Spring Break is coming soon!

Wow- I can't believe it is almost March!  We will have a group from the Wesley Foundation at the University of Alabama coming to help with the renovations during their spring break.  I am really excited to share the dream God gave us with so many of our friends. 

During the week, we will have worship each night and a speaker. Please pray that God will use this time to really speak to our group. Our goal is to strengthen the relationships our group has with each other and the Lord. Our "theme" for the week is about realizing and building our God-given dreams.  We greatly appreciate our friends giving up their spring break to help us realize our God-given dream.  

We are focusing on Ephesians 3:20-21, "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever, Amen." 

What a powerful verse! How appropriate for BigHouse and spring break. I love that He can do more than we even imagine, because, it seems so often we put Him in a box.  Honestly, three months ago I could not imagine the plan God had for BigHouse; I was hoping to find a hole in the wall office where I could collect some clothes and donations and help a few families. He had much greater plans- Plans for BigHouse to have a BIG HOUSE, where children can feel safe, loved, and comfortable. A place for foster families to receive support; physically, financially, and especially emotionally. Wow- God had much bigger plans!  And just as Paul told the Ephesians, TO HIM BE THE GLORY!

Pictures of the future BigHouse

This is the future BigHouse! Just a couple pics of the before! We can't wait to upload the after pics!

BigHouse has a BIG HOUSE!!!

Wow, alot has happened since June.  BigHouse is now an official organization!  We are working with our accountant to get our 501c3 tax status for non profits.  We hope to get this status later this year, the process takes around 6 months.  We are also working with the owners of the historic Frederick house in Opelika.  The house was moved from downtown Opelika to Andrews Rd. 8 years ago, and has been empty since.  The house was vandalized, so we are currently working to restore the house and prepare it to be the new home to BigHouse.  We will have workdays many Saturdays this spring.  Let us know if you would like to help clean, paint, do yardwork, etc.  

Our goal is to be up and running by August, so we can start our after-school programs with the new school year.  We want to offer tutoring, as well as art, dance, music, drama, and sports lessons.  We will need many volunteers so if you are interested in being involved please let us know!  We will also have opportunities to volunteer on a monthly basis too!

Thanks for reading our blog! We will try to update it more often than every six months!!! 

Keep us in your prayers! 

 

blake and micah

BigHouse

Hello All-

This is the start to our BigHouse Blog. Hopefully through this blog I'll be able to share our current news and updates with anyone interested in our organization. I am currently in the planning stages of this endeavor... I am collecting emails and discussing ideas with my friends and family to generate interest in our organization. So...you want the scoop?

To tell the story of where the idea BigHouse began, I must give some background information to my family's story. First of all, my parents are current foster parents, and they have been fostering children since January 2007. Less than a week after my wedding, my parents had a sibling group 4 children living in their home. This was a big adjustment for everyone, including me, and I didn't even live there anymore. I have two younger brothers who are in high school, and you can image the change in their lives. Now, a year and a half later, the adjusting continues but I think if you asked anyone in our family if they would do it again, they would.

Since then, my personal outlook on foster families has changed. I now see how much sacrifice is made by these people who volunteer (that's right, they aren't paid!) to be foster parents. But I have also seen how eager and willing people are to help and assist foster families when they are given an opportunity. Whether it has been donated clothes, free babysitting, or even a whole play yard, friends and family have come out of the woodwork to help my parents raise these children. This not only encouraged my parents, it helped me realize how much people want to help, yet they have no idea what to do. Thus the reason for BigHouse; BigHouse will take the needs of foster families and connect them with the generosity of our community. BigHouse will provide the essentials of childhood to children who desperately need to be kids... Our community members can give their time by mentoring a child, providing babysitting, tutoring and being an advocate for foster care. Our community can give their money to provide for small things such as haircuts and yearbooks or bigger things, like birthday parties and vacations. Our community can give their abilities and resources to provide art lessons, music lessons, dance classes, and sports instruction.

The whole purpose of this organization is to assist foster families in the care of their children. Not only making sure they have food and shelter, but that they are also given opportunities to learn and grow and be a child. This is not only an option; it is a requirement of our community. The first line of the National Foster Child Bill of Rights states "Even more than for other children, society has a responsibility, along with parents, for the well-being of children in foster care. Citizens are responsible for acting to insure their welfare. ".

Thank you for reading. If you are interested in our organization, please email or post your contact information. My email is micahbmelnick@hotmail.com.

-micah