Covenant News and Notes

November 2013

Wow! I can’t believe we are nearing the end of 2013. The busy Thanksgiving and Christmas season is upon us! We are so thankful for you and your support as we serve foster children, former foster youth and their families. Please receive this “news and Notes” piece with thankful appreciation for all God has done in 2013 and what He is yet to do as we close out the year!This past week, I was able to spend some quality time with one of our former foster youth. This young man had a background of brokenness, shame, guilt and despair. He shared his family history of abandonment, pain and involvement with the legal system. Unfortunately, these events led him to an upbringing provided, not by parents, but by the juvenile correctional system. I am honored to say that this young man is now overcoming his past as he is living in our transitional housing and working at Covenant Coffee! Hope really does live here!I leave this introduction with a thought for you as you enter this amazing season! It is a thought we strive to live each day at Covenant and one we share with those we serve!

Blessings

Randy

With 2014 just 41 days away, we’re preparing for the rush of the holiday season. To kick things off, Covenant will host our Christmas Open House on Friday, December 6th from 4:00pm – 7:30pm. This will be a great launch to the Christmas season and a chance for you to connect with old friends and make new ones! Mark your calendars and watch for the invite coming in a few days! Call 661-829-6999 to help with Christmas Gifts!

Covenant will provide gifts to over 300 individuals and families this season! This is going to be the best Christmas ever at Covenant and you can be a part of it all! Help out today by calling the office and “adopting” a family, youth or child this Christmas and blessing them with a gift from your heart!

Thank you in advance for using your time, talents and treasure to bless a foster child, former foster youth and their families as we close out 2013. Let’s finish strong!

You can click the link below to give hope today!

2013 has been a great year for adoptions at Covenant. Covenant Foster Care continues to recruit, train and certify families for foster care placements and we are excited that many of these placements turn into forever families! Thus far, Gabriel was adopted, Chastity moved into adoptive placement, Breunique moved into adoptive placement, Vernie will be adopted 11/21, and Raven entered the adoption process. Thank you to these families that have stepped up and changed the future for each of these children. What a blessing!

If you want to provide hope and love to abused and neglected children by becoming a missionary in your own home, please visit our website Covenant Foster Care for more information. We are actively recruiting families and individuals to receive teenage youth into their homes and change the life trajectory of youth!

Covenant began the Books for Hope book drive in November. Although we did not meet our goal of giving every elementary aged child in Oildale a book, we are well on the way. On November 19th, Covenant delivered over 650 books to North Beardsley Elementary School. We are continuing the drive and will switch between Standard and Beardsley School Districts until the goal of a book for every child is accomplished. Special thanks to Marilyn Droppers for being the volunteer coordinator of the drive!

Give hope … give books! Check out the great story compiled by Mark Christian from Channel 23 news! News Story on the Covenant Book Drive

Ever week, volunteers from the Covenant Horse Program get together and serve former foster youth through equine partnerships! The picture to the left is of Chris as he develops a relationship with “Chic”. Our great team debriefs each session with the youth to inspire, motivate and disciple for successful relationships. To learn more go to the  Covenant Horse Program Facebook Page.

Thank you to all the dedicated volunteers and to Diane and Danny Shaffer for hosting the CHP Fundraiser that raised over $4,000.00!

Covenant Horse Program Mission – “Using horses to empower former foster youth for healthy relationships”

A story from our great Coordinator Stephanie Williams: “j’Resha discovered her love for horses when she participated in the program at the beginning of the year. She enjoyed her time with the animals so much that she offered to join the horse program’s volunteer team. jResha is now an important part of our volunteer team. jResha helps handle horses, takes pictures during riding sessions and gives rides to former foster youth  that do not have transportation. Thanks J’Resha and all other CHP volunteers for making the program possible!

Covenant Coffee continues to serve Kern County and beyond with an amazing supply of freshly roasted coffee. Our talented team of former foster youth and staff strive for excellence in all they do. There is so much happening that I can only give you a brief update on this post. So here you go … a local Office Coffee Service has blessed us with their business and operations, a local service club has helped Covenant purchase a Coffee Truck, a local hospital will soon have a Covenant Coffee Kiosk, Covenant Coffee has branched out to mobile espresso bar services for special events, many of our staff have been hired by other businesses and launched careers, an oil corporation has blessed us with a $20,000 grant to train former foster youth, our catering and commercial kitchen rental services have grown greatly, and our food trailer should be up and operational by the beginning of the year!

In addition to the above, watch your email box and phone for specials during the Holiday season. We are continually upgrading our menu and coffee offerings and will include coffee and tea gift sets, gift baskets, and special menu items!  View Our Current Coffee Offerings Here.

Covenant is please to announce the addition of Raylene Duke and Carol Bennett as Mentoring Coordinators! These two dynamic women have followed the heart and plan of God by volunteering as “champions” for Covenant in their home church. The picture to the right is from the Valley Bible Mentoring booth Carol operated on a Sunday this past month. To date, the ladies have held an orientation and training and are seeking others to join the fight against child abuse and neglect by mentoring foster children and former foster youth. Click here to learn about the Jeremiah Mentoring Project.

Watch for Covenant Mentoring at Canyon Hills Assembly of God on December 1st, 2013. Raylene Duke and her team will be recruiting ans raising awareness.

Thank you for being a part of hope for foster children and former foster youth! You are the reason we can state that “hope lives here”! It is through your active participation and the giving of time, finances and talent that we accomplish our mission and vision.

Please receive this e-update as a brief glimpse of what is happening at Covenant. Our wonderful team of dedicated individuals continue to serve wholeheartedly and with compassion. Still, we need your help. Please consider being a part of the solution to change lives and transform generations. One way you can help is prayer! Download our prayer calendar here Prayer Calendar.

For King and Kingdom and with a Thankful Heart,

Randy Martin

Contact:

Randy Martin, Chief Encouragment Officer
1700 North Chester Ave., Bakersfield, CA 93308 |  661.829.6999