December 22, 2011


Dear Friends,

Last week Waypoint staff and 234 volunteers distributed gifts to the 500 parents of almost 1,500 kids.  Over the course of two days, I had the opportunity to visit with many of the women who came to find gifts for their children. 

One woman in particular stands out in my mind.  She was an older woman who had arrived early and was waiting in the lobby.  As I was straightening up the cookie table, we began a conversation.  Ella (not her real name), age 67, told me that she was raising her five grandchildren. As we visited she shared that she was worried about her 17-year-old grandson.  She had dreams of him going out of state to college and felt that he was wavering from his studies due to some “outside” influences.  We talked a bit more and she became tearful.  As we continued the conversation we talked about many things – how she talked to her pastor about her concerns; how she wanted so many things for the children she was raising; and how much she prayed.  Ella and I laughed and cried, and I told her she was my hero.  I will carry the memory of her for a very long time.

Another woman with whom I visited had come to volunteer for the gift distribution.  She told me that up until a couple of years ago she had come to Waypoint to receive gifts for her children.  This year she was volunteering! After years of courageously fighting her way out of an abusive marriage, she has a great job and her children are doing well.

There are many reasons why the services we provide at Waypoint are so essential.  Whether it is poverty, domestic violence, or homelessness, the women we encounter are striving to move ahead.  They go to school and hold part-time jobs.  They work to overcome the impact of years of abuse.  They want what we all want:  a safe, secure home; enough income to support their families; and to have the ability to ensure that their children can have a better life.  The path to their vision of the American dream is often littered with barriers that are difficult to overcome.  Waypoint may be just one step in their journey. We all should feel honored to have had some small part in helping them reach their destination.

Thank you to each and every one of you.  You support Waypoint through your gifts of time and financial resources. You are always willing to help when we ask. I thank you for all you do and for your commitment to serving our families.

Wishing you the warmest of thoughts and the happiest of moments during this holiday season and for the New Year,