I Can Still Shine: Thanksgiving Dinner Supplies – Feeding the Hungry as Christ Would Do

The Hurst Texas Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provided 80 complete turkey or ham dinner supplies for the clients’ families of I Can Still Shine (ICSS), a program created by Brenda Jackson for single and/or abused women and children. The I Can Still Shine program helps support single women, abused single moms, and children through their faith based, safe, and supportive center. They are a resource to direct and navigate for various social service providers in Tarrant County.

Up to 50% of all homeless women and children in this country are fleeing domestic violence. The goal of I Can Still Shine is to assist 600 battered women and their children in Tarrant County every year.

When women leave a violent home, they don’t know how they will survive. They’ve been told they can’t make it on their own. But at ICSS, they shine their light and show them how they CAN! Their clients often feel that there is nowhere to turn or no one to turn to. I Can Still Shine is the vision of Brenda Jackson who lived this problem first hand and wanted to be a blessing to others going through similar circumstances. She says: “I was a battered woman for 13 years in Texas and Colorado.” She designed the name of the organization as a hopeful sign that there would be light at the end of the tunnel. “I thought that after all I had been through, it was great that I could and would still shine.” She understands the feelings and trials these women face every day. And she is dedicated to be the blessing that she knows they need so that they can recognize that they too can still shine! She shows them God’s light as it reflects off of her and her volunteers. And she regularly gives the credit all to God because Brenda doesn’t do it alone!

ICSS relies on donations to supply a food pantry that functions throughout the year. They maintain their work through donations, a free clothing boutique for women and children of all sizes, a backpack, a school supplies drive, bedding, kitchen and household supplies, as well as some furniture. They also have regular I Can Still Shine events several times a year where clients can be pampered with new haircuts, make-overs, manicures, pedicures, and massage services (all given by volunteers). The clients can enjoy association with others who understand their circumstances, free shopping from the clothing boutique, take-away gifts, and a hot meal served to them.

The success of ICSS depends upon the support of the entire community: businesses, churches, individuals, grantors, and their faithful donors and partners. They all work together to meet the goal to change lives and restore hope.  They are striving to bring God’s light into the world to those who may not have seen it in a while.

Members of the Hurst Texas Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gave their support in shining God’s light this Thanksgiving season by collecting and donating all the Thanksgiving feast supplies for these families to celebrate and thank our Heavenly Father for their blessings.

Each ward provided 10 dinners. With each dinner being composed of a ham or turkey, green beans, cream of chicken soup, fried onions, yams, and instant potatoes. Individual members donated boxed stuffing, cranberry sauce, corn, and macaroni and cheese mixes. The Young Single Adult Ward provided all of the boxed cake or brownie mixes for dessert.

Each ward Relief Society presidency delivered their supplies, already divided into a meal bag for each family, to the stake center. The 80 + frozen turkeys and hams were also collected to be handed out separate from the bags. The meal preps went directly to the ICSS center and clients began arriving for pickup just as the supplies finished being unloaded. Four elders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints regularly volunteer at the center for four hours each week. They were there on hand with other regular volunteers to help pass out the dinner supplies. Elder Southam, Elder Archibald, Elder Andrus, and Elder Schow acted as the Lord’s hands as they fed the hungry.

Each bag also contained an information flyer about the Life Helps classes offered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints within the Hurst Stake. The free on-line classes offered include: Personal Finances, Finding a Better Job, Starting and Growing My Business, Finding Strength In The Lord, Life Skills, and English Language Connect.

If you would like to shine your light and be a blessing to these struggling families, you can find their wish list of needed donations for ICSS at this link:

https://www.icanshine2.org/wish-list.html

They need your help! There is still so much to do - will you help?

You were born to be a blessing!

#Lighttheworld2021

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Article Written by TJ Skinner, JustServe.org Stake Coordinator