January 17, 2006

More Than Expected

"It's so much more than what we expected; my girl just needed a bike."

The request had been simple and perfect for the Celebration Health Fitness Centre. Eager to assist and bring hope to a single mother and her disabled daughter, the excited staff prepared for their Adopt-A-Family. The young, handicapped girl needed a bike, but the staff felt it would be safer and more fun to ride with someone else; why not get two?

Being their first year involved, Celebration Health Fitness Centre employees set up stockings and notices about Adopt-A-Family and their special family. Emails flew, envelopes sat ready to be filled with donations and the plea went out, "Donate two brand new bicycles and get one year membership free."

The next day, two brand new bikes leaned against the front desk, ready for exercise, fresh air and a mother and daughter to enjoy each other's company.

Thrilled with the donated bikes, employees were anxious to contribute all they could to make this holiday even more special, bringing hope, smiles and love to a family that could really use them. Donations flooded in, and within 4 days vouchers for WalMart, Publix, restaurants and the movies were ready to beginning to fill the Christmas stockings.

Accepting the bikes and vouchers, mother and daughter grinned through tear-filled eyes, touched by the generosity and Christmas spirit of the Fitness Centre staff.

During the 2005 Christmas season, 87 different Florida Hospital departments participated in the Adopt-A-Family program, providing gifts ranging from food to clothes to toys to furniture... to bicycles! All 103 Florida Hospital employee families on the Adopt-A-Family list received Christmas blessings far beyond what they could have imagined.

But, the benefits went both ways. As one Fitness Centre employee said, "This year was great. Now I'm excited about what we can do next year!"

"God comes to the hungry in the form of food." ...and bicycles! Mahatma Ghandi

This week's devotional was written by Julene Duerksen Kapao, mother of 11-month-old Griffyn.

Dick Duerksen
Assistant Vice President
Mission development
Florida Hospital