Keepin' It Real Ministries

Greetings in the name of Jesus! As you are likely aware, city council will be enforcing a permit system for the use of public parks by groups larger than 25. This would require Keepin’ It Real to pay a deposit of $350, and then a $75 per hour fee every Sunday. This is beyond the ministry budget, and even if it were affordable, it seems unconscionable to think that that money would go to the city and not for assistance to the homeless people that we are trying to serve. It is reasonable to require permits, but unreasonable to charge fees to non-profits. Pastor Oscar is in the process of finding an alternate location for worship and events. We will let you know where to find us when that decision is made. If you feel that this is unfair, we encourage you to voice your concerns to city council and to the mayor’s office! On a happier note, we are launching preparations for the 9th Annual Anniversary Celebration!! It will be held on Sunday, April 13th, at 2 pm, location TBA. We will worship together, feed a meal, and distribute backpacks with necessities. We are planning to bless 400-450 homeless. Will you help us? To make our goal, we need 300 new backpacks (18 or 19 inch), 300 new t-shirts (L-XXL), and new underwear (450 pr.). We are seeking individuals, churches, businesses, and groups to collect these items. The most cost effective way is to search for bulk discounts on-line. Wholesale Stockroom told us that we can order bulk for an added discount in mid- March when inventories are restocked, so financial donations would go toward ordering backpacks. Other sources we have used are www.cottonconnection.com, www.brooktextiles.com, and www.northpines.org. (If you find other good sources, please share!!!) Backpacks will be pre-loaded for ease of distribution, so we would need eveything by April 4th. Pastor Oscar is asking for pledges of a specific number, so that we can advise others as needed. Please let us know if you are able to help! We will also need volunteers to prepare and bring food. We are in need of turkey, ham, chicken, starches (mashed potatoes, rice, gravy, sweet potatoes, mac n’ cheese), vegetables, sodas/water, and desserts. We hope you can prepare some food and/or come out to serve. If you are a prayer warrior who would like to come out to pray with these dear folks, we would be grateful for you. If you would like to help, please contact our meal coordinator at Maxwell_latonya@yahoo.com, or our volunteer coordinator at Richard.krause2468@gmail.com. We are excited to watch God work through you! The homeless will be on the receiving end of this effort and will be blessed, but those who serve will be blessed as well – many times over!! We hope you will enlist your family and friends, and we look forward to hearing from you! We also ask for your prayers that this Anniversary Celebration will enable the homeless to hear and respond to the gospel message, or be strengthened in their Christian walk. Hope to hear from you!