WHAT ’ S NEWS IN HAMPTON
HOWARD HANNA HAMPTON CHILDREN ’ S CARE NETWORK FUNDRAISER
Recently , Howard Hanna Hampton held its annual Children ’ s Care Network Fundraiser at Narcissi Winery . The event was a tremendous success , thanks to the food prepared by Narcissi Winery , the music from Tina Daniels and Company , and delectable desserts from Gigi ’ s Cupcakes . The silent auction drew a crowd with fun and unique items . Howard Hanna extends a special thank-you to the sponsors and greatly appreciates all the guests who attended and made the event so successful . The staff is already looking forward to next year ’ s event !
GREYBROOKE GARDEN CLUB
The Greybrooke Garden Club will meet on Jan . 10 at 9:30 a . m . in the Fellowship Hall of Parkwood United Presbyterian Church . Refreshments will follow the business meeting and precede an informal craft project of making Valentines for patients of a local personal care residence ( materials provided ). “ Valentines for Patients ” provides opportunity for all present to enjoy an hour of fellowship .
A “ Visions of Spring ” workshop is scheduled for the Feb . 14 meeting of the club . The program will be presented by members Master Gardener Karen Lampman and Second Vice President and Program Chair Bonnie MacDonald . For planning purposes for this program , guests are requested to RSVP to Barbro Kelley at 412.296.0538 by Feb . 9 . Refreshments will be served following the business meeting and preceding the program .
Regular meetings of the Greybrooke Garden Club are held on the second Wednesday of the month at 9:30 a . m . at the church , located at 4289 Mt . Royal Boulevard in Hampton Township . Guests are welcome at all meetings .
For more information about the Greybrooke Garden Club , contact Barbro Kelley .
GOT SHOES ? MEMORIAL PARK CHRISTIAN PRESCHOOL COLLECTS SOLES FOR JESUS
For some , fall means pumpkins and harvest festivals , but at Memorial Park Christian Preschool it means shoes . Each year , preschool and Memorial Park Church host a shoe drive benefiting Soles for Jesus , an overseas relief group that uses new and gently used shoes to make a life-changing difference in the lives of children and adults in 30 African countries .
Memorial Park Church serves as the main Pennsylvania collection site for the nonprofit organization , and each year members and MPCP families gather together to donate , sort , and package shoes before shipping them to the Soles for Jesus headquarters in Milwaukee , WI . Each pair of donated shoes then makes its way to selected countries in Africa to be distributed to children and adults in need . This small act of kindness enables children to attend school , adults to travel to work , and ultimately break the cycle of poverty in many African countries .
Former MPCP parents Don and Michelle Simon volunteer throughout the year to sort through the donations and band them together for shipment . They have been involved in the shoe drive for several years : “ We feel very blessed that God has put this mission of shoes on our hearts . We have been a part of helping thousands to have their physical needs met and bringing them closer to Jesus . The work we do
on a weekly basis , collecting and sorting shoes , brings us tremendous joy !”
Jan Moreth , Director of MPCP , also notes the opportunities the shoe drive provides , not only for the recipients of shoes , but for her students : “ The heightened awareness and collection of shoes for Soles for Jesus is one of several initiatives that we embrace as a preschool . Everyone wears shoes ! So , a family with preschoolers simply needs to open up closet doors to see what isn ’ t being worn before bringing them in . Most of us have many daily choices of shoes , so on one hand , students learn to share out of abundance . Some families actually go to buy shoes — giving that may ‘ pinch ’ a bit . Both acts of giving are valuable for children to be exposed to early on .”
The 2016 drive brought in over 10,000 pairs of shoes . With the success of the drive , boxes remained for donation throughout the remainder of the year , with a subsequent shipment of 5,000 pairs of shoes shipped out earlier this year . Sorting for the next shipment is still ongoing , but hopes are high for even bigger numbers than last year .
For more information on the Soles for Jesus collections — and other outreach initiatives at MPCP and Memorial Park Church — visit MemorialParkChurch . org . Shoe donations can be dropped off any time throughout the year in the boxes at the main church building by the preschool wing .
CELEBRATE THE SEASON WITH RING PITTSBURGH
Ring Pittsburgh handbell choir invites all to the group ’ s holiday performances . Let them entertain you with a mix of seasonal favorites as they “ ring ” in the joy of Christmas . For more information , visit facebook . com / RingPittsburgh and ringpittsburgh . org . ■
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