A family touched my heart today.  It happens a lot here working at the HOPE Chest.  But today stands out.
    I (Rhonda) received a call that a family was coming in and they were in need of some assistance.  They were homeless - living in their car throughout the winter!  They have a child. 
    The HOPE Chest was able to bless this family with food and hygiene items that have been donated by our community.  Our volunteers helped me find the needed items and load them into their car. 
    They were so thankful they cried.  I cried too.
    THANK YOU for your donations and allowing us the ability to Help Other People Excel.     

My “HOPE” Experience

By Volunteer Rhonda Greene

I struggle with depression.  I did not want to get dressed and get off the couch.  Like a stubborn child I ignored the gentle nudge from God.  I said “NO… I don’t wanna!!” {God} Nudge, nudge,…wiggle.  I tried to shut it out and got on Facebook instead.  The HOPE Chest posted that they needed volunteers.  Even for just one hour if that’s what you can spare.  Tornadoes had just ravaged several surrounding communities including Pekin.  Devastation everywhere!  Families lost their homes, flattened to rubble.  Some escaping with just the clothes on their backs.  It’s getting cold out.  The HOPE Chest was accepting donations. {God} “…go”.  I thought – “hmmm…one hour, then back to my jammies and my couch”.

Standing by the back door drop off I saw mountains – of food, clothing, bedding and personal items.  Stacked floor to ceiling.  People were scrambling to get help for others who had been affected.  In addition to tornado relief The HOPE Chest runs a food pantry Tuesdays and Thursdays after 1 pm to help families in need.

Volunteer adults and teens as well as staff were working non-stop to load semi-trucks to aid victims. Donations came from Wisconsin, Virginia…states away.  I dove in heart first.  Ohhh my!  After four hours I went home sore but happy.  I tried to sleep.  {God} “…go tomorrow. I have more to show you.”   Me thinking… “For an hour?” (I think I heard God laugh). 

The next day there was a bread delivery.  People came to pick up bread all day long.  Two bread items and 1 dessert to each family to “share the Love”.  A full table emptied and refilled over and over…many dropping a dollar or two in a donation box to bless others.

The BEST part…the people.   Some were shy not wanting to take too much, some are embarrassed.  They’ve worked their whole lives but circumstances have not been kind.  Haven’t we all “been there’ before?  They are so thankful and appreciative.  Sometimes there are tears…many smiles, hugs are common. The lives touched here range from families dealing with illness, job loss, home loss, tough economic times, and families co-habituating to get by.  God made it possible. The donations we receive help…The donations you give help. 

That’s the HOPE Chest…Helping Other People Excel.

Six hours later I’m home feet hurting, back aching, arms falling off, and heart soring face hurting from smiling…Thank you God!  That was awesome… {God} “I love you!...go tomorrow.”

I just laughed and laughed…

And by the way…

Can you spare one hour?

    The Lord reminds us in His word that our hope is in Christ. Last week a young couple came in to the store with a multitude of needs. They are homeless. Their tent, clothes and food had been stolen. The pregnant young woman was tired and her feet were in pain from walking miles in ill-fitting shoes.
    The HOPE Chest went into Outreach mode and began assisting them in the small ways that we are able. We gave them clothing and fitted them with shoes that were practical and sturdy. The HOPE Cupboard provided them with homeless meal packs of nonperishable food that will sustain them for several days. From our pantry, the couple were also given bottles of water and Gaterade to keep them hydrated. We provided them with toiletries, blankets, and backpacks. The HOPE Chest was not able to give them financial assistance to give them transportation or shelter. So we called our resources to find help for them. We instructed the couple on where to find a hot meal every day in Pekin. And we offered them hope. Hope in the future; knowing that there is a God who cares for them and uses many tools (such as the HOPE Chest) to help them get through these hard times.
     Our HOPE is in Christ. And as we share what we have with others. We are sharing that hope - in Christ.   ~ Lynne Johnson, HOPE Chest Outreach Director

This is a photo of our Homeless Food Packs.  The Pack contains foods that do not need refrigeration or heating.  Also any cans that are included are the pop-open kind so no can opener is needed.  Things we often take for granted.  Please consider making a donation in food goods or a financial donation to help us help others.  Thank you and God bless!

      Hello, my name is Leah and I work for The Hope Chest of Pekin, IL.  From the time I started working with The Hope Chest, I soon found how truly blessed our community is to have this store.  A store built on donations, with one collective goal to Help Other People Excel.  The Hope Chest has ties with various types of organizations within Central Illinois, including: Recycling Programs, Community Programs, Educational Programs and charitable businesses and people.  It is with great appreciation for all of the support we’ve received at The Hope Chest, that I am able to write this message of inspiration.

      Recently I was witness to a miraculous example of The Hope Chest providing for our community.  We received an abundant donation of Pediasure Children’s health shakes.  I was told the shakes were a donation from a parent whose child was unable to drink them.  Continuing my work I was thinking to myself, how wonderful it was that my son’s favorite drink in the whole world had just come into our store.  A tap on my shoulder would soon bring me face to face with true fate.

     A woman wanted to know the price of our Pediasure.  I told the lady “We were blessed with these for blessing others - it is free.”  Her eyes lit up with joy.  The woman and I began to discuss the high cost of a six pack of Pediasure shakes at the grocery stores. As the lady stepped aside and informed me that her son’s pediatrician had recommended him to drink these shakes, my eyes saw this boy.

    His body was so small; he was unable to be properly seated in the shopping cart.  He instead was boosted and nestled in the cart like an infant would be.  He is three years old and only nineteen pounds.  The Mother and I both agree that day was a true blessing.  It is an extremely rare occurrence that The Hope Chest would receive a donation of 10 six packs of Pediasure Kids shakes.  For this woman and her son to have come into our store not even an hour after they received the donation, I can find no better words to sum this up than the Grace of God.

Welcome to our blog. We hope to use this page to inspire hope. We want to “chat” about the character of hope.  And to share some stories about hope that we get a front seat to at The HOPE Chest. What is hope? Webster’s dictionary defines it this way:

1.    to cherish a desire with anticipation <hopes for a promotion>
2.    to desire with expectation of obtainment
3.    to expect with confidence : trust

And then Webster gave some examples of hope like….

1. No one knows yet if anyone survived the crash. At this point, we can only hope.
2. I hope you're feeling better soon.
3. That's what she hoped would happen.
4. Let's hope that the strike ends soon.
5. Everyone in your family is well, I hope.

Now that is 'hope' in a verb form. Let’s see how it changes when 'hope' becomes a noun.

1.  trust, reliance
2.  desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment
3.  someone or something on which hopes are centered 

And then some more examples….

1. When they started their life together, they were young and full of hope.
2. Rescuers have not yet abandoned hope that more survivors will be found.
3. The drug has brought hope to thousands of sufferers.
4. We allowed ourselves to entertain hopes that the crisis would end soon.
5. The goal raised the hopes of the team.
6. The hope is that there will be a settlement soon.
7. The lawyers do not want to raise false hopes of an early settlement.
8. He told them the truth with the hope that they would understand.

Webster then gave this acronym for hope - Health Opportunity for People Everywhere.

Now if you have been around The HOPE Chest during our first year of business, you already have learned our acronym for hope – Helping Other People Excel. Every day we see HOPE in both the verb and noun form.

I tell myself this everyday – “Dave, you are on a journey…a journey of a lifetime.” And this blog is inviting you to join the journey of HOPE. I ‘hope’ you will!
~ Dave Craig, Executive Director of The HOPE Chest