Cornerstone Christmas Needs

The holidays are just around the corner and it's time to start thinking about how your group can be involved in the holiday ministries of Cornerstone!

Adopt-A-Child for Christmas
Many of the children in our programs will go without Christmas presents this year without the help of donors and sponsors. Since the parents of our sponsor children are not financially able to provide them with much of a Christmas, they are overwhelmingly grateful when they come into Cornerstone to pick up their children’s gifts.

If you and/or your organization, small group, co-workers, neighbors, etc. would like to participate in this year’s annual Adopt-a-Child-for-Christmas, we are offering several options to choose from:

• Option #1: Sponsor a child by donating $100
• Option #2: Buy gifts for a child from their wish list. Come by our office to pick up a child’s wish list or contact us to have one sent to you.
  

3CP Crock-Pot Drive
3CP’s (Cornerstone’s Comprehensive Care Program) goal is to provide families opportunities and encouragement to become self-sufficient through rental assistance, intensive case management and teaching life skills. One of the skills 3CP tries to promote is cooking healthy family meals and eating together at home. Also, most of our single moms and dads do not get any gifts at Christmas, so we’d love to bless them with a practical gift that would reinforce some of the skills we are trying to encourage.

How to help: Any size crock-pot (we have families that range in size from 2 members to 9 members) dropped off at our Cornerstone offices through December 14th.

New Life Center Christmas
Cornerstone’s New Life Center helps formerly homeless men transition to a new life of self-sufficiency. During their stay, residents are provided the supportive services of case management, mentoring as well as spiritual, physical, emotional, and financial guidance. Most of these men also lack family support and are blessed when others choose to make sure they have a happy Christmas.

• Option #1: Donate funds for gifts. $50 covers most of the cost for a resident’s gifts.
• Option #2: Go shopping for a resident with their Wish List. Wrap the gift and deliver it to the New Life Center or Cornerstone’s office.

For more information about any of these options, please contact Lindsay at 817-632-6000 ext. 116 or lwright@canetwork.org. More information is also available at our website at www.canetwork.org. Make a donation online and write “Christmas” in the notes box.

We look forward to partnering with you to make Christmas merry for our clients and their children.

Cornerstone Assistance Network
3500 Noble Ave.
Fort Worth, TX 76111
Phone: 817-632-6000
www.canetwork.org

October is traditionally a very busy month at Cornerstone as churches around Tarrant County set out to put their Faith In Action. Some churches call it Faith In Action, others call it Great Day of Hope. We call it a blessing of volunteers able to accomplish big tasks in relatively brief amounts of time! This October, McKinney Memorial Bible Church sent nearly 60 volunteers over the course of two different Saturdays and helped us sort Christmas items, prepare coats for winter giveaways, landscape our men's housing facilities, and canvas our neighborhood with information. North Richland Hills Baptist Church also participated on Sunday, October 24, by sending a team of 90 volunteers to help spruce up our flower beds and organize our upcoming book sale. They also sent teams to three of our neighbors' homes for clean up and repairs. Christ Chapel Bible Church participated by taking pallets of shoes and linens that needed to be sorted and boxed to their church then returning them the following Monday. Each of these churches blessed us abundantly by their generous gifts of time and service.


"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action- is dead." James 2:14-17

Cornerstone's major fundraiser of the year, the 16th Annual Golf Tournament, raised $51,038 to benefit needy families in Tarrant County. We'd like to say, "Thank you!" to all the golfers, donors, and corporate sponsors who made the day such a success.



Grand Prize Winners
The fund-raising team of Jay Bruner, Jim Collier, Wendall Brown, and Raymond Watson won this year's rights to the Cornerstone Trophy with a total raised of $9,170.00 along with the Grand Prize of a Suite for 20 at a 2011 Rangers baseball game. The team of Valerie Stokes, Charlotte Youree, Donna Turner, and Carolyn Dorsey were a close second with $8,770.00.

Winning Team
Operating under a new Scramble format, golfers competed for 4 tickets to anywhere Southwest Airline flies. The winning team from Cornerstone Baptist Church, Travis Pipkin, Pete Pipkin, Jim Roberts, and Steve Cooks were all new participants in the Golf Tournament. Congratulations, guys!

Special thanks to our Corporate Sponsors:

• Advanced Chemical Logistics
• Baker & McKenzie
• Fort Worth Community Credit Union
• John Askew Homes
• Kensington Surgical
• McQueary, Henry, Bowles, Troy
• Miller & Chevalier
• Northwood Church
• Five Star Ford

It's not too early to plan for next year. Consider becoming a Title Sponsor- your company's name and logo will be displayed on the Cornerstone website and all Golf Tournament information. The sooner you sign on, the sooner our community will know that you are standing with us in helping meet the needs of families in Tarrant County.

Golfers- you can sign up now for next year's event. Don't forget that we help your team with your fundraising efforts.

For more information, please contact Denice Crawford or Roddy Youree.

To see pictures of the event, please click here.

It's time once again for 3CP's annual Adopt-a-Student for Back to School event. At this year's "Back to School Blast Off!" we are hoping to provide supplies needed for a successful school year for 30 children from our housing program. Last year Adopt-a-Student sponsors, like you, donated almost $4,000 in new school supplies, backpacks, shoes and clothes for 43 children from 23 families. The children were so appreciative and proud of their new supplies and school clothes.

If you and/or your organization, small group, co-workers, neighbors, family, etc. would like to participate in this year's annual Adopt-a-Student for Back to School event, we are offering two options:

Option #1: Sponsor a student. Donate $100 per student and we will take care of the shopping for you. Monetary donations are due by August 6th.

Option #2: Adopt a student. We will provide the child's personal info (clothing sizes and school supply list) and you can do the shopping. Supplies are due in our office (3500 Noble Ave, Fort Worth, TX) by August 10th.

If you choose to adopt a student, we ask that you provide the following:

• A new backpack
• School supplies
• A pair of shoes
• First day of school outfit

On Saturday, August 15th, you and/or your organization are invited to attend 3CP's "Back to School Blast-Off!" at Cornerstone's new ministry center where students will receive their supplies.

Please contact Melissa Hatcher at (817) 632-6000 or mghatcher@canetwork.org to sign up. We have many children in our program this year. However, if you participated in our Adopt-a-Student event last year, or in our Adopt-a-Child-for-Christmas, and would like to adopt the same child, please let us know. Either way, we look forward to partnering with you to make these kids smile.

The Staff of 3CP

Fore! It's that time of year again. If you played in the 2009 edition of the CAN Golf Marathon, held at Diamond Oaks C.C., you remember how much fun it was. Participants enjoyed a day of golf, competition and good food. To top it off, players raised a total of $41,600 for our ministry.

This year, we are at it again, with a few exciting changes.

A Quick Look at the Changes:

1. A Change in Format

This year's golf tournament will be a scramble format. Each team (4 players) will be responsible for raising or paying their own entry fee of $2,500.00, or $625.00 per person. Individuals may sign up and pay or raise the minimum of $625.00. Individuals without a team will be placed the day of the scramble.

2. We Help You Raise the Money

Just get us a list of names and email addresses you would like to invite to sponsor you. We will send out letters on your behalf and track the responses, keeping you informed of your progress along the way.

3. Prizes!

There are two opportunities for your team to win Grand prizes. The first is through your fundraising efforts on behalf of Cornerstone. The team that raises the most money on behalf of Cornerstone will win a 20-person suite for a 2011 Texas Rangers Home game, courtesy of the Texas Rangers.

Should your team miss out on the Grand Prize, take heart; additional prizes will be awarded for the lowest team score in the scramble, Closest to the Pin, and Longest Drive competitions.

Helpful Hint: The team captain is responsible for recruiting his/her team and spearheading the fundraising efforts. The sooner you sign up and let us send your letters, the sooner you will be on your way to winning the Grand Prize!

The 2010 Golf Scramble Tournament will be held again this year at Diamond Oaks, C.C. on Oct. 4, 2010.

It's a fun day for a great cause. For more information, or to sign up, contact Denice Crawford at dcrawford@canetwork.org or 817-632-6000, ext. 110.

To view a gallery of last year's event, click here.

Tomorrow TCU LEAPS will welcome a group of TCU LEAPS students to Cornerstone. Cornerstone is excited to extend a partnership with TCU and show the next generation of students this ministry.

What is LEAPS?

TCU LEAPS is a campus-wide community service event at TCU. Students, faculty and staff all participate in this event. Service sites in the Tarrant County area like Cornerstone register with short projects that can be completed with a group of 10-15 people.

The goal is to have a great impact on the community in a single day.

Why LEAPS?

Why would Cornerstone decide to take advantage of TCU LEAPS? For one thing, Cornerstone wants to show students like those at TCU what this ministry is all about in the hopes that they become as passionate about Cornerstone as we are.

TCU students have a history of giving back to the community and having a heart for service, so we are excited to expose them to our mission and ministry.

Secondly, LEAPS serves as an excellent opportunity to use volunteers in high capacity ways. CAN is always in need of volunteers, but LEAPS provides an opportunity to use bright, service-minded college students who want to be put to good use. We value that.

What will LEAPS be Doing at CAN?

LEAPS is designed for short-term, one-day projects. To that end, CAN has established some painting and landscaping projects for our volunteers to do. Led and supervised by our Director of Community Services, Jesse Vasquez, this will help CAN to become the pillar of the community it aims to become.

For more on the LEAPS program, click here.

You CAN Help!
Volunteer Opportunities at CAN: October 2010



Urgent Volunteer Needs

• Receptionists...work a weekly shift greeting guests and answering phones.
• Hostess...help Denice with monthly staff luncheons every 4th Tuesday. Lunch provided!
• Adopt-a-Department...form a team to organize, restock, and update a specific area.
• Pick Up/Deliver...ride along with Justin to help pick up or deliver donated items.

Administrative Support

• Mailings...6-8 volunteers needed to mail newsletters and end of the year letters.
  
• Database maintenance...Cornerstone needs a volunteer to update and maintain its database.
• Event planner...volunteer event planner needed to start planning next year's golf tournament fundraiser.

Community Services

• Volunteer at Tarrant Area Food Bank- earn credit for Cornerstone Assistance Network Food Pantry...schedule a time for your family or small group to sort food at TAFB and help CAN purchase food to stock our pantry.

Cornerstone Christian Women's Job Corps

• Mentors...pray for, support, and encourage women working to make a lasting difference in their lives.
• Publicity...spread the word about upcoming CCWJC classes and events by taking materials to businesses and community centers.
• Administrative Assistant...provide office support to Janet and other CCWJC volunteers on Tuesday or Thursday.
• Teacher...volunteer needed to teach computer classes on Wednesday morning from 9-12.
  

Cornerstone Thrift Store

• Adopt-a-Department...form a team to organize, restock, and update a specific area.
• Pick Up/Delivery...ride along with Justin to help pick up or deliver donated items.
• Knowledge about small electronics or appliances? Volunteer in the Thrift Store workshop!
• Volunteer needed to deliver large merchandise to a client's home one day a week!
  

New Life Center: Men's Housing

• Mentors...offer friendship and support to men working to get through school or establish new careers.
• Cookouts...you and your small group or family provide a night of fun and fellowship by firing up the grill and bringing over the fixings for a cookout with the 18 residents.
• Dinner and a Bible Study...provide dinner for 18 once a month when the men gather for Bible study.
• Computer Tutorials...one-on-one tutoring for men learning to use computers/computer software for the first time.

WelcomeBack Tarrant County

• Sack Lunches...provide sack lunches for 60 parolees and parole officers on a Tuesday or Thursday.
• Hygiene Kits...collect and put together small sets of hygiene items to give men and women at the parole orientation.
• Mentor...need a volunteer to establish a mentoring program.
  

Find a volunteer opportunity you are interested in? Contact our Director of Volunteers, Kristen Horton, at (817) 632-6022 or khorton@canetwork.org today!

You can now download your volunteer application on our website!

Check back (at least!) monthly to see ways you can join what God is doing in and through Cornerstone Assistance Network.

"The LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes." Psalm 118:23




Cornerstone's Medical Clinic provides free comprehensive medical care to the uninsured living in Tarrant County. The Clinic was established in 1998 in an effort to address the growing need for health care for the uninsured in Tarrant County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Texas has the highest percentage of uninsured residents in the nation. Cornerstone's Medical Clinic addresses this need for affordable primary and preventative health care by offering a range of services including:

• Medical
• Dental services when volunteer dentists are available
• Diabetic and nutritional education
• Immunizations (when available) such as flu, pneumavax, etc.
• Laboratory
• Medication Asistance Program (MAP)
• COMING SOON: Optometry services such as vision screenings, eye trauma, diabetic retinopathy and other eye disorders.

Current clinic partners include interns from the University of Texas Health Science Center, nursing students from Texas Christian University's Harris College of Nursing and Health Science, the Epilepsy Foundation, Texas Health Resource's Wellness for Life Mobile Unit, Moncrief Cancer Resources- Moncrief Mobile Unit, and eight volunteer physicians from the community.

The MARVELOUS story behind Cornerstone Medical Clinic
Cornerstone Medical Clinic has been serving the community for over eleven years. The clinic was initially located at Cornerstone Community Center. When we looked into the possibilities of opening the clinic at the Community Center, Sharron Williamson started the search for a doctor who would volunteer at the Center. In July 1999, we opened the clinic with one doctor, Dr. Leverett Golden.

It was a blessing to have Sharron, who dedicated many hours of her time and management skills, and Dr. Golden, who gave his time to see patients at the Center for several years. Over time, more volunteer doctors, nurses, and medical students were a welcome addition. After nine years, the property was sold to a developer and the clinic was relocated, along with other Community Center programs, to the present location at 3500 Noble Avenue, where the medical clinic was a key component of the remodeling project.

Amazingly, there has been no interruption of medical services to the families in the community during the past year of transition and temporary exam rooms. The Cornerstone medical staff, doctors, medical students and other volunteers all worked together to provide quality, compassionate care during a year of outstanding service.

In January 2010, excitement started to grow as the renovation of the Medical Clinic area was completed. January was the last month that the training rooms were used for clinic exam rooms. After a flexible year of medical service, the new, spacious clinic area was ready to move into and be used, starting in March. What a blessing to see the team effort of so many who enabled us to complete the remodeling of the clinic space. We are excited about the potential for increased ministry in the new clinic as we serve the community.

What an exciting beginning of a new chapter for Cornerstone Medical Clinic. Medical Mission day was the first Saturday in March. Two of our regular volunteer doctors, three new doctors, ten TCOM students, two interpreters, two nurses, and one receptionist saw thirty-seven patients. Additionally, the Moncrief Mobile Unit parked in the Cornerstone parking lot and provided free mammogram screenings. Needless to say, it was a day full of activity at Cornerstone Medical Clinic! Dr. Sharp did a great job hosting the doctors who were at the clinic for the first time. A special thanks to Janine Bridges and Ninfa Quiroz, Cornerstone's clinic staff for all their hard work to get the clinic ready for use.

In addition to Medical Mission Day in March, the Texas Health Mobile Unit provided cervical screenings and seventeen patients were seen by the doctor during the monthly Epilepsy Clinic. Plans are in the works to add a dental clinic and an ophthalmological surgical room in the near future, as funds become available. We look forward to additional services for children and families being added, now that there is more available space at Cornerstone Medical Clinic.

For more information about the Cornerstone Medical Clinic, please contact Jesse Vasquez.

Those of you that have followed Cornerstone recently remember a group of volunteers from Bethesda Christian School. This precocious group of third graders touched the staff here at CAN with their hard work and passion for service.

They even surprised us with generous hand-made thank you cards, a few of which we'd like to share with you.

Cornerstone through the eyes of a child....

As we get closer to Christmas Day, Cornerstone Staff would like to thank you for your support and wish you a Merry Christmas. Enjoy this Christmas season with your family and friends, and have a Happy New Year!


:)

Merry Christmas everyone! We at Cornerstone are excited about the possibilities this Christmas season brings. Our "Adopt-a-Kid" Program is in full swing, and our hope is to have gifts for all our children by the time Santa comes calling. If you'd like to donate, give us a call!

CAN Christmas Store Opening Just Days Away!

Elsewhere at Cornerstone, our Christmas Store is just days away from opening. Opening Thursday December 10 at 10 a.m., our store has everything from toys for children (ages 3 and up) to a variety of Christmas items you can use as gifts for your loved ones.

The Christmas Sale is this Thurs.-Sat. Dec. 10-12, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Come and see what Christmas "treasures" we have in store for you!

We Need Volunteers!

In preparation for the Christmas Sale, we need help sorting and pricing all of the items to be put on sale. If you'd like to lend a hand, call Kristen Horton, Director of Workforce Development, at (817) 632-6022.

Dear Cornerstone Partners,

This year we are combining efforts between 3CP’s “Adopt-a-Kid-for-Christmas” and the Community Center’s Christmas “Adopt-a-Family” program to provide Christmas gifts to children in our programs and local community children we are hoping to build relationships with.

Last Christmas, Cornerstone donors provided gifts for about 200 children, who otherwise would not have received gifts. Since the parents of our sponsor children are not financially able to provide them with much of a Christmas, they are overwhelmingly grateful when they come into Cornerstone to pick up their children's gifts. The blessings bestowed on them through the generosity of others invoke laughter, tears and many hallelujahs!

If you and/or your organization, small group, co-workers, neighbors, etc. would like to participate in this year’s annual Adopt-a-Child-for-Christmas, we are offering several options to choose from:

Option #1
Sponsor a child by donating $100 to Cornerstone Assistance Network.
All money is due by December 7, 2009 and should be mailed to our CAN office at 3500 Noble Avenue, Fort Worth, TX 76111.

Option #2
Come to our office after Thanksgiving to pick up a child’s wish list from the Cornerstone Christmas Tree or call to have one sent to go shop for the gifts.
Gifts should be delivered on or by December 14th, to the above address.

Interested in participating or have questions? Call Melissa Hatcher at 817-632-6000 ext. 116 or email mghatcher@canetwork.org. We look forward to partnering with you to make Christmas merry for our clients and their children.

This past weekend was a busy one for Cornerstone. We celebrated the grand opening of our new facility with a three-day event for donors, volunteers and the community. As if that weren't enough, we followed that up with our 15th Annual Golf Marathon on Monday.

Rain or Shine

As any golfer worth his clubs will tell you, a little rain and cloudy weather isn't enough to keep them from playing. A total of 12 teams competed in the event, raising $41,600 for Cornerstone.

To the Victor go the Spoils

For the second consecutive year, Jay Bruner's team took home the first place trophy and gift certificate to Diamond Oaks C.C.

A BIG Thank You!

We'd like to take a minute to thank our sponsors for the event and all the people who pledged money toward a player. In the Golf Marathon's 15 year history, it has proven to be a fun event that has raised thousands for Cornerstone's various programs and ministries. This is a tribute to the generosity of our donors and the grace of God.

Preparations for our three-day Open House and Community Carnival continued today as we will host a group of Cornerstone board members this evening.

The staff is busy with the last-minute preparations for our Open House. We are excited about the opportunity to share our ministry with our volunteers and donors as well as the community as a whole.

Tonight's Open House - 6:30-9 P.M.

Tonight's Open House is for our board members. A presentation and tour is planned. It will be exciting to share with our board all that is happening with Cornerstone. We are blessed with a new facility and are excited to be able to show our new facility to our friends and supporters.

"A Taste of Cornerstone"- October 9, 2009 6:30-9 P.M.

This event is especially for our volunteers and donors, without whom this ministry would not be possible. To say thank you for your support, we have a presentation and live band for you as well as free food and tours of the new facility.

This will be a fun and exciting event. If you have not already called to RSVP and would like to come, call Carolyn Ayres at (817) 632-6015 to confirm your reservation.

CAN Neighborhood Carnival - October 10, 2009 11 A.M.-4 P.M.

This event is a chance for the surrounding community to get a chance to learn about Cornerstone and have some fun at the same time.

Activities include: free food, live music, a bounce house, games, face painting, balloons.... even a clown. We will have information booths so you can learn about the different programs and services Cornerstone offers.

This event will be fun for the whole family, so we hope to see you.

As we are busy making our last-minute preparations we also want to take a minute to give thanks. We thank God for all He has done for Cornerstone so far, and pray that he blesses both these events and our ministry as a whole in the coming days. Praise God.

That's right! You read it here! Welcome Back Tarrant County needs Mentors!

To be a mentor, all you have to do is fill out the following forms (see below) and either fax them to The Cornerstone assistance network at (817)-632-6001, or print them off and walk in with them to turn them in, in person on any Monday, Wednesday, or Friday.

Here at Welcome Back Tarrant County, we constantly need more volunteers and mentors to help out in the surrounding community. Any help that could be provided would be greatly appreciated. We are also accepting in-kind donations such as food and clothing, but they must be turned in at The Cornerstone Assistance Network headquarters at 3500 Noble Avenue, Fort Worth, Texas, 76111.

Here are the application forms for Welcome Back Tarrant County:
(requires adobe acrobat to view and open)

Mentor Application

Mentor Application Reference Form

Release of Liability