SSTD

Hey, It’s BigHouse!

Hey everyone, it’s BigHouse again! It is officially spring which means it is Swimsuit and Towel Drive time! Swimsuit and Towel Drive started in 2009 to collect new swimsuits and towels for children in foster care across the state. Yes, the ENTIRE state of Alabama! The annual drive started off as a huge hit and has quickly become one of our favorite things to do.

Each towel is embroidered with the child’s name to make the gift extra special. This makes the gift uniquely their own and something they can cherish year after year. We love knowing that something that may seem so small can impact a child’s life and give them something to smile about.

Over the past eight years, Swimsuit and Towel Drive has grown tremendously. We have delivered over 10,000 swimsuit and towel packages across the state to children in foster care. As you can imagine, this does not happen without our incredible community. We rely on our community to help donate swimsuits and towels and to help embroider the towels. We are so thankful to have such incredible support! It makes this process go smoothly and quickly!

This year, the drive will run through the end of April. It takes time but it allows us the ability to truly provide each child with a unique and special gift. We believe each personalized towel tells the child, “You are valued by your community and loved by your Heavenly Father.” To ensure this message is received, we place a postcard in each package telling the child just that.

We are so excited for this year’s Swimsuit and Towel Drive to get started! If you would like to donate to the drive, there are drop-off locations around the community and donations can be dropped off at BigHouse as well. Also, if you are interested in helping us embroider towels, please contact us by email at bighouse@ourbighouse.org. We can’t to make this year’s drive the best yet!

Glitz, Glam and Gowns

Hey It’s BigHouse!

Hey everyone, it’s BigHouse! Last week we had our annual Glitz, Glam and Gowns event and it was a HUGE success! Glitz, Glam and Gowns is our annual prom dress event for teenage girls in foster care throughout the state of Alabama. It is always such a fun way to connect with these girls and help them feel pampered for an evening.

This year the event was held at The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham. There were close to 60 round ladies signed up and multiple volunteers there to help! The girls could shop and try on prom dresses, pick out shoes and jewelry to match, and get their makeup and nails done. It was so much fun! We heard squeals, saw huge smiles as girls wore their dresses around for the rest of the night and spinning in them in the halls. It was so encouraging to see the joy on their faces as they found the dress they wanted! 

Like many other events, Glitz, Glam and Gowns would not have been possible without some amazing people. To our staff, the volunteers, donors and prayer warriors.. THANK YOU!! Without you this event would not have been a success.

Glitz, Glam and Gowns is one of our favorite events each year, and we are so pleased with the way it went this year. We can't wait for next year!! 

 

BigHouse Fundraising Banquet

Hey it’s BigHouse!

Hey everyone, it’s BigHouse again! We’ve got some exciting news to share with everyone! Last week, on February 23^rd we hosted the annual BigHouse Fundraising Banquet and it was a huge success! Every year, this banquet is so much fun and a great way for people in the community to learn more about BigHouse and how they can impact the foster community in positive ways.

This year was no exception! The speaker for the banquet was United States Air Force Airman and author Richard Oden. Richard shared his life story about how he was raised in foster care, how that impacted his life, and why he and his wife, Brittany, have chosen to be foster parents as well. Richard’s testimony was nothing short of powerful and we were so thankful to have him be a part of our event!

BigHouse’s goal this year was to have fifty new or increased monthly donors. We are so thankful to say that we had forty-eight new monthly donors and nine current donors increase their current giving. WHAT A BLESSING!! This year’s banquet was extremely successful and so much fun! BigHouse is so thankful for all the people who had a hand in making the banquet happen! It wouldn’t have been as successful without these servant hearted people.

This banquet is always a huge way for BigHouse to gain more support in many ways. We are so thankful for everyone who attended this year’s banquet and can’t wait to see how the Lord continues to bless it!