last Sunday

Sometimes when people give money to our purse, it gets spent really quick...

Last Saturday someone gave $100 and a few minutes later that same $100 went to the hands of a landlord, so that our friend can keep living at his place.

Pretty cool! We don't have any money in the purse right now and plenty of people need it, so please share if you can :)

Peace and Happy New Year!!!

Belated post

Wow I'm sorry, y'all, I've been so busy and scatterbrained that I haven't reported anything on this for a bit.

Ok so we spent $65 on a friend's rent like 2 weekends ago. This last weekend we gave him $7 bucks because he needed help with rent but that's all we had to give.

We were able to help a family pay half their rent on Friday. $300.

We were able to buy some clothes for a lady who has been struggling with addiction and currently is doing really good! Thank G-d for that...The clothes were $21 plus tax, so I guess that comes out to about $22.70-ish

We have $5.36 in the account right now. Thanks y'all for sharing your money with us...it's good.

December 7, 2009

Yesterday we gave $100 to a friend to help with his rent.

Right now we have $100 in the purse.

Also we were able to give away several really good coats to people who needed them, it was a truly joyous experience for me and for them. Thanks for sharing! Everybody who came to Pilgrims in the Park and the potluck who needed a coat got one. Well done Comm Church people among others.
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John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."

"What should we do then?" the crowd asked.

John answered, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same."

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Also we spent $4.80 on cream of mushroom soup for a sick friend today, as well as $25 to get him groceries and medication.

December First, Two Thousand and Nine

So today we helped a family pay their rent. We were able to give $300, half their monthly rent.

Right now we have like 5 bucks in the purse, which is cool.

Well done, you sharers. Your generosity is so encouraging to me and to the people who receive the help.

11/29/09

Today we spent 54.50 to get a migrant worker a bus ticket to go to San Antonio where he hopes to get work.

We spent 80 on a friend's rent.

Right now we have 255.36 in the purse. There are still guys who need XL coats and people who need help with rent and bills so if you have any extra money you can give we can use it :)

11/23/09

Today we purchased a birth certificate for a friend for 23 bucks

We used this to get his license which was 11 bucks, also paid for from the purse

Yesterday we took 2 friends shopping for necessities including food and toiletries and powertrack:

$29.63

We also helped a friend out by paying his rent. He's trying to pay off a ticket so that he doesn't go to jail at the same time, we paid $85 for his rent.

Right now we have $139.86 in the community purse. There's always needs so please give

Nov 15 2009

So two days ago Mickey and Marion and I took a friend of ours shopping at Family Dollar. He got $36.53 worth of stuff, including juice, sweatpants, socks, a good warm jacket.

Today we took another friend shopping and even though we got some different stuff, the funny thing is it cost $36.53 as well! It must be a sign of something, although beats me what it is. He got some much needed clothes.

Today we spent $90 on a friend's rent. At the boarding house-type place he stays at somebody had fixed a delicious meal of meat and potatoes and cabbage that they shared with me, with the invitation to come back tomorrow for more. Which I intend to take them up on.

In the purse we have $256.23. $187 of that was donated specifically for a family's use on their utilities, leaving $69 for general needs.

today

So today me and Mickey and Marion drove around to visit some friends and ask if they need anything from the store. The first person we went to said she didn't need anything, joked around about how she must look poor or something, and then we moved on. We saw another friend on the side of the road; he said he needed bacon, eggs, links, bread, and a big soda. "What kind of soda do you want?" I asked. "Whatever kind you get" he said. So we headed over to HEB, and Mickey managed to get most all of it together while me and Marion parked the car. I whipped out the community purse card and we spent $13.42

After picking up Neferae from school we were able to swing by and give our friend the groceries, and he appreciated it.

Thanks y'all for making it possible.

This last week

On 11/6 we paid what was necessary for some friends in College Station to keep their electricity turned on to College Station Utilities. $126.90

On 11/5 we were able to pay Atmos Energy $267.90 to get a family's gas turned back on after it had been off for several months. Now they have hot water and a stove that works.

We spent $4.01 on cleaning supplies for a family so they can clean their house.

I think we're about to pay $45 to a man's landlord to help with his rent, right after this post.

Right now in the purse we have $184.71 that is set aside for a family's utilities whenever they need it. In the purse in general we have $245. Thanks y'all!

November 1

$75 spent on a friend's rent. We've been helping this friend pretty consistantly with rent. It makes me happy because not too long ago he didn't have his own place and experienced some homelessness, more homelessness than he ever cares to experience again :)

In the next few days we should be helping a family get their gas turned back on, so they can cook again! Hooray!

Right now we have $258.52 in our purse. Thank you!

Peace and Love

October 25

Well today we got to share $100.13 with a friend, got him enough groceries to last a good long time. Man, he was glad for that. We also got to pay his landlord $80 so he's set with rent.

We gots $5.77 in the purse right now.

Anybody got an extra blanket? Some friends of ours need blankets. Also, if you have a Full Size Mattress we need one

Peace

10/24

Today $4.88 was spent on pain medicine for a friend

Another friend owed $50 rent on his trailer, and in addition we gave him $10 for powertrack (pay as you go electricity) so we were able to share $60 with him in addition to a much-needed coat and some other clothes that people gave.

Right now we gots $178.77 in the purse

Tomorrow (Sunday) we'll probably take a friend of ours grocery shopping, so that will be fun!

Thanks for sharing your federal reSERVE notes (stolen from Jesus for President)

This is great, thanks for sharing!

10/22/09

Today we were able to share $20 with a friend to help pay his rent.

Thanks for sharing LOL :)

we have $143.65 in the purse right now

10/19/09

well today we paid BTU $375 for 2 months of bills for a family. Their electricity wasn't turned off, but it would have been turned off had the September bill not been paid for today. We owe them $23 by the 22nd for the remainder of the October bill and they'll be all up to date. That's a good thing!

Anybody got some sweatpants or wind-breaker pants they want to give? One of our friends needs some, I didn't ask him what size he was but he's just kind of a normal man size, not overweight but not skinny and just average height.

Anybody got a full size mattress that's in really good condition? If so, do you have no history of having bedbugs any place you've stayed? Well a friend of ours, a middle school student needs one because his is in horrible shape. As in springs will stick out and scratch him from time to time.

We have $3.44 in the account right now, which is good because it means it's being used!

10/18/2009

Today we spent $80 on a friend's rent. We currently have $378 in the purse, most of which will probably be spent tomorrow on a family's bills.

Thanks for sharing, it's truly making a difference.

October 5 2009

Today we were able to share $40 with a friend of ours who until recently was sleeping outside. Now he has more steady work and an apartment with help from his church family. He needed a little help paying his gas bill and thus the $40. A guy from his church family will be taking him up to pay his bill soon :) He invited me to come spend the night at his apartment any time. Which is great.

Right now we have $51.44 in the purse.

10/5

$75 was spent today on a friend's rent.

$48.44 is left. Tomorrow the plan is for $40 of that to go to help a friend pay his bills, he was homeless until recently but he got a better job and an apartment, and while he can pay his rent he needs help with his bills.

I'd like to encourage, ask, or beg anybody who reads this to look at our wealth as a means to serve other people, not as some kind of security for our own future.

9/30

Well tonight me Mickey and Marion took a friend of ours grocery shopping, we picked up $67.83 worth of groceries, and we were also able to give him $2.75 for bus fare.

Earlier today, about $16.00 was spent to get a homeless guy some clothes at the La Joya thrift store and dinner at McDonalds.

So right now the purse currently has $83.44 in it.

Shalom! Equality! Solidarity! Blessings!

9/28/09

$8.64 was spent on food for a family.

We now have $170.27 in the purse.

Y'all let me know if you find out any needs that we can fill. This purse is here to be used :)

9/27

So the purse has been put to work the last few days!

Yesterday evening $35 went to help a friend pay rent and buy a few groceries.

Today $8 went to help him do laundry.

We spent $49.59 today getting clothes and shaving supplies for two friends of ours who are currently homeless. We got jeans, shoes, a belt, socks, razors, shaving cream, after shave, khakis...good stuff! In addition to a binder a friend of ours needed for school.

Right now in the account we have $128.91

We are seeing needs being filled, thank God!

morning 9/26

Today we wired $120 bucks to our homeless friend who just moved to Austin and is trying to get settled there.

Right now there is $121.50 in the account, thanks for your generous gifts!

9/25/09

So today we were able to help a family out with their electric bill. Now since their electricity had been turned off, there was a series of 5 different fees they have to pay which add up to $125!!

Seems to me that if someone has their electricity turned off they're in bad enough financial shape where it's incredibly immoral to charge them $125 EXTRA to get it turned back on. Kind of like kicking someone when they're down.

But we were able to pay it, it added up to $401.12. Isn't that insane? A family owes $276 and is unable to pay it, and when they go to pay the bill it's now over $400!!!

That's not right if you ask me. All it required to get it turned back on was a guy driving over there and turning it on, which they had done by the time we got back. Why does that cost $125?

So right now in the Community Purse we have $191.49, a sizable chunk of which we are going to send to our homeless friend who just moved to Austin yesterday (where he is also homeless) to help him out a little bit while he gets his bearings. Any suggestions for how much to send?

9/24

1.98 spent on pain medicine for a friend in need.

9/20

So today we used $35 bucks to help a friend pay his rent. We will probably take him grocery shopping soon. If you would like to go with me to take our friend grocery shopping, let me know.

9/13

Yesterday $55 was spent on helping a friend with rent, $10 was spent on groceries for him.

Today we spent $4 and some change on breakfast cereal and milk for some kids of a family who needed breakfast, and I ate with them.

$10 was given to a homeless friend I know really well to help him get a phone charger, he's got his resume out and is on the job hunt and needs a contact phone, so he's looking to get a charger for his phone to replace the one that was lost.

I'm really happy with how this is going so far.

9/12

Yesterday $22.65 was spent on groceries and school supplies for a family.

Please pray for us that we are able to share our wealth in loving ways.

Please pray for our community of friends that eats together, that we may love one another and live at peace with one another.

9/7

Today $26.41 was spent on groceries for a family we know.

Got em some breakfast stuff which is good since their school bus is usually too late to school for them to catch breakfast there.

Right now their gas is turned off, when I find out if they want help turning it back on I'll put it up on here.

Report

Today we were able to help a friend of ours out with $35 bucks to help with his rent.

There is currently $265 in the "purse" which right now I have with me, tomorrow I'll open an actual account at a bank.

First-time visitors

To all my friends who haven't been to our site yet.

There are so many needs in our area, as there are throughout many other communities and the world. We're going to try and do what we can to help those around us. Many of you know about our weekend potlucks on Saturday and Sunday where we go to eat in the park with our friends who are not as financially secure as some of us are. Through that, we've encountered numerous needs that just seem to be piling up. So many of you have been incredibly generous through helping donate money and food to buy the meals for the potlucks. But now we're expanding our range of service a bit to try and meet some of the other needs these individuals in the community have.

I know everyone is tight on money. We're in a "recession" and most of you are fighting for work yourself. But our friends from the park sometimes need a little help getting their electricity turned back on, or getting groceries or paying a fine.

These are, for the most part, people who have gone through periods in their life that have landed them in a bad position. But now, they are trying to get back on their feet. It's hard though when they don't have enough money that week for a bus pass to get to work or they come home to no electricity.

Most of these request wont be asking much, if you've notice the post below this. But it's just enough money that they haven't been able to scrape away funds to pull it together.

For those who know my, I can vouch on behalf of Dan that you're not going to have your money stolen from you or used for bad purposed. Dan has the most giving and gentle hearts and I lived with him and several people for about a year, so I trust him very much. He struggled in his heart trying to figure a way to do this because I know he doesn't want to be in charge of the money or create an account in his name. We've looked into creating a non-profit organization, and it's a little more difficult than you may think.

Some of you may not have the same spiritual beliefs as Dan and I and that's OK. We're not asking you to do this in the name of God or for any religious practices. This is just one man helping another.

I know many of you are going to come through on this and I just want to thank you in advance from the depths of my heart. Whether you want me to or not, I'm going to pray God blesses you ten fold for each one of your donations. It's a beautiful and loving thing to help another human being. It's amazing how communities can let these individuals slip through the cracks.

Dan and I (and whoever else he gives access to this blog) will try and keep you updated on where the money goes, how much was donated, who has been helped and maybe a little bit about that person so you can know something about the person you are helping.

Please bookmark, save, whatever you do best, this blog so when you find you were tipped a little extra at work or something, you can pull it up and see what the needs are. I encourage you to pass this blog link around as well. Let's see what kind of difference we can make.

Love, Cassie

<3

Matthew 25:35-40

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

1st Need

One of our friends needs help getting his ID. Once they send him his voter registration card it costs $15 bucks to get an ID.