September Outreach - Stand Up For Kids

Nearly 50 individuals from Cross of Christ packed over 100 sack lunches and made cards for homeless teenagers living on the streets of downtown Phoenix.  Stand Up For Kids is the organization that will distribute these meals for the homeless youth that come to their center.

Update on Saturday, September 25, 2010 at 01:12PM by Laurie Smith

Meals were delivered to Stand Up For Kids distribution

Cross of Christ Church supports the Carbajal Family

Several members of Cross of Christ met at the beginning of May to see how we could reach out to a family going through a difficult period.

 

Bryan Carbajal was diagnosed with lung cancer last year at the age of 37.  He and his wife Gina have three children, Sydney (12), Miguel (8) and Maya(6).  Miguel has special needs and has been on a feeding tube since the age of 2, making it nearly impossible for Gina to hold a steady job.  Bryan, a chef by trade, lost his job last July when the company went bankrupt.  This was one week after his diagnoses.  Their family has been supporting them by covering the mortgage payments for the last year but those funds are depleting quickly.  In February this year, Bryan's father was hit by a vehicle and killed while crossing the street.  Just when you think it couldn't get any worse, a CAT scan revealed that the cancer has spread to his brain.  Bryan's oncologist has told him he has about 6-8 months to live.

Since the beginning of May, the people of Cross of Christ and the Pipeline Worldwide Organization have pooled their resources in an effort to provide care and comfort.  See the news footage from ABC 15 News which aired on Wednesday, June 16th, 2010.

CARBAJAL VIDEO

If you would like to make a donation or offer your services you may contact Laurie Smith.

DONATE HERE

Watch their story on ABC 15 News

Update on Friday, July 23, 2010 at 05:58PM by Laurie Smith

The extreme home makeover is a complete success.  The family is resting comfortably in their newly renovated home thanks to the many generous volunteers and donors who made it all possible.

VIEW PHOTO GALLERY HERE

Mission Trip to El Salvador

What is a mission trip?

Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity is a partnership between Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Habitat for Humanity International. This blog is a record of the 2010 Thrivent Builds Worldwide Financial Representative Ambassador Program (FRAP) trip to build homes in the Thrivent Builds El Salvador Community--called Villa Esperanza, or Hope Village. By mid-2010, this new community will be complete with up to 75 new houses for Salvadoran families--financed by $1.3 million from Thrivent Financial and built by over 50 teams of Thrivent members, Lutherans and other volunteers working with Habitat El Salvador. This community will change the lives of the new homeowner families, and this experience will also alter our lives as volunteers! This team is being lead by Kevin Alford and Mike Feiler and includes over 30 Thrivent Financial representatives and employees, specially selected to become ambassadors for this program.

The blog is being updated by Ottis Smith, Financial Representative for Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

For more information how you can be a part of a Thrivent Builds trip in the future, please contact Cross of Christ member Ottis Smith.

Click here to follow Ottis on his journey:

Ottis Smith's Travel Journal