Prayer & Praise

The following is a list of prayer needs and answered prayer.  Thank you for praying. May God be glorified.

4/20/2013

• Thankful for community events that offer opportunities to share about the issues of youth homelessness.
• Thankful for servant hearts, staff & volunteers, that give of themselves night after night at the shelter.
• Thankful for Baker and Associates for their generous gift and for helping us to meet the needs of young people.
• Thankful for towels and other items donated this past week.
  - Pray the youth would know they are worth loving and valuable to God.
  - Pray they would feel welcome but also that they would begin to grab hold of the resources available for them in this community.
  - Pray for those who give of themselves night after night – that they not grow weary of doing good, that their words would bring healing, speak wisdom, and truth. I pray that they would not fear, that they would trust in the Lord and lean not on their own understanding. Also pray that they would not fear, but seek you as their strong tower, their shelter!
  - Pray for missionary house parents  - – Lord send the perfect couple!
  - Praying a blessing over the Fairbanks Rescue Mission. They have been such a source of  encouragement to us!

3/3/2013

• Thanks be to God for so many provisions: paper products, clothing items, hygiene items, monetary donations, & more.
• Thanks be to God for dedicated volunteers and employees who have hearts to serve.
• Thanks be to God for community partnerships, in-kind donations, and contributions from agencies and organizations like Friends Community Church, Unitarian Universalist Church, Clear Channel Media, Last Frontier Mediactive,
• Thank you for caring officers going the extra mile for safety both at the Fairbanks Police Department and the Alaska State Troopers.
  -  Pray for the young people that are ringing the door bell nightly; 35 different young people to date!
  -  Pray for the missionaries as House Parents whoever they are – and who have yet to find us, for we will need them this fall.
  - Pray for the new shelter, The Door, in the planning stages presently.

12/1/2012

• Grateful for so many answered needs through the generosity of community groups & members: cots, nonperishable food, blankets, gloves, scarves, books, and more.
• Grateful for the partnership with First Presbyterian Church in allowing us to inhabit their fellowship hall nightly.
• Grateful to First United Methodist for their love offerings.
• Grateful for Joel’s Place and S.O.A.P for creating bridges to help extend care for youth before and after.
• Grateful to be part of an incredible community that values networking.
• Grateful for many volunteers who answered the call!-  Pray for future employees
  -  Pray for the young people that are ringing the door bell nightly

10/23/2012

• Grateful for all the parents, uncles, aunts and friends who sponsored high school youth for One Homeless Night September 28.
• Grateful for passionate teens and leaders at the city wide youth group, Thirst, and North Pole Christian, who say “YES” to leaping tall buildings in a single bound! You truly are super men and women.
• Grateful this month for those who brought us towels, a rice cooker, new microwave, new pots and pans and a crock pot. Also thank you to those who brought toiletry items and hand warmers.
• Almost forgot – a thank you to Black Gold Express for the lockers they donated.
• Thankful for the Golden Heart Reading Council for $$$$ for E-readers and software – to promote literacy at the shelter.
• Thankful to all who contributed financially this month.We are encouraged by such generosity. BLESS YOU ALL!
• Praising God for funding for paid positions to help staff the shelter at First Presbyterian this winter.
• Praising God for 15+volunteers who have committed to the Night Owl Shift, one night a month

- Please pray for more Night Owls to answer the call.

- Please pray for job listings to be filled.

9/23/2012

• Grateful for two hardworking full-time volunteers – Sarah and Dick – You are AWESOME!
• Grateful for the congregation at First Presbyterian Church – who said “YES – that is our calling – it is who we are called to serve!”
• Grateful for open hearts to hear – you help the burden seem lighter
• Thankful for those who gave financially this past month – you are very much appreciated -

- Please pray for volunteers for the Night Owl shift at the shelter ~ 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

- Staffing for overnight – we are working to provide one staff per shift working alongside volunteers.

- Pray as the Lord leads.  Amen.

8/15/2012

• Thankful for a summer Vista & a great time at the summer markets, getting to talk to folks about the need for shelter and hearing their personal tales of being a homeless teen.
• Thankful for an incredible network of youth serving agencies in our community.
• Thankful to Joel’s Place AmeriCorps Program for an AmeriCorps Member to help organize the Alternative Youth Shelter Project, an emergency solution for this winter’s young people that find themselves in a hard place.

- Pray that we would find partner agencies, churches, & families who can help provide alternatives to youth shelter for this winter.

- Pray for volunteers and funding to help with this winter’s Alternative Youth Shelter Project.

6/17/2012

Fairbanks Youth Advocates would like to thank all who supported and gave financially in May and June. A special thank you to those who gave in remembrance and honor of their late friend and colleague, Gene Shafer, who cared greatly about the youth of Alaska. A special thank you also to the Joel’s Place AmeriCorps Outdoor Crew for helping us move community furniture donations for The Door to dry ground!  We would also like to thank those who have given at the Tanana Valley Farmer’s Market and Downtown Markets.  Your contributions mean a lot to us! We are most grateful!

- Pray as we research alternative shelter ideas for this winter – since the reconstruction of the new facility will not be complete until summer of 2013.
- Pray for guidance and wisdom in seeking funding sources and doing fundraising.
- Pray as we continue to build a foundation in which we will serve many youth and families in the future.

5/1/2012
* Thankful for positive notification of 2 grant applications for operations.
* Thankful for a second Vista for the summer. Welcome Meagan. Watch for Meagan and Sarah at the markets.
* Thankful for donations, some of which we had not even asked for: copiers, washers, dryers,  range, refrigerator!
* Thankful to the Bramer kids and their hearts to serve. . .
* Thankful for so many community members – cheering us on!

- Pray as the process of the renovation of the shelter becomes a reality.
- Pray for direction as we increase our presence in the community.
- Pray for guidance as we continue to build capacity for that which we have been called to do.

4/01/2012
* Thankful for 3 new board members: Welcome Kathryn, Dave and Danny.
* Thankful for the award of the Community Development Block Grant, the highest scoring grant submitted to the state from municipalities!
* Thankful for Alaska Alpha Delta Kappa for choosing us as the recipient of their 2012 Altruistic Award.
* Thankful for Sarah,  another hard working Vista!

- Pray for Dolly Caswell’s visit at the end of April – that knowledge about human trafficking will make a difference in our community.
- Pray as the process of the renovation of the shelter becomes a reality.
- Pray for direction as we increase our presence in the community.

3/1/2012

* Thankful for Dave and Laurie Miller.  They sponsored our attendance at the National Conference on Ending Family and Youth Homelessness hosted by the National Alliance to End Homelessness a few weeks ago in Los Angeles. The conference was excellent. We learned volumes, and made new friends & connections.
* Also, a shout out goes to Gary Pedretty for helping us to update our technology and keeping us connected with the world! Thank you Gary!
* We’ve been busy connecting with as many people/agencies as we can. And such a cool thing. . . so many people are finding us. Yeah! Keep your calls and emails coming!
- Pray as we solidify our plans for getting the word out.
- Pray regarding the Community Development Block Grant.
- Pray for creative ideas regarding sharing the issues of youth homelessness.

1/30/2012
* Thankful for Ken Pleasants, who brought our gifted furniture from Anchorage to Fairbanks.
* Thankful to many agencies in the Interior who are offering support and technical assistance: Fairbanks Rescue Mission, Presbyterian Hospitality House, FNSBSD, Access Alaska, Fairbanks Counseling and Adoption, Family Centered Services of Alaska, Fairbanks Housing and Homeless Coalition, and Joel’s Place.
* Thankful for  1 new board member. Welcome Sarah Finnell!
- Pray for  more board members.
- Pray regarding the Community Development Block Grant.
- Pray for continued direction and networking.

12/28/2011
* So thankful for generous contributions of items and funds. Thank you Fairbanks!
- Praying for new board members. Always time to grow.

12/6/2011
- CDBG proposal was submitted Friday, Dec. 2nd. Now, we wait.
- Tying up loose ends
- Working out the details with the Fairbanks Rescue Mission

11/18/2011
Follow up:
On 11/21/2011 the Fairbanks City Council voted unanimously to submit the shelter as a CDBG proposal. This will cover 100% of renovation funds sought for this project.
City Council Meeting, Monday, November 21st.
Decision regarding shelter and CDBG funds.
Unity,  But we can never have enough of this!
New Developments in partnering with other agencies to bring about an emergency shelter for youth.

11/11/2011

City Council Meeting, Monday, Novemeber 14th. Decision regarding shelter & CDBG funds.
The community’s requests will be heard.

Follow up: A strong voice was shared, bringing about a positive discussion and support for the need for a shelter. With the council seeking as much unity as possible, they delayed the vote on the resolution to submit the shelter project, as a project for the CBDG funds until 11/21/11.

11/1/2011
November: National Youth Homeless Awareness Month
November 9th: Fairbanks Candlelight vigil – raising awareness for the issues of homelessness.

Small desk, for office

Direction regarding renovation of house.

10/24/2011

Shipping for couch and chairs from Anchorage,

AmeriCorps team: winterizing the shelter,

Direction for Marylee, at grant writing class,

10/19/2011

A  newer boiler,

Storage: for items donated for shelter renovations and shelter contents,

Cash donations for shelter renovations, 

Skilled & knowledgeable people to assist with renovations,

Housing for Vista,

Computers and office supplies for Vista,