Season of Change
In the wake of the pandemic and against a landscape of record level inflation, many households and companies across the country are tightening budgets and reevaluating priorities. This is also the case here at Tree of Life Ministries. Having missed out on critical funding grants, we are making every effort to be good stewards, maintaining our mission in the most efficient way possible. In response, we are prayerfully considering new and creative sources of income.
This is also a time of reflection and redirection. Our Leesburg Regional Director, Alex Montgomery, has decided to step down from his position. This decision, following much prayer, was born out of necessity. In Alex’s own words, “Working at TOL has been a truly unique experience for me, and a real blessing. Our mission in the community, the partners we serve, and the staff and volunteers that I have had the joy to work with has been unparalleled for me in my 30-plus years of working. I will especially miss those I see and interact with daily.” Alex has been such a blessing to TOL and has made a positive impact in the community. We look forward to continuing to do kingdom work with him as a volunteer.
The Lord is surely at work, pruning us now to bear more fruit later (John 15). Please join us in prayer as we seek wisdom during this season of change. |
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Fill-the-Truck Food Drives
“Fill -the-Truck Food Drive” is a new initiative that our Food Pantry Managers have undertaken to help bring in more food donations. With a 54% increase in food requests since this time last year, we are needing to take a more active role in the community to raise awareness of the need and collect more food to fulfill these requests.
We are reaching out to local grocery stores requesting the opportunity to host a “Fill-the-Truck Food Drive” event for a day and park our refrigerated box truck outside the store. Volunteers hand out empty food bags with a list of needed items to customers as they enter the store. Customers then fill the bags with food and drop them off with us as they leave the store. The ultimate goal would be to fill the box truck by the end of the day! In addition, the volunteers are available to answer any questions about Tree of Life and share our mission with the community.
We have sponsored two such events this summer with great success! The first one was held in Ashburn and brought in 682 lbs. for our Sterling Food Pantry, and the second was held in Leesburg which contributed 909 lbs. to the Leesburg Food Pantry. “Fill-the-Truck” Food Drives are coming to your local grocery store, so be on the lookout! |
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SimplyBe Coffee News
NEW HOURS!
We are excited to announce that we are now open 7AM to 3PM, Monday through Friday and 9PM to 3PM on Saturdays. We hope this enables more people to experience Coffee with a Cause and make it part of their morning routine!
NEW STAFF!
We bid a fond farewell to Tara Kennedy on Friday, July 29th, who decided to step away from managing the store. She poured her heart into SimplyBe Coffee, especially the staff, and will certainly be missed. Tara wanted to share a few parting words:
“My time at SBC working to advance opportunities for the disability community has truly ‘filled my cup!’ I know we have really made an impact not only in our Leesburg community, but in Loudoun as a whole and I am honored to have played a role in that. Though my personal life is requiring me to step back from managing the coffee shop, I will never stop advocating for my coworkers turned friends to have the same opportunities as anyone else. I hope to remain behind the scenes and continue to build on the important work TOL and SBC are doing for people with disabilities. After all, we are all fearfully and wonderfully made!”
On Monday, August 1st, we welcomed Avery Rike as the new manager! Avery who recently performed with his lovely wife, Olivia, at a SimplyBe UNPLUGGED event, is a former police officer and a coffee aficionado. Avery and his wife recently opened a mobile coffee shop of their own. We are so excited to see where his entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen take us!
And more!
Responding to market influences, we have recently adjusted prices and trimmed offerings. These slight changes will hardly be noticeable but will help our success. In addition, customers can now enjoy a quieter meeting or work space at the shop. The space that used to serve as our Leesburg Center offices is now open to the public to enjoy! Finally, stay tuned for more exciting updates and new ways to order! |
Annual Clothing Giveaways
We are looking forward to hosting our largest community outreach event – the Annual Clothing Giveaway! In Leesburg, we will be providing FREE clothing for all ages, backpacks filled with supplies, as well as entertainment for the whole family! In Purcellville, we will be providing FREE clothing, furniture, filled backpacks, haircuts, and childcare for shoppers!
We rely on the volunteer support and generous donations from the community to make these events successful. Our Leesburg Team still needs clothing donations and volunteer support, and Purcellville is seeking additional volunteer support. If you are interested in helping, please visit the following links:
Leesburg
Purcellville |
GO FUND THEM: UPDATE!
We have reached 17% of our goal of $100,000. As of 8/8/22, we have raised $17,460.00!
STAFF SPOTLIGHT: Lisa
There is not a day that goes by that Lisa doesn’t ask coworkers and customers: “How are you?” or “What did you do last night?” She genuinely cares about everyone who steps foot in the shop and warms hearts with her ear-to-ear smile! Lisa works very hard improving on her skills within the shop each week. Most recently she has been working on her independence operating our specialized cash register. We use a hands-off approach and help only when needed. Lisa identifies drinks on the register in folders – red is for hot drinks and blue for cold drinks. Then, once she is in the correct folder, she selects the appropriate photo paired with the item name. Lisa’s proficiency is improving along with her speed each time she operates the cash register! Come on in and see what she can do! |
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STAFF SPOTLIGHT: Christa
Christa is an employee who is the true definition of heart. She is so loving and caring not only to her coworkers, but to all of our customers too. She takes great pride in her work and loves when she is able to be creative within the shop. Christa has been with us from the start and really shines when she gets the opportunity to take and complete orders from start to finish – all on her own. Asking for help can sometimes be hard, but Christa is eager to learn new things. So, she has no problem asking for help when she needs it, which has really helped her become so great at her job. She has stepped up to lead her coworkers and collaborates with her supervisors to show off her skills in art. Keep an eye out for the coffee sleeves made with her signature script writing next time you are in!
Hear in her own words what she loves most about working at SimplyBe Coffee by clicking on her photo on the right.
Help keep Lisa, Christa and other staff members employed by making a donation. |
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Save the Dates!
VIP sessions: Leesburg – 8/18, Purcellville – 8/20, Sterling – 8/25
Annual Clothing & Backpack Giveaway, Leesburg – 8/20
Annual Clothing & Furniture Giveaway, Purcellville – 8/27
TopGolf Fundraiser – 9/5
Annual Golf Tournament Fundraiser – 10/4, Raspberry Falls
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Jesus tells the story of a rich young man in Mark 10:17-31. During the story, the man asks Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” After explaining that he has obeyed the commandments, Jesus states that he is still lacking one thing. Jesus instructs, “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasures in heaven. Then, come, follow me.”
There is a difference in obeying commandments and a relationship with Jesus. The man had obeyed the commandments, but he had not come to Jesus, nor followed Him. If we look closely, we can differentiate between what we have and what we lack.
What we have is what we physically possess. Jesus tells the young man that if he gives what he has to the poor, then he will have treasures in heaven. We also know that God gives us a deposit for the treasures in heaven in the form of the Holy Spirit when we come and follow Jesus.
We encounter many people in need at Tree of Life every day who are lacking in physical and spiritual needs. Our Prayer Leaders diligently call on them to ask how we can pray for them, and for those who are alone and/or stressed, our Care Team follows up to check on them on a regular basis.
You too can share your gifts by giving your all to Jesus. Consider joining our PRAYER or CARE Teams to lift up others around you and tell them what Jesus wants them to have. Please email dsaine@tolministries.com for more information on how to join these teams. May you be blessed,
Chaplain Wayne |
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