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| 2017 CSM "Love For Moms" City-wide Luncheon |
This past Mother's Day weekend, in partnership with South Highlands Presbyterian Church, we celebrated Mother’s Day with long-planned events designed to lavish love and appreciation on women who are connected to our partners throughout the city. Some of these women may be forgotten, alone or struggling in other ways. This year’s Mother’s Day luncheon was attended by over 100 women; some brand-new moms, some now elderly, and some even homeless or in ministry shelters. Church members had arranged lovely centerpieces in the magnificent dining hall, and volunteers scurried to set the tables and make certain everything was perfect when the guests arrived.
The Yellow Bicycle Catering provided a delicious hot meat, beautifully plated by volunteers in the kitchen (dishwashing expertly handled by volunteer and So. Highland’s member, Pam Buck). CSM staff and volunteers graciously welcomed the ladies who came as guests with our partner ministries and organizations, and then served them throughout the luncheon.
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| LaShundra Smith tells her story |
We all enjoyed an amazing and heart-wrenching program, with music powerfully sung by former Birmingham Police Chief, Annetta Nunn, who now serves as the Domestic Violence Task Force Director with the YWCA Central Alabama. Through her passion to help women who are victims of domestic abuse, Annetta met LaShundra Smith. LaShundra shared her testimony of God’s grace and protection for her and her four children the night her (former) husband went on a rampage and shot her twice, leaving her to die and refusing to call for help all night. When help came in the morning, she was paralyzed from the waist down. That was ten years ago, and today LaShundra is able to speak words of encouragement and hope from her wheelchair. Her children are all thriving and high-achieving living testimonies to LaShundra’s indomitable spirit and faith in God. There was not a dry eye!
The ladies left with full hearts, a gift bag with a hand-made card from our young volunteers and a red rose from CSM. On the same day, we ministered to 1,300 moms with our Mother’s Day senior home program with partnering churches delivering our gift bags, cards and food to nursing and elder homes so they could love on those precious and often uncelebrated Moms living there. This was a very special Mother’s Day weekend for us, because CSM HEARTS MOMS!
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Heartfelt Mother's Day cards lovingly made by CSM volunteers
over the past few months for the women we honored
at the luncheon and at the various senior homes |
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| Our MC Deborah Foster |
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Gift bags filled and ready, each complete with
a handmade Mother's Day card |
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| Jamie makes certain each place setting is perfect |
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South Highlands Pres volunteer event director Debbie Perkins
gives the servers last minute instructions |
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| Westwood Baptist Women's Ministry team ready to serve |
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CSM event coordinators and hostesses -
Rhonda Marshall (l) and Jamie Barnhart (r) |
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| So. Highlands Pres. Pastor Hurley greeted Deborah and all the ladies |
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| Speaker LaShundra Smith with Annetta Nunn |
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| Servant spirits making the day special for each lady |
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| Michael Bowen working the crowd |
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| The "Newest Mom" door prize winner |
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| A full house filled with smiling faces. |
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| ... and lovely ladies |
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| Annetta Nunn sings and briefly shares about domestic violence issues |
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Tracy encouraging and honoring LaShundra for
her faith and amazing dedication to her children |
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| Flowers for everyone! |
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| A big smile from our beloved Mrs. Venita Wesley (with her crew) |
