Holiday Programs
Tiny Town and Adventure Quest
I had the distinct honor and privilege of meeting Rhett and Alyssa recently. Ages 4 and 3 (though Alyssa assured me she was almost 4), Rhett and Alyssa came to TLC to personally deliver the fruits of their month-long labor of love for TLC on behalf of the Ascent Church’s Tiny Town.
Tiny Town (kids ages 2 through pre-k) and Adventure Quest (kindergarten through 4th grade) have committed to walking alongside Tri-Lakes Cares during the holiday season, hoping to raise money for the TLC food pantry and for those people who are less fortunate. They collected a special offering from Sunday, October 25 through Sunday, November 22, and asked the children’s parents to allow them to do some work around the house to earn change.
Rhett and Alyssa shared with us how they earned money to give to TLC. Rhett cleaned his room, helped with the dishwasher and laundry, and cleaned his play room. Alyssa cleaned her room and helped take care of her baby sister, who she tells me had been a little under the weather. Other kids raked leaves, washed windows, helped make dinner and set the table, and much more, all so they could earn money to give to people in need. In total, the Tiny Town-ers raised $44.92 for the TLC Pantry!
In addition to raising money through a special offering, Tiny Town and Adventure Quest collected 278 pounds of food for our holiday bags and decorated the bags themselves – 400 in total! We are so grateful to have these children involved in making a happy holiday celebration for families who are less fortunate.
Thank you Ascent Church for instilling in these kids the value of serving others and thank you Tiny Town and Adventure Quest for your effort to support Tri-Lakes Cares!
What are YOU thankful for?
On Saturday, November 21, Tri-Lakes Cares’ Staff and Volunteers distributed holiday groceries to 149 local families in need. Each bag included the Thanksgiving basics – stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie mix, etc. – and each family was able to choose between a turkey, ham or chicken to prepare for their holiday celebration. Although it was very cold that day, we all enjoyed ourselves. After all, isn’t Thanksgiving really about giving?!
As often happens when participating in events like this, we at TLC began reflecting on what it is we are thankful for. Our answers were varied: football (the Broncos in particular), family, a reliable vehicle, healthy foods to eat at home, the opportunity to travel, our children, Serrano’s coffee, and more. And after we reflected on what it is we are thankful for, we took a minute to think about how many of the things we are thankful for, our clients go without. Our clients often cannot afford cable to watch the Broncos’ game or a reliable vehicle or healthy foods. Certainly travel is out of the question as well as the occasional splurge for a cup of coffee.
We are so grateful for what we have, but we are also grateful for the opportunity to be a resource for our neighbors in need. Maybe we can’t pay for every cup of Serrano’s coffee or buy each of our clients a new car, but we can alleviate the financial burden experienced during an unforeseen medical emergency, the loss of a job, or even the reality of living in chronic poverty.
So what about you? What are you thankful for this year?