SPRING 2015 CROSCurrents CROS Ministries serves the hungry in Palm Beach and Martin Counties through community collaborations. Dear Friends, Did you know that 40% of those who received food from our food pantries in 2014 were children? As I think about our mission statement, ‘CROS Ministries serves the hungry in Palm Beach and Martin Counties through community collaborations,’ I am reminded of the children who come through our doors. This newsletter highlights the different ways we provide for children. Whether it is giving out children’s clothing at the Caring Kitchen, food and juice boxes at a pantry, preparing snacks for after school programs, packing bags filled with food for the weekend or even helping groups understand that corn is grown in the fields and not at the grocery store; the list of how we meet the needs of our community is endless. Our nine-week summer day camps are another way we serve children. Emily Zarzycki, CROS Camp and Children’s Ministry Director, has an exciting curriculum planned for elementary and middle school students this summer, complete with educational activities, field trips, and Bible studies. Thanks to the summer food service program run by Palm Beach County, we also provide lunch and snack to all the campers. Camp season will be here before we know it. My 12-year-old son is already counting down the days to summer vacation! Would you consider making a donation to CROS Camps? Your gifts and those of others will ensure that our campers have a fun and safe summer experience, and create memories that they will cherish for years to come. With Hope for our Children! Ruth Mageria Executive Director Community Food Pantries Food Pantry volunteers bring books and small toys for the children to keep them busy while their parents complete the pantry forms. They are allowed to take these items with them. Some of the pantries stock small containers of Juicy Juice for the children too. A little boy and his mother visited one of our food pantries recently. While his mother spoke to a volunteer, the little boy began to cry. His mother asked him why he was crying. He said that he was hungry. A CROS staff member overhearing this exchange brought him some crackers and a juice box. The little boy stopped crying and patiently waited for his mother to finish. As she was leaving, she thanked the volunteer and staff member for their kindness to her child. She said they had not eaten anything since the day before. CROS Ministries • 301 First Avenue South • Lake Worth, FL 33460 • Phone: (561) 233-9009 Fax: (561) 233-9819 Benjamin School students spent the morning of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday gleaning in the field with us. The students were filled with amazing energy and delight. Just watching them look into the leaves of a pepper plant, spy a large pepper hidden within, pull it triumphantly from the bed and then exclaim to everyone, “Look at this one” would bring a smile to your face. Gleaning News For some, this was also the first time they stepped foot on a farm. The first time they could see that food does not magically appear in the grocery store, but grown and harvested by farmers. We love that gleaning helps kids fill in the blanks, see behind the scenes into where food comes from, and what it takes to get it into the hands of hungry people. See you in the fields! -Keith Cutshall, CROS Gleaning Director Caring Kitchen Update! On the second Monday every month, The Caring Kitchen holds children’s and teen’s clothing day. Parents come in at 1:30pm and work with a volunteer “personal shopper” to receive clothing, shoes, books, and toys for their children. There is always a large array of items to choose from thanks to our boutique volunteers and donations arriving all month long. The children and the parents really appreciate this service. Some parents even donate clothing back to us when their children grow out of them. -Caring Kitchen Staff Giving Campers a Better Tomorrow! CROS Camps Goals: Nutrition: Making sure campers are provided with breakfast as needed, lunch and snacks daily. Education: Helping to reinforce the skills campers learned during the school year in a fun yet educational way Basic Skills: Providing campers with opportunities to make good choices, build confidence and share with others What do you think about when it comes to summer time in Florida? Some may think of going to the beach and sunbathing. Others might think about going water skiing or to the Rapids Water Park to cool off. Some think about BBQ’s and family parties. I, however, think about the many, many young children who are home alone for the summer fending for themselves. I think about the meals they will not have. I think about the loss of reading and writing skills they learned during the school year. CROS Camps provides a safe environment for campers, so the things, I think about will not happen. Campers have a safe nurturing place to call “home” during the day. They receive breakfast, lunch, and snacks daily. We teach biblical principles and values that they can share at home. And YES, we have fun! We go on field trips, work on school readiness for the fall, sing, dance, make arts and crafts, and so much more. Every day is different, which is one major reason why I love to get out of bed every morning during camp season. Will you help me make a difference in the life of campers this summer? First, join me in praying for our campers and their families, volunteers, and staff that God will protect and keep us safe daily through our activities and travel. Secondly, please consider giving a gift of love financially to off-set the many needs of our program. Your donation will help “Give our Campers a Better Tomorrow!” Seeking peace of mind for our campers! -Emily Zarzycki, CROS Camp and Children’s Ministry Director Summer Camp Interns Needed! We are seeking 16 young, talented men and women ages 19 - 28 to serve as interns for our Summer Camp Program. Our program will run from June 8th - August 7th with a week of training prior to the beginning of camp. Each intern will receive a $2,200 stipend for their 10 weeks of service. The intern serves in the role of running camp activities, attending field trips, leading outdoor games, worship, academics, and crafts. Giving Campers a Better Tomorrow! “As I was sitting here watching that beautiful camp video from the summer and seeing my daughter’s picture come up so many times doing such fun and educational stuff it warmed my heart. CROS gave my daughter a summer that I could not give her because I am single mom working two jobs to provide for us. She came home from camp daily so excited and full of joy!!! It warmed my heart to see her smile as big as the ocean while she told me of all the things she did. I really want to thank you all for all the hope and love you put in their lives!” - CROS Camps Parent In 2014, CROS Ministries provided hope through these ministries: Ministry to Eliminate Hunger • Community Food Pantries distributed food to 63,166 individuals, 40% of people served were children. • The Caring Kitchen provided 85,865meals. • Nutrition in a Knapsack provided weekend bags of food to 225 students (20142015 school year). • The After School Snack Program provided 39,700 snacks to children in Delray Beach and West Palm Beach. • Cason UMC distributed 15,407 brown bag weekend lunches. • The Gleaning program harvested 377,535 lbs. of fresh produce and distributed the produce into the community (2013-2014 gleaning season). Ministry to Support Children and Families • 171 children attended CROS Camps • 762 Thanksgiving and Christmas food boxes were distributed to local families. • 783 holiday gift cards were donated to 310 families so they could provide holi day gifts for their children. Ministry Encouraging Self-Sufficiency • The Caring Kitchen provided 15,773 referrals and services for basic needs. • CROS Volunteers helped 1,139 people apply online for government benefits such as SNAP (food stamps), Medicaid, and temporary cash assistance. Nutrition in a Knapsack “We deliver Nutrition in a Knapsack bags each Friday during the school year to 75 students at Jupiter Elementary. As soon as we arrive, the students grab their book bags and come to the classroom door. Our reward for this service: big smiles and hearing “Thank You” and “Gracias” as the children return to their desks.” - Ron Long, Jupiter First Church CROS Liaison “Mondays are usually the most difficult days. They come in, and that’s when usually they are complaining about being hungry early in the morning, or they are complaining about being tired and stuff like that. And with doing the knapsacks filled with food, those same kids are coming in, they’re ready, they’re focused. They’re not as focused on eating. There is definitely a difference.” - Pine Grove Elementary Teacher A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION FOR CHRISTIANS REACHING OUT TO SOCIETY, INC., A FLORIDA-BASED NONPROFIT CORPORATION (REGISTRATION NO. CH20251), MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE OR VISITING THEIR WEBSITE, WWW.FRESHFROMFLORIDA.COM. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY STATE. 501 (C) TAX EXEMPT #59-1802917. CHRISTIANS REACHING OUT TO SOCIETY, INC. RECEIVES 100% OF EACH CONTRIBUTION, WITH 0% GIVEN TO A PROFESSIONAL SOLICITOR.
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