Well it is Christmas once again! I don’t know about you, but this issue of StreetLights seems to be coming around all to quickly to suit me. I was just getting into the swing of summer and all of a sudden it is winter! Good grief. We are really moving along here with all of our outreach programs. We are as busy as ever. Our newest program that we are formulating is “Saints-in-Training” which will be an outreach collaboration program with various church youth groups to the elderly. We have been talking about this program for over ten years, but never had the money or the people available to get it up and running. You will hear more on this program in the coming months. Keep an eye out for our emails concerning updates to our blog at www.urbanmissionaries.com. We have a new program manager on board, Ms. Karla Reuter, Program Director. She joined us in the beginning of September. She is responsible for our Food Outreach Program, the Christmas Giving Program, and the Saint Stephen Housing Initiative Program. She is in learning mode right now and is trying to figure us out. Wish her luck with that! Please welcome her as you participate in our various programs. By the time you receive this newsletter, our Christmas Giving Program will be well underway. We will have already had 7 entry days, and will be setting up the shed and second floor to receive the thousands of Christmas gifts from you and over 7,000 other people who participate in our Giving Trees. Take a look at the volunteer schedule for this year’s program and come on down. As ever, we need you! We also cannot let this edition go by without saying Thank You to all of the young adults who have come to work with us. Once again, we had two groups from Young neighbors in Action in July as well as the boys of Saint John’s High School and that overly enthusiastic crowd from Saint Bridget’s in Millbury. We had them doing the young man’s favorite, smash, slash and bash, as well as the most odious of jobs, redeeming the returnable bottles and cans, and even working the counter in the LittleStore. These young adults are so willing to give of themselves that they leave an impression on everyone they come into contact with, our customers, our employees, other volunteers and Kathy and I. They kind of take your breath away! God Bless them, everyone.

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