Here it is August 1st already and time for my favorite time of the month! This past month all of your comments went to support the wonderful ministry and business of our friends George and Gordon Jacobs —The Davidson Centre for the Professions. If you missed the post detailing what this is all about just click here to go read more about it. I am happy to announce that Chris and I will be sending a donation of $240 to The Davidson Centre for the Professions. Thank you to each of you who has taken the time to comment.
One thing that has become abundantly apparent to me is that there are many folks in this world who are without. Without food, without jobs, without basic necessities and often without a home. I ran across a short video the other day that made me think about those folks who are homeless.
Yes, there are an incredible amount of folks who are homeless for reasons that may even be a little bit surprising. But that does not make them any less a person, does it? Everyone should have a roof over their head.
Recently I saw that our own local Homeless Shelter in Mason City —-Northern Lights Alliance for the Homeless—-is going to be embarking on a new capital campaign to purchase an existing building and renovate it into a new women’s homeless shelter. New Beginnings House of Hope will be a wonderful space where there will be 13 residential rooms, a kitchen, living room and a children’s play area. The new residence will be able to house 26 women plus children while the current women’s shelter, Trinity House of Hope, can house significantly less. Security will be easier at the new location and it will be a great asset to the community to have an improved facility. The shelter serves 8 Northern Iowa counties and is usually filled to capacity.
Jeannie Kingery serves as the shelter administrator and has a big job ahead of her. The week got away from me and my good intentions of meeting up with her went by the way side but from all that I have been able to read in the paper and on line–this is one dedicated woman! She is planning a great fundraising event in October which will help underwrite the estimated $670,000 project.
With all that being said—in August—with each comment that you make on my blog on ANY post we will make a 50 cent donation to go to the capital campaign here in Mason City to benefit The New Beginnings House of Hope. Thank you in advance for being willing to make a difference in the lives of those who need a helping hand. (If you click on HOME at the top of the page it will take you to more posts that you can comment on–it ALL counts!!)
A little addition from Jeannie:
I would like to invite everyone to attend our fundraiser that is October 18th at the Prime N Wine in Mason City. We are having and AMAZING guest speaker, Joe Roberts AKA Skid Row CEO. His story is incredible! The fundraiser is from 6 until 9 and there will be food, live music, silent and a live auction and a cash bar. Tickets will be available soon!
It's Just Life 
Looks like another great cause!
Thanks, Dawn!
God gave me a heart for the homeless community and I am so happy to help this great cause! Everyone needs love and dignity.
Agreed, Virginia! I have absolutely no clue how this can still be such a huge issue with all that we have available to us in our world. Thanks for stopping by!
Actually tonight we are going to see a local production of Godspell – it is a fundraiser for Church without Walls – which you also know about. I love you and our friendship!
Awesome! Love you back!
Congrats to you! I love what you do! So here’s my comment ~ just the first of many! ♥
Yippee! Thanks!!!
Another worthy cause and nice to support your local community while you are still living there.
They are doing good things here!
I endorse this August Comments for a Cause 150 percent. Thank you for this selection. I wish we did not need shelters like this, but…
Bless you and Chris for your continuing efforts to help others.
Thank you, Audrey. I agree—I wish we did not need them either but the need is real everywhere.
Yes, it is. Everywhere.
Another well-chosen cause — hope you raise a bundle!!
Thanks, Debbie!!! I hope so too!
Thank you for the huge difference you’re constantly making. You’ve touched my heart.
Aw….thank YOU for stopping by and being such a great commenter and supporter.
It’s truly a pleasure. 🙂
Thanks for sharing the video! Great cause.
Thanks for stopping by! That video is amazing, isn’t it? We just “assume” so much when we see folks and don’t know the whole story.
Thanks Lunar!!!!
What a deserving cause. So many people struggle with basic needs. I’m happy you chose this project. Xoxo
Thanks, Diane! I am pretty excited about it!
You’re right, Beth Ann. We are definitely on the same wavelength today! What a wonderful charity to support this month. I hope the New Beginnings House becomes a reality soon.
Thank you, Jackie! I feel that this is one of those causes that everyone can get behind.
This is a wonderful project to participate in. I’ll have to be really chatty this month. 😉
Oh good! I love to see your smiling face in my comments section!
Congrats on getting so many comments in July! I really like your August project and hope to leave lots of comments for you.
Thanks, Karen. I am always happy when the first of the month rolls around and I can feature the new cause. They just keep getting better and better. 🙂
Beth Ann I just want to say THANK YOU so much for the support!!! Homelessness is not usually a choice it is a circumstance that stems from some other life changing event. Our clients just truly need a hand up!!
I know you are so right about that! I hope we raise a lot this month through comments! Thanks for all you do, Jeannie!!
Everyone can check out our project and it’s progress on Facebook under New Beginnings House of Hope! 🙂
Great! I will go “like” !!! I did not know you had the FB page going!! Thanks for the info!
Thanks for making a difference. Here is a youtube link to another video that will make you think. Keep a kleenex close at hand.
Thanks, Tim! Great to have you stop by!
I am proud of the work Jeannie is doing. She has always been a determined individual.
Sandy,Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and comment. I think this is one of the best places that we can support locally and I have a lot of respect for what Jeannie is doing to get the funding. Come back anytime and comment on any post—it will all add up all month long!!!
THANK YOU Sandy!!!
Jeannie–a lot of good people out there supporting this!!! 🙂 Invite them all to come over anytime!
A worthy cause! (Sorry I’m late in commenting. Last week was a little busy around here!)
No worries! I am here and there myself!!!! Mostly there! 🙂
I am more then happy to have anyone come out and talk with me!! Once our new building is up and running we will have an open house so please watch for that also!! It is a VERY exciting time for us and our clients right now!!!
Absolutely! What an exciting time for all of you and for our community. People make so many “assumptions” about homeless folks and most are inaccurate–right? Thank you for your dedication!
Oh there is a lot of misinformation when it comes to the homeless! It is unfortunate that there is a stigma related to this stressful situation. They have to focus so much time and attention toward figuring out where they, and their children are going to sleep at night that they are unable to focus on their other needs. If our shelter can eliminate the stress of the sleeping situation they can focus on those other basic needs that will help them in becoming self-sufficient.
Thanks for all that you are doing to educate, Jeannie. You see it first hand and know the root causes are not always what the media focuses on.
I would like to invite everyone to support our fundraiser that is October 18th at the Prime N Wine in Mason City. We are having an AMAZING Guest Speaker, Joe Roberts AKA Skid Row CEO. His story is incredible!! The fundraiser is from 6pm until 9pm there will be food, live music, silent and live auction and a cash bar. Tickets are 40.00 and will be available soon!!
Thanks for the info, Jeannie—I should have included that in the original post. Let me go add that!!!!
Fundraiser is called “AN EVENING OF HOPE AND PROMISE.” 🙂
Thanks for your awareness of the homeless need in the area. The Northern Lights Board is a very active group; working hard to create a new women’s shelter. Jeannie is a master coordinator and a great leader. We are blessed to have the Northern Lights Alliance for the Homeless.
Jeanine–Thanks for stopping by! What a great thing that we have this in our city! There are so many who support things that others have no idea exist so it is all part of my joy to be able to highlight a few and bring a bit of awareness. Thanks for stopping by. Come back anytime—I post something 5 or 6 times a week and every comment on any post counts towards the donation! Would love to see this reach epic proportions!
Our official name for our fundraiser is “AN EVENING OF HOPE AND PROMISE!!” COME and ENJOY!!
Thanks for making us all aware of this great cause Jeanine!
Thanks for stopping by, Jennifer. I think everyone is thrilled to know all about this wonderful program and what it can do for our community.
THank you for all you do for great causes. I am on the board of the Homeless Shelter in Mason City and we so appreciate you!
Thanks so much for stopping by, Frances! I am thrilled to be a very small part of this ministry and look forward to seeing how wonderful the new facility is. Thanks again!
I would like to echo Frances’ appreciation for your support – the homeless shelter is an essential part of the safety network in our community and I appreciate your support as well…
Our local homeless shelter has found a real angel in Jeannie and as a board member I’m privileged to work with her. What surprised me most when I joined the board was not only the number of homeless people in our community but the number of women with children struggling with homelessness. When you meet those children they just melt your heart. Thank you Beth for this wonderful opportunity to spread the word about our mission!
Thank you so much for stopping by! It is wonderful to have this in our town with so many people supporting it!!!!
AW Thank you Susan!! Although, I am not able to accomplish what I am without the help and support of my board!! We have some wonderful, involved and supportive members who are all committed to making a difference!!
I’ve known Jeannie for a number of years and got to meet Susan yesterday – again I want to express my appreciation for the services provided by the shelter and for the services of the shelter’s Board members in supporting this worthwhile organization.
It saddens me that this type of facility is needed…but gladdens me that there is a place for the unfortunate to go. Hoping for success and praying the women and children are able to turn their lives around with your comfort and support.
Susan, Thanks for stopping by. I agree—it is hard to think that we have to have these but I am so glad that we do. People all deserve a decent place to live and to feel safe. It is a very good thing!!!
I think this is a wonderful thing you are doing. The world needs more people like you.
Aww—thanks, Amanda. This is one of the best things i do here on the blog and I have a lot of folks who are very supportive every month of what I do. Thank you again!
What a great cause…..wish their would of been a shelter around like this when I was growing up on the East Coast. Maybe some of chidlhood memories would be different. And as a teacher now, I say thank you!
Carol Ann—Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting! And yes—-our early experiences can shape us but but it sounds like you have been able to achieve a lot in your life and are contributing and giving something of great worth to society. That makes me smile. Thanks again.
There are many families suffering homelessness that are afraid
to ask for help. I am trying to get the school systems involved in helping me help them. Please spread the word at your school because we can help 🙂
What a great cause and a great group of people that are supporting the cause. Thanks for what you do!
Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment, Nicole! There are so many great groups out there making a difference and this is one of them! Come back anytime!!!
Thanks for your support of this cause in Mason City!
Lisamarie,
Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment. it is great to meet all you local folks!!! Spread the word. You can comment on ANY post to make it count!
Thanks for supporting us Lisamarie and everyone that’s commented!
Fantastic idea for a women’s shelter! I have wondered about this for years.
Yep–a very good thing to have here in Mason City. People have no clue how many folks end up needing this type of thing in small towns as well as big cities. Unfortunately it is a global problem and this is one think I can definitely get behind!
I’m excited for the new chapter in the life of the women’s homeless shelter in Mason City! Love the new leadership and the direction it’s heading!
It is such a positive thing and I think there are many who are very excited about the new facility!!! Thanks for stopping by! YOU are making a difference!
I can’t agree more with Mary’s comments – New Beginnings is a great name for the new shelter and very descriptive of the services being provided…
Have you seen the video about a guy who was testing the kindness of people? He wore jeans & a t-shirt & approached different people in a restaurant who were eating, telling them he was hungry & could they help him out. No one did.
A friend of his gave a whole pizza to a homeless guy on the street. The original guy went over & commented on how good the pizza looked & the homeless guy asks if he’s hungry & offers him some pizza, even though he has so little he shares whatever he has.
I haven’t see it but it sounds like a good one. I think that we really need to be more aware of folks that need a helping hand, don’t you?
Another one that is good is where they dress up some family members of some folks as homeless people on the streets they walk every day. They prove that the homeless are invisible as they walk right by their family members without noticing them at all!!!
Thank you for providing such a great community service…
Barbara, thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to comment. We are all blessed by the work of many people within the community like Jeannie who are trying to make some really positive changes in the lives of those in our community. It is great to be able to highlight those causes that are so worthwhile.
Thank you for adding this Cause to your many Causes in need. A new shelter will help lift the spirits of those in need while they are temporarily down and out!
Thanks for stopping by, Amanda. it is going to be a great thing for these women and children to have such a wonderful facility to call home while they need it.
What a wonderful idea! God Bless you and your cause.
Anne, thanks of stopping by. Thank yo so much for your support of this wonderful facility in Mason City. I know it is going to help many.
Wonderful idea and project.
Thanks for stopping by, Joyce! I am very excited about the possibilities for this new shelter and for all the lives it will be able to help.
Looking forward to having another great resource for the Mason City Community!
Thanks for stopping by, Jen! Mason City is truly going to benefit from this facility.
Thank you so much for helping New Beginnings! Great work.
Rachel, thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and comment. There are a lot of folks that are really supportive of this and that makes my heart very happy! Come back anytime!
ANNOUNCING OUR FUNDRAISER!!
AN EVENING OF HOPE AND PROMISE!!
October 18th, 2014 from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Hosted at Prime N Wine 3000 4th St SW Mason City
Hors d’oeuvre Buffet, Cash Bar, Silent and Live Auction
GUEST SPEAKER JOE ROBERTS AKA SKID ROW CEO
Tickets are $40.00 and available at
MBT Bank in Clear Lake, North Iowa Community Credit Union both locations,
First Citizens National Bank, Reflections Hair Salon,
Haines Insurance, Clear Lake Bank and Trust all locations
Thanks for the info Jeannie!!!! I appreciate it!!!!
Beth Ann, you are one of those amazing women who makes a difference! Your blog creates awareness and your enthusiasm ‘runs over’ and is very infectious. I am always impressed with your Comments for a Cause. You are one person, making a difference, and you inspire others to do the same in such a real way in our community. Thank you for what you do! And I get the fun part of getting to visit with you on the air about these very important things! Thank you, thank you, my generous friend!
I just found this comment and realized I had never “added” it or answered! I love our Tuesday mornings together, Cynthia and am so blessed by our friendship. Thank you for including me !!!