Giving In 2023 and The Challenge for 2024

Hey, good morning, everyone. I know it has been a hot minute since the last blog post, so I want to bring everyone up to speed on what I have been doing since returning to the USA from Poland. Not having the Red Cross or Samaritan's Purse's budgets, I had to return to my full-time job working in the public school sector for 40 hours a week (including drive time). I have also started investing more of my time at the church I attend (hoping to turn that into something more someday). This has made it harder for me to network and fundraise for HELTD, as all of you know we only have so many hours in the day. I remain open and look for opportunities for HELTD to make a difference. With this being said, we decided to use 50% of the remaining money in our account to help out those in need close to us to close out 2023 on a high note, helping others.

The first two pictures are of needed items that went to a women's and children's shelter in the current town I'm living in. I heard about the request from a longtime friend of my sisters that this shelter was in need of basic items for life. I called the shelter and asked, especially what they needed most. They told me they always have a need for laundry soap, body soap, paper towels, and bathroom paper. I then went to one of the local stores with an all-in budget of $50 and got as much as I could for the amount we had to give. I then gave the needed items to the shelter attendant. They were happy to receive the items. The attendant did tell me that they were almost out of laundry soap, and our donation was much appreciated. I gave them one of HELTD's cards and told them a bit about who we are and what we have done. I tell this story to encourage people to donate or help when they can, because even a little bit of money can go a long way toward helping people in need.

The second two pictures are of three boxes of clothes we sent to the Pine Ridge Native American reservation in South Dakota. They contain clothes for women and small children. Families all over Pine Ridge need our help to get needed items to help them do their day-to-day lives. We chose this time to help closer to home, so the little amount of money we had left to give to help would do more for less. Unfortunately, sending needed items overseas costs a lot of money and takes a lot of time to get to the people who need them. It's also even harder to send items because of Russia's war against the nation of Ukraine. We, as a non-profit, still support our contacts in Ukraine with prayer support and monetary support when we have the ability to do so.

Wrapping up 2023, we all at HELTD are thankful for all of you that donate to us so that we have the ability to give freely to those in need around the world. 2024, I am sure, will have some more opportunities for us to help out here at home in the USA, and hopefully we will have the ability to give more aid to Ukraine and people of other nations who could benefit from our no-strings-attached help.

My challenge to everyone who reads this post or morally supports what we do is to donate to HELTD so we can all do more for all the amazing people in this world who need our help and compassion. If you are in a position where you don't have the ability to give money, then please give your time to help people in your area of influence. I assure you, there is always somebody who has their hand out for help. Sometimes we may not see them as in need, but as you invest in the lives of others, their needs for life become more obvious, and with a generous soul, you will be able to figure out how best to help them.

If you are a person of faith, I challenge you to pray this prayer. Dear God, please show me people in my life that I can personally invest in to help make their lives better and to help them find comfort and salvation through the saving grace of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.