By Lauren Hollon Sturdy
Buckner International

BEAUMONT – Each year, Buckner staff in Beaumont think they’ve “seen it all” in the world of gingerbread houses, but every December, competitors prove them wrong.

The annual Gingerbread Competition brings out the artist, eccentric, child or comedian in people, from peaceful, candy-covered winter scenes to a wacky and lifelike representation of a scene from the classic holiday movie Christmas Vacation.

Eighty-four participants entered 31 gingerbread houses in this community-wide competition sponsored by the Golden Triangle Chapter of the Texas Chefs Association and the Lamar University Hospitality Program. Read the rest of this entry

By Lauren Hollon Sturdy
Buckner International

DALLAS – Last Saturday outside the Dallas Convention Center, thousands of people huddled together, wrapped in blankets, waiting for 8:30 a.m. when the doors would open for the 8th Annual Christmas Gift 2011.

“We were told that some people even came Friday night and camped out to make sure they had a good spot in line,” said Brittany Sumrall, volunteer coordinator for Shoes for Orphan Souls®, the largest humanitarian aid project of Buckner International. “This event fills such an important need in our community.”

Christmas Gift, an event run by Operation Care International, served more than 8,000 homeless people, veterans and low-income families last weekend with gifts, new clothes, warm meals, haircuts and new shoes. Buckner has participated in the event since it began in 2004 and donated more than 4,500 pairs of new shoes this year. Read the rest of this entry

By Lauren Hollon Sturdy
Buckner International

Nursing students from Texas Women’s University and members of the Dallas Cake Club spread Christmas cheer yesterday at three Buckner afterschool programs in the Dallas area. Read the rest of this entry

A 24-person mission team returned from Peru on Dec. 11th, where they recently spent 10 days delivering gifts to children, doing Vacation Bible Schools and sharing the love of Jesus. Christmas in Peru is an annual Buckner mission trip. You can read first-person stories from this year’s trip at the It’s Your Mission blog.

Click the first photo below to start viewing the slideshow. Read the rest of this entry

By Chelsea Quackenbush
Buckner International

SIERRA LEONE – Matilda Conteh, 25, approached Buckner in 2010 desperate for change after years of having to beg for survival and care for her three children.

One of nine children, she was adopted at a young age by her grandmother since her mother could not take care of her. By time she reached secondary school, her grandmother could no longer pay her fees, so a boyfriend started paying them for her. But then he stopped and Matilda was forced to drop out. She engaged in petty trading, got pregnant and had to beg from friends. Read the rest of this entry

by Lauren Hollon Sturdy
Buckner International

The island of Roatán, 40 miles northeast of the Honduran mainland, is a tropical paradise. White sand beaches and warm turquoise water greet throngs of tourists in high season who come to spend their vacation in the luxurious beachside resorts.

But stray from tourist areas, and it’s clear that poverty is a problem. Minimum wage is about 6,000 lempiras per month ($317), but some earn as little as 4,000 lempiras per month.

One small island resident, Alex Antonio Aguilar Levy, is a case study in the afflictions borne by children living in poverty.

He was one of the first 10 children to enter the Buckner Honduras Community Transformation Center in Roatán in July 2010. At 32 pounds, his weight would have been considered healthy for a 2- to 3-year-old. But Alex was 5.

Extremely malnourished, he spent most of his days living in the street, taking care of himself. Read the rest of this entry

By Chelsea Quackenbush
Buckner International

ZAACHILA, Mexico – Fifty Mexican families are working with Buckner staff turn their lives around by participating in the “180 Degree Project” through the Zaachila and Mefiboset Community Transformation Centers. Earlier this year, caseworkers did a census to identify needs in the community, and then identified 25 families from each location who fit their profile of candidates for the program.

“Because the families live in such poverty, they often don’t see the need to organize their homes or keep them clean,” said Dexton Shores, regional director of Latin American programs. Buckner social workers are helping families learn basic life skills, like organization, hygiene and job skills, things they may not know due to their circumstances. The project coaches them to organize their kitchens and bedrooms by using what’s available, like building clothing dressers out of cardboard boxes they find near the trash dump. Read the rest of this entry

By Chelsea Quackenbush
Buckner International

PENITAS, Texas – Alberto Diaz’s five-year-old daughter used to ask him why it would continue to rain inside their trailer though it stopped raining outside.

And it broke his heart. Especially during hurricane season.

He had to tell her Daddy didn’t make a smart decision when he bought the home. He felt ashamed and had no one to turn to for help.

“It’s really difficult in the Valley right now economically, and we’ve been passing through a lot of economic problems, like with clothing and my daughter starting school,” Diaz said. “I was embarrassed to go to Andrew (a Buckner social worker in the Rio Grande Valley) and ask for help. Like God says, if you don’t talk, nobody is going to hear you so just talk.  I went to him and explained my situation. I’m missing soap, shampoo, basic stuff people need to shower and look presentable.” Read the rest of this entry

By Chelsea Quackenbush
Buckner International

The Buckner Dominican Republic CTC has teamed up with Esperanza Bank in Eduardo Brito to offer families microloans to propel them out of extreme poverty and toward self-sufficiency.

Qualifying families live in extreme poverty with little hope of becoming part of the job market. An Esperanza facilitator and a Buckner social worker evaluate families to determine their needs and the amount of the loan needed for each person.

“Lives have been transformed due to the spiritual and biblical training, and the fact that each family’s economical situation has improved to help them move toward self-sufficiency with economical development,” Esperanza International consultant Newton de la Cruz said. Read the rest of this entry

By Chelsea Quackenbush
Buckner International

And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works, not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other and even more so because you see the day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25

Transformation is not going to take place in a community if it’s not going to take place in the individual.

That’s the goal of Buckner’s Community Transformation Centers around the world. Case managers work with local families and individuals to address physical, medical, emotional, vocational and above all, spiritual needs to transform their hearts and lives. Read the rest of this entry