{"id":26885,"date":"2021-03-02T10:46:04","date_gmt":"2021-03-02T15:46:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=26885"},"modified":"2021-06-28T15:18:02","modified_gmt":"2021-06-28T19:18:02","slug":"hooks-needles-sends-love-to-mother-child-2-24-21","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=26885","title":{"rendered":"Hooks & Needles Sends Love to Mother & Child (2\/24\/21)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Congratulations…\u00a0 You just had a baby!\u00a0 That IS great news.\u00a0 But imagine that you’re young, single, unemployed, and homeless.\u00a0 The happiness of being a mother is clouded by the dark realities in your life.\u00a0 You want the best for your baby and you need to reach out for help.\u00a0 But who is there to answer?\u00a0 As it was with the leper, bleeding woman, and despised Samaritan, is there anyone who will listen to you?\u00a0 Is there anyone who can let go of all feelings of judgement, and instead reach out and take hold of your hand in love?\u00a0 Is the Church there???<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Thanks to God and the work of His Holy Spirit, help is available.\u00a0 Hands of love are ready to embrace you with the warmth of God’s love.\u00a0 At various times during this covid laced winter, PUMC’s “Hooks and Needles” group has reached out to the needy of our community. Recently, they delivered 17 handmade blankets for the new mothers at a homeless shelter…<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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Center for Family Services: Mother Child<\/span><\/h3>\n

This organization exists for the sole purpose of helping families like yours.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The Center for Family Services provides many services for people in need.\u00a0 One of them is temporary housing for recent mothers (or mothers to be) who are currently homeless. The shelter is located in Woodbury, NJ (our county seat- about 5 miles away from PUMC).\u00a0 The Mother\u00a0Child Shelter<\/a><\/span> seeks to restore wholeness to a mother who is carrying heavy physical, emotional, and financial burdens in addition to carrying her child. In addition to providing emergency shelter, Mother Child trains young mothers on how to care for their babies, find employment, and assists them to reach emotional wholeness.\u00a0 They provide on-site workshops and counseling as needed.\u00a0 The goal is to help the women become self-sufficient so that they can fully care for themselves and their child.<\/p>\n

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Jesus: Loving Shepherd<\/span><\/h3>\n

The Church exists for the sole purpose of glorifying God by helping all people; even someone in your difficult situation.\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Jesus cares for those in need.\u00a0 He is not judgemental, and He empowers His Church to take on the same qualities.\u00a0 While He was on earth, He talked with a Samaritan woman who had been rejected by her community because she was “living in sin.”\u00a0 He did the unthinkable and touched lepers; despised people who had to warn “normal” people to flee from their presence by announcing themselves as “Unclean, Unclean!”\u00a0 Jesus the Priest allowed Himself to become defiled by the touch of a bleeding woman.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Today, He calls His Church to reach out to the Samaritans, lepers, and bleeding women of our own day.\u00a0 He comes to His Church so that we can embrace His Sheep using the example He gave us.<\/p>\n

Hooks and Needles…<\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n

One way that our church, PUMC, is fulfilling that call is through a group called Hooks and Needles.\u00a0 This group of talented women (but men are invited!<\/em><\/span>)\u00a0 meets weekly\u00a0 to pull together their creativity and love by making items such as blankets, hats, and even facemasks.\u00a0\u00a0 Currently, 16 people are\u00a0 active in the group. Blankets are given to new mothers,\u00a0 to babies during baptism, or to anyone who needs to feel the warmth of Christ’s love.\u00a0 During these cold months, hats and scarves are given to the community (using our “Soap and\u00a0Such<\/a><\/span>”\u00a0 mini pantry).<\/p>\n

Here’s a taste of what Hooks and Needles has been doing over the past few months…<\/p>\n

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December:\u00a0 Christmas Party<\/span><\/h4>\n

In December, Mother Child throws a Christmas party for the moms and their kids.\u00a0 In normal times, the gifts are donated by local businesses.\u00a0 But in these Covid times, many of those businesses had shut down.\u00a0 God inspired Hooks and Needles to do something about this.\u00a0 So they pulled together, purchased gifts, and then delivered a car-full of Christmas gifts to the center in time for the party.<\/p>\n

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In appreciation of the Christmas gifts, Richard Stagliano, the CEO of the Center for Family Services, sent a letter to Hooks and Needles.\u00a0 In his letter, he related the story of a 13 year old boy who was warmed by one of the gifts.\u00a0 To protect his identity, we’ll just call this boy “David”…<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Your donation of holiday gifts to residents in our Mother Child program sends a powerful message of care and support…<\/span><\/p>\n

Because of you, a child like David will have the chance to feel special.\u00a0 For children like 13-year old David who faced difficult and traumatic life circumstances, the chance to feel special means a lot.<\/span><\/p>\n

Last year David hoped for a Rowan University sweatshirt.\u00a0 Because of you and other caring people like you, David received that exact gift.\u00a0 David treasures his sweatshirt and wears is as a constant reminder to stay on track with his goal to attend Rowan University.\u00a0 His megawatt smile and motivation to keep pushing forward is thanks to your message of care and support.<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

Hooks and Needles or PUMC doesn’t want any credit.\u00a0 The “caring people like us” care because Christ cares for us.\u00a0 The “powerful message of care and support” originates from God; we were just listening to Him and obeying His call.<\/p>\n

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February:\u00a0 Blankets<\/span><\/h4>\n

On February 24, Hooks and Needles and Mother Child joined forces under a common purpose to care for the needy.\u00a0 Hooks and Needles delivered a collection of 17 blankets to the shelter to be given to the needy mothers.\u00a0 Theses works of yarn didn’t only provide a warm and useful blanket;\u00a0 \"\"they also provided a warm and loving hand; a hand reached out in love to someone who may have been feeling unlovable.<\/p>\n

A tag attached to each item describes our motivation and purpose:<\/p>\n

“May this blanket wrap you in God’s love, comfort, and strength.\u00a0 We pray that God will be with you now and always.\u00a0 <\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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“Have I not commanded you- Be strong and courageous.\u00a0 Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua\u00a01:9<\/a>)<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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Ongoing:\u00a0 Facemasks<\/span><\/h4>\n

Another way PUMC has been reaching out during this pandemic is what we’re calling the “Soap and Such Mini Pantry<\/a>.”\u00a0 The “Pantry” is a series of tubs placed outside of our church building on a bench.\u00a0 Anyone is welcome to take items such as cleaning supplies, feminine hygene products, and even soap, shampoo, and toothpaste.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\t\t