Share an idea, then get out of the way

Shuttered businesses. High unemployment rates. People struggling to feed their families. That could be Anytown, USA, but to one person who doesn't like that diagnosis, it's Eden, NC. 

Dr. Rod Mortenson knew exactly what Eden needed — Christmas balls. He rallied his colleagues, they rallied Eden Rotary Club, and then Tim Kimrey, Gardner Sheffield, Mebane Ham and Jonathan Smith.

Click here to read Myla Barnhardt's story in the News-Record and see what's happened, at least so far. 

2nd Food Collection Depot now on Rolling Road

Jamey, Phil and Jonathan Smith fidget with the string to hang the last Lighted Christmas Ball from the tallest branch in the highest tree at the home overlooking Greenway Park.  

Rolling Road has been transformed into a work of art. The neighbors are campaigning a 2nd food collection trailer in the 2100 block of Rolling between Chapman and East Greenway Drive, North. 

Come see this adventure unfolding, bring your friends and bring non-perishable food items for NC Food Banks. 

keeping food dry

With rain in the forecast tonight and tomorrow, thought we better clear out the trailer put it in the garage to keep it dry. Tonight's catch included peanut butter, tuna, high protein beans, one canned ham, soups, green beans, collard greens and yams. Also pasta, rice, mac and cheese and big containers of oatmeal.  Thank you, friends of lighted Christmas balls, for coming out on a dreary night and for helping nourish hungry folks. Come back often and bring your friends and show them how easy it is to share with those in need. 

The mailbag

Of the many treasures illumined by the Lighted Christmas Balls are the many cards, letters and first-hand accounts of kindness we get to pass on. This "light season", known as Advent by some, starts on the fourth Sunday before December 25th and ends on January 6th, known as "Epiphany" to others. Our "Advent" kicked off on November 20, a bit earlier than usual. It was the 15th anniversary of the Lighted Christmas Balls and the 9th Sunset Hills Lighted Christmas Balls party and workshop.  All this to say, this 47 days of Lighted Christmas Balls overcomes a whole lot of darkness from the other 318 days of the year.

From today's mailbag:

"I just got off the phone with my wife. We turned down an “offer” to help a friend host a Christmas cookie party. I don’t have anything against cookies (obviously), but we’re trying desperately to remember what Christmas is about for our family. For us, that means buying the kids just 3 presents, it means we go down to the Ice Skating Rink as a family, it means buying a stack of Bill Mangum Honor Cards to send to friends and family and stocking up on Wendy’s gift cards to hand out to the homeless and hungry, it means I spend one night this month as a chaperon at the winter emergency shelter, and (gasp) it means even telling my 4 year old what happened in Bethlehem more frequently than I mention what happens at the North Pole.  I’m not saying we have it right, but I would encourage all of you to think through what is important for you and your family this next month…and then do it." 

I'm not saying the rest of us have it right either, but my friend hit on something we don't hear a lot about. The note had a post script. I can't resist sharing:

"And for all things Lighted Christmas Ball, go to: www.lightedchristmasballs.blogspot.com"

Lighted Christmas Balls are lighting up all around the Triad. The food collection depots are filling up with non-perishable food. Already, 600 pounds of food has been given to those in need.

"The life-light blazed out of the darkness, and the darkness couldn't put it out." John 1:5 The Message

Whatever you believe, don't leave any life-light turned off this season.

All the way from Long Island Sound

A dear couple from Long Island came all the way, "just to see the lights," the Grandfather grinned. 

When I saw who was carrying the armful of canned goods, I knew the real reason for their visit to Greensboro, two granddaughters, one grandson, a daughter, maybe more. 

What a joy to be on the receiving end of from folks filled with the joy of giving. 

The little trailer is filling slowly but surely, albeit a little more slowly than I'd like to see.  If you're out and about, pick up an armload of non-perishable food, come visit the trailer, and see if the Lighted Christmas Balls don't burn more brightly than usual. 

788 pounds of non-perishable food given to 2nd Harvest Food Bank of NW North Carolina

It was after dark when I pulled into the driveway Thursday after work. In the distance, just past the trailer, I saw two persons rummaging thru the cans, bottles, boxes and bags that had been slowly accumulating.
I've wondered what I'd do if I encountered someone taking food from the trailer when the idea is to put food in.  (If they asked for my scarf would I give them my coat, too? I'm not so sure.)

Jesus words in Matthew 5 crossed my mind, "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you."

I nudged my Suburban around to the front yard only to find Janet Watford and Gardner Sheffield, unloading, sorting, repackaging, and reloading everything into Gardner's car. They were almost done.  I jumped in alongside and we finished in a few minutes.  I didn't tell them I thought they were food rustlers. 

The next day, Gardner drove his food filled car to Winston Salem. With the help of three hard working volunteers (pictured above), a grateful 2nd Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina reported that Sunset Hills Friends of Lighted Christmas Balls had donated 788 pounds of non-perishable food. 

We're still a long way off from our goal of 10,000 pounds.  If you're out touring Greensboro's beautiful Christmas lights, put a friend or two in your car, pack a sackful of non-perishable food, and come find one of the collection sites for food for NC food banks. Thanks.

In all truth it's really fun to be in the spot light....

Anne here: late one afternoon last week, Jerry Wolford photographer with News Record, and Wes Beeson dropped by Toad Hall, and found us wrapped up with the big Lighted Christmas ball, a three foot diameter sphere loaded with 1,200 multi-colored mini lights. Jerry took tons of pictures while Jonathan roped Jerry and Wes into helping us into raising the big ball. Once aloft, Jonathan's next task was to Huck Finn our News-Record friends into helping him launch three more pull lines high up in an Oak tree along Ridgeway Drive. That done, we said goodbye, set about lifting a few more Lighted Christmas balls, and had no idea where Jerry's project was going.  We saw a photo on the front page of the paper but didn't go to the website to see the slide show because we were trying to get the house decorated and get closure on some other projects around the house.  

About mid-afternoon, friends Linda and Rod called to invite us over to watch the launching of a Christmas decoration Rod dreamed up (literally).  Fortified with peppermint mochas, Rod, Linda, Jonathan and I fastened seine line, parachute cord, and one pulley to Rod's beautiful star, a five foot high three dimensional, handmade, wrapped in 800 clear mini lights.  Once launched to its full 75 feet (you can see it from Cornwallis Drive and from other points in Irving Park), I called the boys to their reward: Jerry Wolford's multi-media interpretation of the Sunset Hills Lighted Christmas balls. Jerry nailed it, it's about the fellowship, community, and sharing the abundance of our pantries with others.

Come see the lights. Bring food. Bring friends and if our front door is open, stop in.

Food Drive totals

Friends of Lighted Christmas Balls donated 3,729 pounds of non-perishable food during December 2008; this is 753 pounds, or 25%, over 2007's total!

today's offering

The utility trailer sits parked and open, as would one with outstretched hands, ready to receive gifts of food, providing nourishment and hope for the under-nourished and hope-less.

within hours of having its 686 pounds of food taken to Greensboro Urban Ministry, the little trailer began filling up all over again. Since last

night:

Because hunger never takes a vacation

This is National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week; it is co-sponsored each year by the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness. Observed one week before Thanksgiving, NHHAW's aim is to bring awareness and promote efforts to end homelessness and hunger in communities across the nation.

The poor have friends, one of whom is Michelle Forrest, in Greensboro. Among other things, Michelle is a mom, and though StreetWatch, an advocate for the poor. She's a blogger and a web designer and member of the NightWatch and DayWatch street outreach teams.

She and her friends know the pain of bare shelves and the blessing of sacrifice. They know requests for food and financial assistance are up everywhere and they know donations are down. In their compassion, they worry that the homeless and hungry, whose needs outweighed provisions at the top of the boom, will be those who will ride the bust the longest. They don't worry alone.

After hosting a one day food drive at last year's workshop, extending it for the entire Thanksgiving/Christmas season seemed like the right thing to do. Although no one had experienced then the cratering retirement accounts and plummeting home prices we experience now, still the greater portion of donated food came from hands who could least afford to give it. Most plastic grocery store bags contained just one or two items, and from Food Lion not Fresh Market; some bags still had the cash register receipts showing what had been purchased was paid for with cash not plastic.

I just read that during some of the worst of times, giving remained strong. Even during the great depression, the NY Times reported charitable giving more than doubled from 1933 to 1941.

Let's hope the same will be said of this generation.