course of the summer.

As a preventative program, the activities completed during Up 2 Hope are designed to teach the girls life skills that will help them become successful women. During craft, the girls learned to sew and make aprons using old t-shirts. The purpose in teaching this skill is that they don’t have to buy expensive fabric to make things they can wear. They also learned about recycling with this craft, by reusing t-shirts. The girls also learned different types of stitching for hand-sewing and how to crochet. These are all skills they will be able to carry with them for years.

Using old t-shirts to make new aprons

Other activities the girls participated in are: devotion, dance, small group time (where we talked more in depth about different topics), games, and tae-kwon-do. We also provided nutrition education, health education, and cultural education to the girls over the summer. As most of the girls have never seen outside the city, much less their own block, we used Fridays as a day to help them see that there are so many places to go and see in the world. We took several field trips over the summer to places such as the Auduobon Zoo and the Stennis Space Center.

Please continue to pray for the girls involved with Up 2 Hope. Pray that they can take what they have learned over the summer and apply it to their lives daily and that they can hopefully share the skills with others.

Up2HOPE 2009 Reunion

2010-05-03T11:17:00.002-05:00

We had a cookout for the girls and their families two Saturdays ago. It was a special time to get together and relive memories from last summer of Up2HOPE. We look forward to the amazing summer God has planned this year!

Love in Action: Our Annual Health Fair

2010-04-16T10:32:00.007-05:00

Last Saturday was our annual Health Fair at Baptist Friendship House. It is always a great event where we have various stations where people in the community can get health related information and services. We had vision and hearing testing, glucose testing, blood pressure and BMI (Body Mass Index) readings, childcare and nutrition information, first aid kits, hygiene items, food boxes from Feed the Children (where each box feeds a family of four for a week), and other information and fun activities.

We also had a volunteer come and give free haircuts and we had a foot care station where volunteers soaked, cleaned and massaged people's feet. Its always amazing to see a simple act, like washing one's feet or cutting their hair, can light up their face and make them feel special and loved.

That is our goal for the health fair, to not only take care of the physical needs that many people do not have the resources or information to take care of, but to show LOVE to people and to treat them with respect and dignity. Love in ACTION. Sharing Jesus' love in action and truth.

A special thanks to Get Real Ministries, LSU Nursing students and professors, LSU Agricultural Nutrition Educator, Phyllis and Amy for their service.

Moving Day

2010-01-14T11:28:00.005-06:00

Moments like these are what we live for at Baptist Friendship House! One of our families transitioned in her own housing this week. What a celebration!

It is very difficult for single mothers to save up enough money to find their own housing. Often people ask us how long it takes a family to transition to their own housing, but every situation is different. Each family comes in with a different story. What is so great about our transitional housing program is that we individualize their case plans and help them to create goals that works best for their situation. Very rarely is this an easy process. There are many obstacles they must get through in order to reach self-sufficiency. Therefore, "success" is different for every individual.

Our recent family that transitioned to their own housing had their own issues and barriers to overcome. However, with the help of Christ, and the staff at BFH, she has been able to secure housing and move into her very first home. Please continue to pray for her as she continues to learn valuable life skills and provide for her family.

If you want to know more about her story, the Times-Picayune featured her story and Baptist Friendship House here.

Chicken, Chicken and More Chicken...

2009-11-20T15:30:00.005-06:00

Yesterday we picked up 300 boxes (over 9,000 pounds) of chicken quarters. Yes, I said 9,000 pounds. And we unloaded them and put them in our walk-in freezer at Baptist Friendship House. However, our walk-in freezer is no longer a "walk-in". We filled the freezer to the door with chicken! What crazy and amazing things we get ourselves into! God surely continues to bless us!

Fall Festival

2009-11-02T15:01:00.006-06:00

The theme to this year's fall festival was, BOOk it, in which children's book characters were highlighted. We had several different games the kids loved, and as always, plenty of food. We also gave away children's books, snack packs and Whole Foods treats to all who attended.

Thanks to all our and volunteers donations for this event. We couldn't have done it without you!

The Saints & Feed the Children

2009-10-20T16:00:00.025-05:00

Kay with Sean Peyton, head coach of the New Orleans Saints.

On Friday, October 16, 2007, the New Orleans Saints Offensive team held a fundraiser for Feed the Children, benefiting the Covington Food Bank as well as Baptist Friendship House. Kay spoke briefly about the need for hunger relief in New Orleans and the entire state of Louisiana. Many items were auctioned off to provide trucks of food for the two centers.

** Below is a picture of Kay with the Offensive linemen from the New Orleans Saints.

We all can make a difference in the lives of children that go to bed hungry in the United States. There are many agencies all over the country working to feed hungry families. Baptist Friendship House is one of those agencies committed to providing food for families in New Orleans.

If you would like to know how you can join us in ending hunger in our community, please contact us. Thank you for always supporting us in the ministries at Baptist Friendship House. We cannot do it without your help!

**If you are on Facebook, become a Fan of Baptist Friendship House to stay updated!!

Thanks

2009-10-01T13:59:00.002-05:00

Here is a poem written to the staff at Baptist Friendship House by one of our GED students:

Thanks

Thanks for teaching me
All I need to know.
Thanks for believing in me
And giving me the strength to grow.

The words you have said to me
I will always keep deep in my heart.
For they are what gave my life
It's brand new start.

When I look back
On all the times we shared
I will always have the memory
Of how much you cared.

Even though I'll be gone real soon
I don't want you to fret
Because everything you taught me
I will never forget.

I know I said it once
Or maybe twice.
Thank you for the things you have taught me,
And for always being so nice.

by Vonetta W. Taylor
September 2009

We {Love} Get Real

2009-09-28T14:59:00.003-05:00

Last week we had our friends from Get Real come and minister in New Orleans. They have such a heart for this city. Take a look here at the pictures on their website and see all the great things that did while they were here at Baptist Friendship House.

They minister to the homeless at the Wall (the place where homeless gather at the end of Elysian Fields Ave. and different groups provide meals for them nightly). They brought them hygiene items, held church services, cut hair, provided meals and made relationships.

Up2HOPE 2009

2009-08-12T16:25:00.003-05:00

We had an amazing summer this year with Up2HOPE. Up2HOPE is an intensive, free program for girls ages 9 and up in New Orleans. The theme of this year's program was AmazinGrace. We incorporated the Amazing Race game with the idea of God's amazing grace in our lives. We took the Fruits of the Spirit for each week as they learned ways to make the Bible real in their lives.

Also, we had many games, learned dance and sign language routines, made several crafts, had new cultural experiences each week, had scavenger hunts, went on field trips and many, many other fun things. The girls were taught Taekwondo and they broke wood on graduation day.

The summer is one of our favorite times of the year. It is always an honor to be a part of these amazing girls lives. Please continue to pray for them to remember what they learned as they start school and make new friends.

Please pray for the summer missionaries as they headed back to their colleges and continue their education (A shout out to Hannah, Darlene, Amber & Charlene!!). We are always so lucky to have amazing young ladies come and serve with us each year. Please continue to pray for the staff at Baptist Friendship House as we continue to reach out to our community.

Update Coming Soon

2009-08-03T14:31:00.001-05:00

Keep posted. There will be an update about Up2HOPE coming up soon!

Health Fair

2009-04-15T15:23:00.007-05:00

Every Spring we have a Health Fair at Baptist Friendship House. This is a time we provide basic health care services for the community. Alabama WMU Nursing Fellowship, along with LSU Nursing students and LSU Nurses Christian Fellowship, helped us by providing various services: vision, hearing, glucose, BMI, blood pressure, HIV & TB information, dental, hygiene, nutrition and childcare information. We also had volunteers that provided hair cuts and foot care.

Several people attended the heath fair and received services they don't normally receive. One man was thrilled to have been given glasses. He put them on and exclaimed, "I can see!" He was so proud and made sure to show everyone the glasses.

A few ladies washed and cared for the feet of the participants. Many of them had blisters and sores and the women wrapped the feet up with bandages. They were given new socks and shoes.

One lady volunteered to cut the participants hair. One older man walked in with long shabby hair and beard. The volunteer shaved his beard and cut his hair. He walked out beaming. All those that had their hair cut left smiling and expressed their gratitude for this service.

Can you imagine the luxuries and the things we take for granted--such as shoes that fit, having a hair cut, a shaved beard, and clean socks changing the outlook of one's life? The simple fact that these volunteers were being Jesus to those that came their way. What example to follow!!

A Life Changed

2009-04-10T12:52:00.003-05:00

(Photo from WMU: L to R, Janie Wise, LBC; Melanie Fleming, BFH; Karina America, BFH; Jean Cullen, National WMU)

This year one of our women at Baptist Friendship House received the Sybil Bentley Dove Award from WMU!

Read the stories here:

WMU Press Release

MyMISSIONfulfilled

We are so proud of her and are blessed to have currently on staff. God has brought her a long way, and she is always willing to give him the credit for her successes. Please continue to pray for her and her family.

GE Employees Volunteer at BFH

2009-04-01T13:58:00.003-05:00

We had a group from GE spend a service day working at Baptist Friendship House. They did repairs, organized items, put together hygiene items for our our health fair, painted walls and doors and other jobs around the center.

Samaritan's Purse

2009-01-21T12:57:00.005-06:00

We have been blessed to have Samaritan's Purse (http://www.samaritanspurse.org/) provide volunteers that have done a lot of work at Baptist Friendship House. Their volunteers cleaned out our yard, removed trees off the fence that was damaged from Katrina and put up a new fence. It looks so great!

This week they are building an apartment upstairs for future missionaries. We are praying for a Mission Service Corps couple that feels led to come and minister with us at Baptist Friendship House. If you feel led to serve at Baptist Friendship House, or know someone that may, please contact Kay at kbennettbfh@aol.com.

Snow!

2008-12-11T13:28:00.002-06:00

It's Snowing in New Orleans!

2008-12-11T11:45:00.003-06:00

This morning, the unthinkable happened...it snowed in New Orleans! We were amazed to see the amount of snow falling (and sticking) here in the city! So funny because yesterday morning we were wearing t-shirts and talking about how warm and humid it was...and today, everything changed!

The videos show our backyard and the front of the building.(Stay updated today on our next video. I'm uploading it...and takes awhile.) You can see how hard it was snowing. The kids in New Orleans didn't get to miss school today but some of them probably experienced their first snow!

Over 19,000 Pounds of Food Given Away!

2008-11-26T12:11:00.007-06:00

Feed the Children dropped off 800 boxes of food (that feeds a family of 4 for 10 days)--that is 20 pallets and 19,000 pounds of food! We stored it at Operation NOAH's storage site (Lakeforest Baptist Church in New Orleans) last week. We were grateful to have Ron help us unload each palette and load in the warehouse with their equipment.

** Then yesterday David from Operation NOAH brought a truck loaded with the 800 boxes and we unloaded each box individually at Baptist Friendship House. Whew! We worked fast and got each box off the truck ready to give out.

We had donated treats from Whole Foods (pies, cakes, bread, rolls, etc.) that we bagged up and gave to people when they picked up their boxes of food.

We gave out all 800 boxes in 3 hours! Each box can feed a family of four for 10 days, so at the end of the day, thousands of people we given food in New Orleans. There are a lot of hungry families in our city.

The national statistics say that 1 out of every 5 children go to bed hungry in the United States and in Louisiana [Pre-Katrina] 1 out of 3 children go to bed hungry. That number has risen since the Storm and we are doing all we can to feed the hungry families in our city.

*Please pray that there will be more opportunities for food ministries in New Orleans. It takes a lot of resources in order to feed hungry people, so please pray for the financial assistance in order to continue this ministry.

We want to continue this ministry on a monthly basis.... and not stop there! When we gave out the food yesterday we gathered information about each family so we can further minister to them. At Baptist Friendship House, we seek to minister like Jesus did--to the whole person--physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually...which is the greatest need of all!

"Meeting Needs Through Love, Action & Truth"

Beth Moore

2008-11-20T14:18:00.002-06:00

Beth Moore filmed an updated version of Breaking Free in New Orleans last week. On Friday, Lifeway provided a service project day for the women attending the conference. And guess where they came to work?

Baptist Friendship House!

On Friday, several women came to serve with us at the center. They put together snack packs, hygiene kits, made encouraging cards for the kits and prayed for the ministry. It was an amazing opportunity to allow women from all over the country to serve in New Orleans.

Fall Festival

2008-11-06T15:41:00.004-06:00

On Halloween night we had our annual Fall festival for the community. It was so much fun! Our theme was the New Orleans Hornets. We had several games: basketball, fishing, ball toss, cake walk, etc. Fun, fun, fun!

We love the fall festival because it provides a safe place on Halloween night for families to come and have fun.... and of course have lots of candy!

We have some great events coming up. Stay updated and remember to pray for us! Check out our website: http://www.bfh.lifewaylink.com .

We Love Christmas in August!

2008-09-30T13:16:00.006-05:00

We have had a great response to the Christmas in August ministry this year! We are thankful for people like you that support our ministry through projects like this... We love Christmas in August!

We are always in need of these items, because we use them in our transitional housing program as well as give it out to the community. If you want to check out our current needs list you can check out our website: http://bfh.lifewaylink.com/.

All is Well...

2008-09-24T14:11:00.002-05:00

We have started getting back into the swing of things since the two Storms that came our way (or near us). There is no damage and staff and residents are safely home. Its been a stressful time for us, as it always is when you have to deal with hurricanes, evacuation, etc.

Continue to pray for us as we work with new families and participants in our day programs. Also, remember our upcoming events:

10/4 Pet Fair (*We had to reschedule this event and hope to do it in the Spring.)
10/31 Fall Festival
11/27 Thanksgiving Meal for the Community

We will keep you updated on these events as well as other things planned for the next few months. We are working on a newsletter and hope to get that up to you as soon as possible.

If you would like to receive this newsletter by mail, please contact Karina at KAmerica77@aol.com.

Safe!

2008-09-02T11:12:00.001-05:00

We just wanted to let you all know that we are all doing well. We all have evacuated and are waiting for the mayor to allow people to come back into the city. Please continue to pray for safety as we travel back home and as we see if there are any damages to our homes and the center.

As always, thank you for all your prayers!

Back-to-School Party

2008-08-12T14:32:00.003-05:00

On Saturday we had our annual Back-to-School party. We gave out school supplies, books and of course, we had food! Its always fun to get together with the families in our community. In a two hour period we gave out over 150 bags of school supplies! It is only the beginning of the week and we have given out at least 30 more bags. Schools starting to open here in New Orleans (each school has a different schedule) so families are trying to get everything together for school.

Believe it or not, this summer I have met several families that are just moving back to New Orleans since Katrina. I met a grandmother today that is raising her 7 grandchildren. She was living in the Lower 9th Ward and they just returned from GA after 3 years. Her house is being rebuilt and she should be moving in there before school starts, but she was trying to get everything together for the kids. Pray for this family as they readjust to life in New Orleans.

Please remember to pray for all the kids in New Orleans as they start back to school this month.

Saying Goodbye to the Summer

2008-08-01T11:29:00.003-05:00

It may still be the summer season, but we are saying goodbye to our summer here at Baptist Friendship House. We officially celebrated the graduation of our girls in Up2HOPE last week. We had an absolutely AMAZING summer!

Our six summer missionaries are slowly dispersing in different directions--heading back home to get ready for college. We had two students from SC, two from MS and two from GA! God blessed us with a wonderful staff this summer. We hate to see them go but we know that God has some amazing things planned for their lives.

Continue to pray for us. We are continuing to work with the girls (and other girls from the community) in after school programs and events. Pray for the girls that attended Up2HOPE and that what they experienced and learned will stick with them throughout their lives.

Fun, Crazy Summer!

2008-07-01T13:28:00.002-05:00

These are only a few pictures of this fun and crazy summer....so far! We have such, busy fun-filled days. Some of the FUN things we are doing are: sewing, crafts, Tae Kwan Do, dancing, cultural experiences, etc. We are having sooooooooooo much fun!

Summer is Here!

2008-06-02T15:16:00.002-05:00

Yes, summer is here at Baptist Friendship House. Not just the weather or the season---but Life here at the center!

Our summer missionaries have arrived! We are so thankful for the college students that decided to spend the summer with us ministering to the people of New Orleans.

And one more week until our summer program, UP2HOPE. This is a program for girls ages 9 and up. It meets Mon. - Fri. 9am - 3pm. We have so many activities planned for this program! Check this blog regularly because I will keep you guys updated!! :)

Countdown: 7 more days until UP2HOPE. Please pray for us this summer!! Pray for the girls that are coming to the program and pray for the staff that are working this summer.

Another Graduate

2008-05-29T13:28:00.003-05:00

Meet Bernadette. She graduated from high school this month. She came to Friendship House wanting to work toward her GED. She had attended school before Hurricane Katrina and then took the required tests for graduation but somehow got lost in the system. She called the school board requesting her scores but they never would give it to her . She figured she didn't pass and gave up on trying to get her test scores.

Until 2 years later she came to Friendship House and met Michelle. Michelle is our US/C-2 missionary that has her MSW degree and is working toward her license. She started working with Bernadette to prepare for the GED test until she found out the whole story. Michelle called the school board and found out what Bernadette had been waiting for 2 years to know... she had passed the test! She was technically a high school graduate!

All it took was a phone call from our social worker to find out that Bernadette had passed her test. She had to wait two years to find out, but she did not let that stop her. She was so excited and immediately worked toward participating in this year's graduation at her high school.

Bernadette has so many plans for her life. She is working toward attending college in the Fall and has a goal of being a nurse. Please pray for her as she takes these new steps in her life.

We are so lucky here at Friendship House. We have the honor of being a part of the small and big things in people's lives. All it took was a phone call--taking the time to help someone, however small it may seem, can change people's lives.

Dr. Kay Bennett

2008-05-29T11:29:00.005-05:00

Congratulations to Kay on her graduation day! She is officially Dr. Kay Bennett!! She received her D.Min. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary on May 17th. Her dissertation (Project in Ministry) dealt with training people to help abused women.

We are so proud of her! She has worked so hard and deserves this honor of being called "Dr." She is a brilliant director and we LOVE her very much!!! :)

Congratulations Kay!!

Go Hornets!

2008-05-05T14:54:00.002-05:00

Since 2005 we have been given the opportunity to volunteer at New Orleans Hornets NBA games. It has been especially exciting this year since we've been in the playoffs. The Hornets have been good to us--in remodeling part of the building and David West helping our at our health fair, so we want to help them.

They play tonight at the New Orleans Arena.... we are rooting for them.

Go Hornets!

Life at Friendship House

2008-05-05T13:57:00.003-05:00

People ask us what happens at Friendship House...

LIFE happens at Friendship House.

Kids get sick. Study for a test. Cook supper. Plan for parties. Help out neighbors. Have bible studies. Clean up. Celebrate birthdays and graduations. Go to New Orleans Hornets basketball games. Play. Pray for each other.

We are a family here at Friendship House. Its the every day life where ministry gets to the heart of the matter. This is where you connect with others and not only share Jesus but BE Jesus to those around you.

While we do ALOT for our neighbors--in different ministries and events--we are blessed to be able to share our lives with each other--our residents, volunteers and staff alike. We are all equals and on this journey of Life together.

What a beautiful picture of God's plan for his children....right here at Baptist Friendship House.

Thank you for your part in this ministry. Without the prayers and support of people like you we wouldn't be able to do this ministry. So consider yourself a part of our family.

So join us on this journey of Life as you continue to pray and support us. We have many new and exciting things coming up, so continue to keep an eye out on our blog and website!

We Love Mavis Beacon!

2008-05-01T11:34:00.003-05:00

Here are a few of our ladies in a computer class....with good 'ole Mavis Beacon! Mavis Beacon is a typing program where it teaches them to type. They can work at their own level and play fun games.

Where was Mavis when I was learning to type in school? Actually where was the computer? I learned on an actual typewriter. Yes I said TYPEWRITER. Do those still exist? Remember those white out strips where you had to put on the paper and hit Backspace to correct a mistake?

Kay tells a story of a lady that was taking a computer class here at the center. She was typing on the computer and she made a mistake. She asked how she was going to use the correction strips on the computer screen. She couldn't understand that all she had to do was hit Backspace. It amazed her!

Many of the women that come to the computer class have never touched a computer and when we mention a "mouse" they look at us funny. So we start teaching them how to use the mouse and how to type. Then we teach them different programs, such as Word and Excel.

But we are thankful for good ole Mavis! She makes it easy and FUN to learn to type. And this is a great way for us to teach women new skills for employment or to just to learn something new.

A Little Bit of Mary Kay....

2008-04-17T10:10:00.009-05:00

Yesterday we had a group of ladies from California come and lead our Wednesday bible study as well as cook a fabulous meal. They also brought Mary Kay products to give to the ladies. Yet another way God allows us to share with them that they are special and LOVED.

Boxes, boxes and more boxes.....

We also have been giving out more of the Feed the Children boxes this week. Already we have given out over 267 boxes to people in the community! And this is just people coming to the door throughout the day... So needless to say, the need is still great here in New Orleans!

Spa Day

2008-04-15T11:44:00.005-05:00

Last Saturday we had a Spa Day...and it was amazing! We had about 50 people here--mostly women and girls. We served them food and just spent the day treating them to a spa. We soaked and massaged their feet, pedicures, manicures, did facials, paraffin wax and a make-over (with our resident Clinique advisor).

Everyone enjoyed it so much and wanted us to do another one soon! We came up with the idea b/c we received hundreds of donations of spa items (nail polish, emery boards, lotion, etc.) from Christmas in August and we knew God had a plan for it all. We wanted a day for them to feel special and loved.

I think they felt that--many said to me that they were so used to taking care of other people that it was nice to be taken care of for once. I shared with them Psalm 139 and told them how they were beautiful, worth living their dreams and LOVED...and told them how much God loves them.

We have such a wonderful atmosphere at Baptist Friendship House--and we know its completely b/c of Him, but I know that many women see that when they come--they see Jesus. Today a lady from Spa Day came back to take a computer class and I said to her,

"Hey, you came back!"

She said, "Yes, it (meaning Friendship House) got to me. I had to come back."

Feed the Children & Health Fair

2008-04-14T12:54:00.002-05:00

Two Saturdays ago we had our annual Health fair for the community. However, this year we had some amazing people join us this year! Not only did our friends, Get Real Ministries and all our other friends from the city (LSU nurses, local churches and seminary) but Feed the Children donated over 450 boxes of food and personal care items! So we were able to give every person that attended the health fair a box of food and personal care items.

Since most of the people that attended the health fair walked to the center, we had volunteers drive them to their homes. They were thankful for the ride because the boxes were filled with needed items. There was one man that walked 4 miles just to get the food!! Since then we have asked ourselves --when have we ever needed to walk 4 miles just to get food??

The New Orleans Hornets NBA player, David West, also came and helped out at the health fair! He helped give out boxes of food and met with people. People were so excited and had their pictures taken with him. The Hornets have always been so supportive of our ministry. Before Hurricane Katrina they came and remodeled our building.

Go Hornets!

I am afraid to thank everyone for their involvement in the health fair--b/c I will surely forget someone. There were so many that helped to make this possible! The video only shows a small portion of what took place before and after the event. Hope you enjoy it!

Baptist Friendship House's Blog

2008-04-10T10:06:00.001-05:00

Hi, everyone! We have decided to create a Blog for you to keep updated on what is happening here at Baptist Friendship House. We want you to follow along with us on our journey so you can pray for us and be a part of this exciting ministry. God has blessed us!

So share this blog with your family, friends, church, etc. We will still have our website where we will keep updated on our events and Needs List. But this is just a more personal way to keep in touch with us.

Website: http://bfh.lifewaylink.com

Please be patient as I work to get this up and running...it may take me a while. :) I am open to suggestions and some CREATIVE help (Anyone technically gifted that can create a cool banner for this blog??).

We love you all!!