J
ust before Thanksgiving 1981,
when she was 13, Tina’s father
lost his job. Feeding a family with
six children was difficult enough
when employed full-time, but this
was a financial nightmare. While
her father worked tirelessly trying to
find full-time employment and doing
what part-time work he could find
the family quickly realized they were
drowning financially.
Struggling to put
Two days after
food on the table at
Thanksgiving tragedy
all, a big Thanksgiving
struck the Voorhees: Tina’s
meal seemed out of
Father, Oliver, was killed
nothing seemed to
the question.
instantly in a car accident
materialize. Again,
leaving Tina’s mother to
their church stepped
Tina’s church got
care for 6 children ranging
in to provide a
wind of the situation
from 7-21 by herself.
Thanksgiving basket.
and responded. As
The family was
part of their normal Thanksgiving incredibly grateful, but had no idea
basket outreach, they included how their lives were about to change.
Tina’s family. They received so much
food, they invited another family to
In the immediate aftermath the food
Thanksgiving and had plenty left over. left from Thanksgiving sustained the
They were thrilled at what they saw family physically and spiritually. Tina
God doing in their lives.
recalls knowing that they would be ok,
that God would take care of them and
she based that belief on experience
and words from her mother.
Written by: Brandon Shupp
A year later the family was still
struggling financially. Oliver, Tina’s
father, had been working odd jobs and
looking for full-time employment but
24
NEW LIFE MAGAZINE: February 2014
When their mother sat them down to
relay the news of Oliver’s death she
said, “God will be faithful as He has
clearly shown us this week.” They then
knelt in prayer as family.
Those Thanksgiving dinners changed
Tina and her family’s life forever. What
may seem like a simple kindness turned
into much more. Tina and her family
saw that meal as God’s providence
and it literally sustained them through
some of the most difficult times in
their lives.
Ever since, Tina and her family have
served in outreaches like New Life’s
Thanksgiving Basket Outreach. Now
Tina and her husband, Ken, have five
kids of their own and every year they
serve, because Tina knows first-hand
the value in serving the community.
Tina has participated in these types
of outreaches since her family
experienced the kindness – literally
decades worth. All five of their
children have participated every year
of their young lives and also serve in
various capacities in the church and
the community.
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NewLifeChurch.org
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