Food Ministry: Give Back Season

Individuals, families, church and work groups join in the annual
CSM "Baskets of Kindness" Thanksgiving community outreach

We are sure you can agree that we’ve had one of the hottest summers on record, and our neighboring states would agree as well as they’ve experienced tornados and hurricanes in the past few weeks.  We’ve been blessed to be a part of sending several truckloads of food, water and other supplies to assist those in need. As we began to feel the cooler fall weather the holidays are quickly approaching. We’re remembering those here in our community who are need for the holidays.

We are collecting canned foods to help us meet the many needs that we have right here in our city. Won’t you help us reach our goal of 5,000 pounds of food by the end November? You can do a food drive with your friends and family, your church, and your local schools, colleges and universities.  No amount is too small. Let’s show our community how much we care about them this holiday season.

If you would like to be a part of our Thanksgiving outreach on November 19th, please contact Rhonda Marshall (Food Ministry Coordinator) by email at rhonda@csmission.org or call the office.

Volunteer Spotlight: The CSM S.W.A.T. Team

Some of our SWAT Team members hard at work with Dave Hinkle

For several years we have had a small group of men working with our Housing Ministry team to build and rehab houses all over the city of Birmingham. Our S.W.A.T. (Serving With Available Time) Team has been consistent and faithful for many years and have added significant value to the CSM Housing Ministry. These men have contributed an immense amount of expertise, encouragement and effective service to the heart of our ministry.

Recently, we have begun to work with the City of Birmingham on a new plan to impact more lives and repair more houses with the use of volunteers. More impact and more opportunities is a wonderful thing, but more impact and more opportunities also means more work. More work leads us to say, "We need more help!"

We are currently looking for skilled volunteers with construction experience and free time to join our S.W.A.T.  Team. We need volunteers to help us continue to move forward, in collaboration with the city of Birmingham, and reach these families living in old, dilapidated houses.

If you or someone you know has found themselves with time on their hands (Monday, Tuesday and/or Thursday) and a desire to serve hurting people and make an impact for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, please send them our way! We would be happy to give you more information upon request and are looking forward to serving with you. For more information, contact Michael Bowen (Volunteer Coordinator) at michaelb@csmission.org.

We are hiring!

We are hiring! Check out our website for more information about the Communication, Administrative Assistant, and Fall Intern positions available. Please send your resume to Jamie Barnhart, jamie@csmission.org. http://www.csmission.org/careers.html

A Note from Tracy Hipps: Changing Eyesight

I have just celebrated 58 years of life, and reading glasses are now a normal part of life. I need them to read the words on a page. I need the people of my past to help me see things better for the future. Last weekend I attended my 40th Hillcrest High School reunion in Sumter, S.C. It was truly an amazing experience and healing for my soul. I walked into my old high school and felt like I was walking back in time. There have been changes through the years, but the people in the room had only aged… and they were beautiful to my eyes. You see, my sight has changed after 40 years. Most of the people in attendance were black, but more than anything, they were my classmates of time and change. I was moved deeply by my friends of the past. I could see that there really is hope for the future and was so aware of how much I had changed since the fall of 1971— the first year of forced integration in South Carolina when I was bused 12 miles to school.

Those were hard years, beginning at 11 years old; going through adolescence, violent times, loss of family and a father serving a year in Vietnam. But I learned so much last week from my classmates about all they had gone through during those times. It was not easy for anyone. Forced integration brought communities of people together that were so different. We talked about rural blacks and white, military blacks and whites, and the Turkish people in the community at that time. I was told that the riots and fights were black-on-black as much as they were white and black. I was educated as to the struggles that went on, and still go on, in this school system and surrounding communities. It was not until 2010 that the rural and city school system merged. The current School Superintendent, a teacher in 1974 when I was there as a high school student, spoke at the reunion of the history and journey of the system through these years. There have been a lot of positive changes since 1971, though there are many more needed.

The glasses I see the world with are clearer now. My past is catching up with my future, so to know God and to make Him known are the eyes through which I see HOPE. I have so much hope just knowing God has called me to make His impact on a city known as the birth place of the Civil Rights Movement. Every year here in Birmingham, we remember and commemorate the the tragic loss of the four innocent little girls in the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church on September 15th. God placed me in Birmingham to love this city, to help heal and influence people with the values of the Kingdom. Now I have lived here for over 30 years, so Birmingham is home for me now. I know I have been called here, and have SO MUCH HOPE because CSM is positioned to be a bridge of culture, understanding, relationship and equity. We can see our community with the eyes of Christ who created culture, gives understanding, desires relationship and gives everyone the opportunity to see His people with changed eyes.

“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” II Chronicles 7:14

Take some time this week of September 15th to seek the Lord, find healing for your soul and pray for change.

Restoring The Broken Places

The beginning of a great restoration for both the home and for Mr. Dodson

So often, the families and individuals we serve are very connected to their homes, neighborhoods and communities. But when properties become badly damaged or in need of extensive repair, extenuating circumstances result in unlivable situations, insurance disparities and possibly the loss of a family home. That is the kind of situation for which we can offer hope and restoration in a unique way. For example, we have been receiving requests to help with flooded homes in LA, because many of the damaged or destroyed homes were not in flood plains, and therefore carried no flood insurance.
Theodore Dodson Jr. a veteran of Vietnam and a resident of Birmingham, lived in a house that had fallen into disrepair to the point that the city wanted to condemn it. This would have been devastating for Mr. Dodson seeing has he had no other place in which to live. His house was originally owned by his parents. So for Mr. Dodson, this house did not just provide shelter, it was his home, and it reminded him of his family. Though his house was slated for destruction, his application somehow came across our desk and by the end of July, his life and his house started a journey of transformation.

Volunteers pray with Mr. Dodson as they begin work on his home.

When we heard about Mr. Theodore Dodson, Jr., an elderly veteran of the Vietnam War and a resident of Birmingham, we wanted to see if we could help with his situation. His house fell into such a state of disrepair that the city wanted to condemn it. This would have been devastating for Mr. Dodson, because he would have been forced to leave his house without recourse. Beyond the housing need he faces, he also has a deep connection to the house because the house was first owned by his parents. For Mr. Dodson, this house did not just provide shelter, it was his home, and it reminded him of his family. However, his application for assistance with an unsuccessfully repaired leaky roof came across our desk, and we went to access the situation. Our eternal optimist and challenge-hunter construction supervisor, Aaron Parsons, felt that Mr. Dodson’s house was merely a “…diamond in the rough. All it needs is a little polishing.”

Needless to say, “a little polishing” has involved months of reconstruction and rehabilitation of an aging and dilapidated structure. On that Saturday, July 23rd, we were able to start full remodel construction on his “fixer-upper”. We had about 40 volunteers working that day to start tackling a long list, including putting up vinyl siding around the house and painting the exterior trim. Since then, we have had many volunteers help us fully gut three rooms, install new kitchen cabinets, and by the final reveal, paint and furnish the entire interior of the house.

We are planning a Dedication Service for Mr. Dodson’s newly remodeled home this Thursday, September 15th. If you are interested in coming to pray with us and celebrate God’s provisions, watch for details on our Facebook page! And stay tuned as we continue to tell more of this miracle story.

Stuff the Bus Diaper Drive: September 11th-20th

Come help “Stuff the Bus”! This week, our ministry partner, Bundles has a goal to raise awareness for diaper need within our local community and to collect 125,000 diapers! Last year, they received proclamations from Governor Bentley and Mayor Bell declaring September 28th-October 4th as Alabama and Birmingham Diaper Need Awareness Week. During their 2015 10-day drive, they were able to collect more than 117,000 diapers.

“A lot of people don't realize that government assistance programs, WIC, food stamps, they do not cover diapers. So if a family has the option of buying food for their baby or diapers, they're going to do the food. And we feel just like this is something we can for sure, as a community, come together, tackle and help these babies and families,” said Lindsay Gray, board member of BOH Diaper Bank.

The big yellow school bus that will hold the diapers is sitting just off Highway 280 near the Target. It's hard to miss: it's the one with the guy on top in the tent. Skip Bondur will not come down from on top of the bus until the drive ends on Sunday, Sept. 20. He and organizers hope people see him and remember to stop and get those diapers for those who desperately need it.

“The goal is really kids. And sometimes they don't have choices--they just have needs,” Bondur said. “And so we just want to be able to meet the needs of the kids in our community that need help.”

BOH Diaper Bank is collecting diapers from newborn size up to size 6. You can drop them off at the bus or you can bring them by the CSM Ministry Center, where Bundles Of Hope is housed. We all love babies, and helping BOHDP share HOPE one bundle of diapers at a time!

Birmingham's Finest

Police recruits sorting supplies going to LA flood relief.

We love the variety of people and groups who come to serve alongside us and further the mission of CSM. This month, we had the opportunity to work with the Birmingham Police Academy in efforts to serve the flood victims in Louisiana. The academy contacted us to be their end-of-the-program project and we gladly accepted their participation.  Together we were able to consolidate around 60 pallets of food, cleaning supplies, water, and other donated items down to 24 pallets to fit into the 18-wheeler that was sponsored to take the items to Louisiana.

We worked for several hours to pack, stack and load around 35,000 pounds of donations to be sent for the relief efforts.  As you might imagine, these academy graduates worked very hard and quickly to achieve our goal and had the opportunity to learn more about the ministry of Christian Service Mission along the way.  Thank you to those that helped that day and thank you to those that serve and protect in the city of Birmingham!

Being a volunteer driven organization, we don't often know if we are going to have what we need to accomplish our goals. However, everyday we see God provide just the right number of people needed  to get the job done. We are so thankful to our volunteers for being a part of this great mission!

Thankful for these sweet blankets made by a local church women's group!

Police recruits and CSM staff

Tracy Hipps speaks words of encouragement to the recruits

A "Sweet" Sweet Potato Drop

September is National Hunger Action Month, where we can all focus attention on lifting our neighbors from hunger and nutritional deficiencies. 48 million people in the US are food insecure, and the city of Birmingham is largely defined as a food desert.

Food security is a core part of our ministry, and we love to witness God’s provision for His people.
This past weekend was the annual CROP DROP where excess sweet potato crops were gleaned and “dropped” for bagging and distribution to local food banks. CSM received 4 basketfuls to share with our food ministry partners.

The Dodson Story

“Where then is my hope?” (Job 17:15a). This seemed to be the recurring question that resonated through Mr. Dodson’s mind for many years. Would hope ever come? Would his house ever become a home, a place to enjoy his life and fully thrive as an individual? Less than two years ago, Mr. Dodson’s situation seemed almost hopeless. “But God, being rich in mercy…” (Eph. 2:4) was at work, ready to restore this hopeless story into one of immense hope.

This story of hope began in October 2015. Mr. Dodson applied with the city of Birmingham’s Housing Rehabilitation Program. Initially, he asked to have his badly leaking roof replaced, and also requested exterior painting and structural help to be done to his house. The city processed his request and sent his application to Christian Service Mission. After reviewing hundreds of application, CSM’s Construction team met with Mr. Dodson, and after walking through his house and visiting with him, they decided that this would be one of the houses into which they would commit to investing their time, labor, resources, partnerships, but most of all, their love.

When CSM began working on the house, the home inspector initially condemned Mr. Dodson’s house, saying that there was no hope for a house in that bad of a condition. The house would have been torn down is condemned, so CSM’s team pleaded with the inspector to reconsider, saying that with the financial support and volunteer labor that would commit towards revitalizing this house, this house could indeed become a home.

Finally, in the early summer of 2016, Christian Service Mission received a building permit, allowing them to begin repairing the walls and structural support of the house. With the help of Next Step Storm, a volunteer organization in Indiana that specializes in natural disaster home recovery, CSM was able to install a new roof on Mr. Dodson’s house.

On July 23, 2016, teams from Wells Fargo, the men’s ministries at Shades Mountain Baptist Church and Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church came together for a full day of service at the Dodson house. The next week, youth from Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church pitched in and through hours of hard labor and good fellowship with Mr. Dodson and his sons, we were able to install vinyl siding around the entire exterior of the house. We continue work inside the house as well; replacing rotted beams and adding insulation to the walls, installing new kitchen cabinets, and by the final reveal, painting the entire interior of the house.

Tracy Hipps, Executive Director at Christian Service Mission, often uses a formula to help volunteer partners realize the magnitude of their time and resource investment to community revitalization and transformation projects such as the Dodson house. On this service day, approximately forty men were present, contributing approximately six hours into the project. If the hourly rate for labor is $20/hour, that one day of volunteer investment into Mr. Dodson’s house equals $4,800 of financial impact. This is truly amazing!

But Mr. Dodson’s story is not finished. As CSM and its partners continue work on the Dodson house, preparing for the September 15th Dedication, we realize that this revitalization project is much more than a house becoming a home. This is a story of a man’s life being radically transformed through hope that came in the form of faithful men and women willing to invest in God’s Kingdom work right here in Birmingham, Alabama. The hope that this story brings is ultimately in the gospel’s transformative work, which offers hope for eternity. This temporary earthly home that has been restored is a means of telling the greatest story, in which the Father offers an eternal home through His Son.

“Let not your hearts be troubled.  Believe in God; believe also in me.  In my Father’s house are many rooms.  If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:1-3).

[Story by Brad Baxter, CSM Missions Intern]

Our eternal optimist and challenge-hunter construction supervisor,
Aaron Parsons, felt that Mr. Dodson’s house was merely a
“…diamond in the rough. All it needs is a little polishing.”

Mr. Dodson's House before the work began.

Wells Fargo team members put in 90 hours of hard work!

Volunteers of all ages helped to install the vinyl siding.

Needless to say, “a little polishing” has involved months of reconstruction
and rehabilitation of an aging and dilapidated structure. 

Looking forward to finished details for the dedication!

A Note From Tracy Hipps: Fully Devoted Together

This morning as I was spending time in the Word, I came to II Timothy 4:5 where I read that we are to ‘fully carry out the ministry God has given us.’ While I was meditating on that part of the verse, it came so clear as to why the Lord has lead me in this path of working in underserved communities for over 25 years –with the Church— to see people become healthier. I now understand that health is only truly accomplished through Christ, and in Christ, and with Christ. And it takes the whole Body to accomplish this call to impact the health of a person, a family and a community.

Every part of our life is affected by Christ, and we need a comprehensive approach to be fully effective in our efforts to create positive and lasting change for others. We can only do so much alone, but together we are strong and will see dramatic changes in lives we touch. Though the ministry of the local church is foundational to all we do, a local church cannot do it all. That strong foundation allows CSM and other non-profits to come along the journey to true health. As a para-church ministry, we are able to come alongside the local church in order to help accomplish the vision we share for the Kingdom.

The healthier the person… the healthier the church… the healthier the community… the healthier our city will become. Every person needs health in these four areas of their life: economic, social, educational, and spiritual. Economic health refers to accessible work, place, security and housing. The social health of their lives refers to physical, emotional and relational strength. The educational aspects include the place, space and investment they make back to a community. A person’s spiritual life includes an inner relationship with God and outer relationship with the world. The spiritual area effects all other areas, and it takes us all as a community of faith to invest in each other.

I think of one particular family who we have invested in for over a year with our approach of comprehensive care. With the goal of a whole and healthy family, we have helped to build an economic base so that their future is brighter by building a home for them. We are surrounding them with a strong team of believers who are helping to put a family system in place for long term stability. Their pastor and church have been involved with this family to helped in the educational and spiritual development of this family, to help us insure that this precious family has moved forward this year in a wholistic manner.

The saying, “It takes a village” is true in the Kingdom and reflects our process for building healthier communities. It takes all of us in the Body to effectively impact the areas of need that produce healthier people, families, communities and city. At CSM, we know that the spiritual runs through the whole process as we work to improve lives through of our housing, food and community engagement areas of ministry. We know to fully carry out the ministry God has entrusted to us; we must work to build up the whole person from the inside out. We thank you for trusting us as we all walk together to see amazing results for His glory.

Our Aquaponics System Is Coming Along... Swimmingly!

The fish are finally in!  A couple of weeks ago, after testing ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, chlorine and everything else under the sun in our aquaponic system, we arrived at the point where we were finally ready to bring in the fish. We added twenty-five baby tilapia to our fish tank and dubbed them the first bunch of a long lineage of fish to dwell within those plastic walls. The idea behind the aquaponic system is to sustainably produce a variety of food throughout the year in an almost self-sufficient, growing system that uses the nutrients from the fish to produce garden life inside of the adjacent greenhouse.  

We are a couple of weeks into the first growing cycle and have added tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers to the system.  The fish are happy, healthy and growing and the plants seem to be doing the same. It is still early on in the process, but as for now, the smiles on our faces reflect the smiles that we see on the faces of our new-found aquatic friends! Thanks for all of the prayers and continue to pray for the sustainability and production of life in our gardens!

So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. - 1 Corinthians 3:7

The new fish house for our aquaponics system is on the right, next to the
aquaponics greenhouse.

Rocks being cleaned and prepared for the new system.

Finishing construction on the new fish house

The fish are here!

Testing the water