We're excited to announce that the 200th project in 2014 has been completed. Considering we did only 367 last year, we're on a roll for this year. As always, we appreciate seeing the numbers increase, but it's not the whole story and it's not the story we care to dwell on.

What we care to dwell on is the fact that those 200 projects represent our community's neighbors who needed help, asked for it, and the compassionate neighbors who responded with their actions. They put word & deed together and dove into the project despite the challenges that come with our projects.

When I think about these projects, I think about Olga, who received help with her snow removal several times this winter and is going to be receiving a group of St Francis students this weekend to help get her garage scraped and painted. I think about the dozen volunteers who helped Katie move last month. Finally, I think about Bonnie who received the blessing of having a tree removed from her property thanks to The Crossing Educational Center's Xtreme Team tree removal group, and the $3 in cash that Bonnie insisted we take as a thank you for helping her.

Numbers feel good and validating, but it's never about the numbers. It's about the love that is put into action that those numbers represent. If you've been missing the feeling of helping a neighbor in need, I encourage you to re-visit your passion to serve by registering as a volunteer or clicking that View Project link about. I can imagine what God has in store for you because of what he often has in store for me when I die to all the things that rob my attention.

Help us get to 300, 400, and who knows, maybe 500 project sin 2014. It's really up to you.

Until then, celebrate with us!

Andrew Hoffman,
Executive Director