What's new at BigHouse!

Here is the latest news at BigHouse...

We have completed the BigHouse 2011 Swimsuit and Towel Drive! We raised over $10,000 in monetary donations + thousands of swimsuits and towels and were able to give every child an embroidered towel and swimsuit, and every teen an embroidered towel! We estimated it would cost about $25 per child for a new swimsuit, towel, and embroidery so an estimated value of our entire collection is about $85,000!!! WOW! Thank you to EVERYONE who donated, embroidered, or volunteered to help pack up the suits and towels! We have received wonderful feedback from foster parents and social workers across the state...

"Thank you all for the beautiful towels and swimtrunks!!!!! All four boys loved them,they feel very special to know that a complete stranger thought so much of them to get them something special. May you be blessed in every way possible!!!! Not many people relize how something so small means so much to these little guys!!!!! We are beach bound in the a.m. So you can only imagine what was first to be packed.LOL."

-Foster mom in Chilton County

"We, too, got our towels and suits today! All 4 of 'my babies' were THRILLED! They put them on right away and even took their naps STILL wearing them and used the towel as their covers. Took the towels to bed with them tonight too!! They kept saying, "Is that 'my' name on there? Show me where it says my name." I assured them that it WAS their name! :) So Thank-You, Thank You to EVERYone involved. They were definitely a 'hit' at "Our Big House". :) Now we gotta go swimming!! :)"

- Foster mom in Shelby County

‎"What a beautiful gift you sent for our little girl! She is autistic and carries her new suit and towel every where with her to show people. "Look, look!" is a phrase I hear from her all day. She repeatedly traces her name on the towel with her fingers and says her name. I wish you could see her twirling, trying to get the ruffles on her suit to sway.You couldn't have blessed her more and in doing so, you have blessed me. Thank you so much! "

- Foster mom in Calhoun County

"The children were so excited to have a towel with their name monogrammed. For many of them, these towels are the only thing that they have ever had which was personalized just for them. Even the older teenagers wanted me to let you know how much your gift meant to them."

- Dallas County Service Supervisor

And here are a few pics from the drive.

We also just finished an awesome week of kid's camp at BigHouse! We were blessed to have Danna Coffey, a preschool teacher from Atlanta who loves science, prepare an awesome week of experiments for our kids! We also had some fun afternoon adventures to Storybook Farms, mini-golf, and swimming! Here are some pics from our fantastic week!

We have also been incredibly BLESSED with some terrific interns this summer! It is so clear to me God knew exactly what we needed when He directed these wonderful girls paths to BigHouse. They are such awesome young women with big plans to make life better for those in their community! We are loving having their energy, ideas, and brains helping at BigHouse this summer. Here's a little bit about them... (i totally jacked their fb info without asking...)

Gina Henderson

I'm 23.
I go to Auburn University; I'm a Social Work major.
I pretty much love my life; it rocks.

"Let patience have her perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire wanting nothing" - James 1:4

Erin Hutchins

Grad. Student at Auburn in Business Administration, non-profit management

I am rare, precious, trustworthy, kind, disciplined, energetic, diligent, compassionate, generous, industrious, influential, poised, wise, distinguished..I am a Proverbs 31 woman

Shealy White

Senior at Furman University in Human Services and Faith- Poverty Studies

"shed a little sunshine in the heart of one, that one is cheered to pass it on,

and so My vitalizing joy-giving message goes..."

We have many things on the horizon at BigHouse... I am going to make a conscious effort to keep the blog up to date! Please also check out our website for more info about BigHouse!

www.ourbighouse.org

-m