Easter is Almost Here!

 

Easter is Here and Reconnecting Families is Bringing Families Together...

Sunday March 24, 2013 marked the annual Marietta First Baptist Church's Easter Egg Hunt. First Baptist has become a great friend and sponsor of the Reconnecting Families' family. This church truly steps up to the plate when food or activities are needed for the families undergoing drug court. The major event sponsored by this wonderful church is the Annual Easter Egg Hunt, but First Baptist is also helpful with donating their time, facilities and congregation.

This past Sunday, despite the looming fears of rain or even snow (!), the families participating in the Family Dependancy Treatment Court program celebrated Easter alongside Judge Juanita Stedman, Board members of Reconnecting Families, and drug court employees. Easter is a holiday about healing and new life, and this day truly personifies the happiness of new lives that are filled with sobriety.  It was no surprise when, despite the gloomy forecast, the sun peeked out from behind the clouds and shined down on this event!

Pictures of the great day are soon to follow so check back in to see those adorable faces!

Thanks to the kind folks of Marietta First Baptist Church!

Our Dear Little Worker Bees.....

Our donated clothes closet is one of the most valuable services offered by Reconnecting Families.  Through community outreach and donations, RF maintains a closet system where we accept donated clothes and household goods for our families and especially the children associated with the Family Dependancy Court and Juvenile Drug Court.  Clothes and donated items pour into this closet on a daily basis and RF is always in need of some able bodied hands to help our volunteers get the clothes organized, cleaned out and ready for our families to "shop".

Gail Brinkman

The clothes closet program has been lovingly lead by our very dear friend and volunteer Gail Brinkman for the last 5 years.  Gail tirelessly works in the closet to ensure each family has exactly what is needed and what is helpful.  What woudl we do without Gail??

Thanks Gail!

Also, this semester RF has had the fortune of being assisted in the closet by intern Monica Gutierrez.  Monica is active in her own church donation programs and has been assisting RF to ensure the closet runs smoothly.

If you would like to get involved and help these ladies by volunteering in our clothes closet, please email reconnecting.families@cobbcounty.org.
You can volunteer regularly or only one time, we need your help!

Monica Gutierrez

JLCM Helps RF with Baskets!

Junior League of Cobb Marietta helps out again!

Treatment Baskets are a big part of what Reconnecting Families does to make our FDTC participants successful in their new sober lives.  As a participant enters residential treatment, they are required to bring with them 2 weeks worth of food and personal hygiene items.  This may seem small, but for our participants who have been left with nothing due to a life of drug abuse, this is a huge expense.  RF provides a basket with all the necessary items to increase their chances of successful drug abuse treatment.

Our good friends, the Junior League of Cobb Marietta, donated and organized 17 treatment baskets for our FDTC families.

Thanks so much to the JLCM for all your hard work and dedication!!

Reconnecting Families, Inc Celebrates 5 Years of Bringing Families Together....

 

 

If you might like to join us in celebrating, please rsvp to reconnecting.families@cobbcounty.org.

 

Tickets are $100 per person and going fast!

 



Wondering what to do with those old pots and pans?

RF Needs List

Do you look around the house some days and wonder what to do with the old clothes, household items etc...?  Or perhaps your Sunday school, Bible study, professional organization or civic group is looking for a charity to partner and grow a partnership?

Consider RF for your organization.  Reconnecting Families is always on the look out for toiletries, used household items, clothes, children's toys and wares.  Cobb County is an amazing community whose support and kindness makes RF such a success!

What does RF need?  The need is plenty, but here are a few items we suggest:

Needs List

**NON AEROSOL PLEASE!!!!!!

New Kitchen items:

• Bibs

• Child sippy cups

• Cleaning items: sponges, cleaners, paper towels, brooms, dust mops, laundry detergent, light bulbs, dishwashing liquid

• Dishes, bowls, glasses, utensils and cutlery

• Dish towels

• Measuring cups

• Pot holders

• gently used Pots and pans

• Small appliances

• Storage containers

New Bath Items:

• Bathroom tissue

• Personal toiletries: shampoo, deodorant, shaving cream/shaving razors and toothpaste

• Towels, wash cloths and bath set

New Bed Linens:

• Blankets: twin sized and full sized, comforters

• Pillows

• Sheet Sets: crib, twin, full and queen

New Miscellaneous Items:

• Batteries: all sizes

• Car Seats

• Children's Books and DVDs

• Crib-Baby Bed

• Diapers, Pull-Ups

• Gift and Gas Cards: Wal-Mart, Target, Kroger, CVS, et al.

• High Chairs

• Microwave Ovens

• Toys, Board Games, cards and puzzles

Looking for a Way to get Involved? Read here...

Volunteers appear in all sorts of ways, sizes and ages...and in all sorts of shoes!

On Tuesday we posted about Monica Gutierez, the RF intern, who singlehandedly lead a shoe drive through her church.  The drive raised 136 pairs of brand new shoes, and the shoes were acquired by children!  These shoes helped the participants of the Family Dependancy Treatment Court feel good about themselves, after living a life of struggle.

What is amazing about the story is the shoe drive was done by the hands of small children, which shows anyone can make a difference!

Do you have an organization that might like to get involved?  If so, please reach out to:

Brin Black reconnecting.families@cobbcounty.org

See more pictures of the shoe drive, as they were being presented at the Restauracion Atlanta Penial church!

Shoes for the Soul!

In February, a little angel helped out the families of the Family Dependency Treatment Court!

Monica Gutierrez, the current Reconnecting Families intern, saw a need and decided to take action.  And take action she did!  Last week, Monica showed up with 136 pairs of shoes for the families of FDTC.  Allowing these families to overcome the shame of tattered shoes is just another way RF gives these families a hand up.

Here is how Monica made it happen, in own words...

I am currently an intern at Reconnecting Families. There is much to say about this opportunity I am grateful to experience, there is however, an aspect that has impacted me to go the extra mile. Watching children reconnect with their parents and receiving gifts of benevolent acts caused a spark of ideas in me. My idea? One hundred pairs of new shoes. I thought of nowhere better to start than my own church. 

I gathered the members of the ministry, "Speak Out" of Restauracion Atlanta, the church I currently attend, and presented to them my grand idea. "Let's collect one hundred, new pairs of shoes by the end of February." As all were in agreement, as well as encouraging, I took the next step in presenting it to my church. I read them statistics and explained the evident, yet unknown necessities our own and neighboring counties consists of. As February flew on by, and finally reaching the last Sunday of the month (in other words, the last day to accept shoe donations), we totaled in 136 pairs of shoes! I had no doubt my church would genuinely donate, but I am honest to say I was astonished by the immediate responses and surpassing our goal! I am glad to serve in making a difference in my community.

-- 
Monica Gutierrez