It’s been a year of highs and lows for almost everyone. Unmet expectations, disastrous situations, failed plans, and challenging economic times have been realities for many. Thankfully, we can also all point to moments of experienced joy and celebration.

How can we make a difference for 2015 to be MUCH BETTER? A difference in our own life and the lives of others that’s significant, sustainable ? Will that difference lead to your Best Year Ever?

JD Smith, CEO of CitiIMPACT Ministries, offers these 3 suggestions in this first in a series of posts for December.

1. Work on Yourself.

 JD, in partnership affiliation with Michael Hyatt, author of Platform, offers a glimpse into the preferred future we can all have; with practical, proven and powerful ways to engage! See this FREE 3  video series released by Michael with JD here. The first video was released Tuesday, the 2nd today, and the 3rd on Tuesday the 9th.

Video 1:  How about a fresh perspective on goal setting?   

Video 2:  I’m sure you can think of someone who just seems to strike gold with whatever they touch – am I right? So SEE what sets them apart?  

Video 3: coming December 9th. Stay Tuned!

2. Serve Others. 

Serving others lifts them up for sure with Help and Hope. It also lifts you up too!

CitiIMPACT Ministries offers several ways for you to serve others right in your own back yard, in domestic disaster zones & inner cities, and across the globe. Some of that can be done right at your school, church or business all at the same time. You can literally go on mission without leaving home. Here are 3 ways to serve others. (click the links for more info)

1. Building Hope:  SEE: A way to help disaster survivors recover, right from where you are!

2. Meal Mania: SEE A way to help starving kids and families in your area, across the USA, and globally, right from where you are.

3. Mission Team Trips: Form a team of friends from church, work, school or social club and Go to a  disaster zone or inner city to assist people who are truly falling through the cracks with Help and Hope.

3. Honor God in Thanksgiving & Celebration.

As we all Work on Ourselves and Serve Others, we’ll discover so much to be thankful for, so many great things The Lord has provided and done in and through us. There will far more to Celebrate in Him, through Him and by Him than we can think or imagine.

He, The Lord, IS ALL THAT.

In this renewed season of Advent, take time to thank the Lord and Celebrate everything..the Hope of the Universe, born in Jesus the Christ!

So! Let’s allow ourselves to BE and HAVE the Best Year Ever in 2015, while being Thankful & Celebrating life up through 2014!

How will you improve your prospects for YOUR Best Year Ever?

Blessings!

JD Smith

HOPE given on Staten Island by college women helping from Hurricane Sandy!

Join us on the journey.
As a catalyst of HELP and HOPE, CitiIMPACT Ministries mobilizes collaborative partnerships between local churches, groups and individuals for greater effectiveness in meeting human needs.

Are YOU Ready?

BE PREPARED:  The situation in West Virginia was obviously not expected.  Disasters can occur anywhere whether they are natural, terrorist, or industrial.  Is your community ready?  Do you have a plan in place?  The attitude that “it won’t happen to us” is prevalent and detrimental.  Contact us to get trained in how to serve your neighbors in times of disaster.  We will make sure you have a plan ready to execute and you will be in our network to receive needed supplies and manpower when the time comes.

Please read more below & SHARE!

ARE YOU READY ? January 2013 Spring and Summer Teams Sign Up Now! Accepting college alternative spring break teams, youth group mission trips and of course huge need for skilled workers.   We provide housing and coordinate work.  At all current sites you will have a kitchen to prepare your own meals.  Encourage you to sign up early (especially for larger groups) as space is limited.     Current Destinations: MOORE, OKLAHOMA – This is the area of largest capacity (up to 200 at a time).  They are just now beginning the rebuilding phase from the tornado that destroyed homes and families.  Suggest you bring at least one skilled person as this will open up more possibilities for your team.  COLORADO – The flooding late last summer did extensive damage.  Teams are needed in a number of areas beginning in April through July.  Teams up to 20 will be easy to accomodate, possibly larger with adequate prep time. NEW YORK/ NEW JERSEY – Still recovering and rebuilding from Superstorm Sandy.  Groups up to 25 can be accomodated most times. TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA – Groups up to 20 can assist in the aftermath of tornado.  Currently volunteers help in clothing/food distribution, organizing, some beautification projects and outreach to the community.   LAPLACE, LOUISIANA – Rebuilds still underway from hurricane two years ago.  Teams up to 30 of must be mostly skilled adults.  WEST VIRGINIA WATER CRISIS: It hasn’t gotten a lot of press but the water crisis in WV is not over.  300,000 people could not use there water for over a week due to a chemical spill – schools and businesses were closed.  People already living on the poverty line didn’t get paid.  Now they say the water is “safe”.  Yet there are hundreds of reports of sludge and slime still in the water, chemical burns, and a multitude of other illnessess after the ban was lifted.  CitiIMPACT was called by the EOC within 15 minutes of the ban asking for help.  We were able to send in 300 tons of water, 15 semi trailers worth.  Some of that was in partnership with NFL player Randy Moss who is from WV and wanted to give back.  Please continue to keep them in your prayers.    DONATE TO GIVE WATER BE PREPARED:  The situation in WV was obviously not expected.  Disasters can occur anywhere whether they are natural, terrorist, or industrial.  Is your community ready?  Do you have a plan in place?  The attitude that “it won’t happen to us” is prevalent and detrimental.  Contact us to get trained in how to serve your neighbors in times of disaster.  We will make sure you have a plan ready to execute and you will be in our network to receive needed supplies and manpower when the time comes.

that’s right…DON”T Donate to CitiIMPACT….unless…  

1-You value & believe in partnership

2-You want your donation multiplied many times above its face value

3-You want to make a sustainable impact

4-You value that people need a hand up, not just a hand out

OK, you get the point: CitiIMPACT Ministries serves children, families & communities with HOPE, helping them overcome at-risk situations. We do this by forging collaborative partnerships  bringing more resources together, multiplying efforts & sustainable impact.

Yes, WE NEED & VALUE YOUR PARTNERSHIP FINANCIALLY! Here is JUST ONE testimony of how your donation did or could work in a community: It’s one of hundreds we could give you. Pastor Kirk Pankratz, Church of the Harvest in Oklahoma City, was one of the lead churches we are partnering with in the Moore OK Tornado Response; a church of 5 campuses.

“When the disastrous weather hit our state back in May 2013, we had no idea how our church – Church of the Harvest – would be able to play a part in the rebuild efforts.  We just knew one thing – we had to help.  Immediately, we began to develop partnerships with local churches, disaster organizations and ministries that have an impact locally and around the world.  CitiIMPACT is one of those organizations we have been privileged to partner with and we are so grateful for the value they add to this massive rebuild effort.  I use the word “massive” because this entire effort to rebuild these affected communities is far beyond just one church or one disaster organization.  Some say it could take over five years for the affected areas to be fully rebuilt.  With the help of CitiIMPACT, over two dozen semi-loads of key supplies have been given out and used to help assist families.  Thousands of meals were prepared and given out to victims and the countless volunteers that have been committed to this journey.  CitiIMPACT leader – J.D. Smith – has been a key individual in introducing us to various people and organizations focused on disaster response both locally and nationally.  He has actually continued with us in Oklahoma City for the past six months since the storms hit and that has proven to be invaluable to our team.  There are countless stories of victims – both individuals and families – that have been able to be fed, receive clothing, household goods and supplies to help them rebuild their lives.  Thank you so much to J.D. and our friends at CitiIMPACT!  We look forward to continuing this relationship and journey to see total restoration come to these strong communities.”

Kirk Pankratz, Senior Pastor,Church of the Harvest, Oklahoma City,OK 

Thank ALL of you for your past partnership in many ways, including finances. IF you haven’t donated to us before, NOW is the time! Get your tax deductible donation for 2013 in today. DONATE

Blessings to you from all of us at CitiIMPACT Ministries! JD Smith

http://citiimpact.org/help-locally/citiimpacts-disaster-product-collection/

CitiIMPACT Missons RESPONDING….
SHARE PLEASE.
MANY WAYS FOR YOU TO HELP with DISASTER RESPONSE

   BRING A TEAM: http://citiimpact.org/bring-a-team/

DONATE: http://citiimpact.org/give-financially/

SUPPLIES: http://citiimpact.org/help-locally/citiimpacts-disaster-product-collection/

DONATE NOW

Sign UP TEAMS     GIVE SUPPLIES   

CONTACT US for an exciting NEW WAY everybody can help that costs you NOTHING.  

Colorado Flooding 2013

“We mobilized our networks to respond to this horrible flooding in Colorado. Assessments and Relief are underway as I speak for short and long-term response. The CitiIMPACT Disaster Coalition is shipping NOW Emergency Relief Aid for sustaining life.Other assets have also been deployed Into the Denver/Boulder areas.” JD Smith, CEO of CitiIMPACT Missions & The CitiIMPACT Disaster Coalition, said earlier today.

EPIC FLOODING

LONG TERM EFFORTS begin NOW. Sign up Teams for Relief and Recovery.

Please be in prayer for all those affected and take appropriate action to help with HOPE. Don’t wait to be prepared in your own community for a disaster.”

JD Smith, CitiIMPACT & their Affiliates are Christian Humanitarian, Church & Missions organizations dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by taking action to solve the causes of poverty, injustice & disaster occurrences.

A letter from Louisiana came in to CEO JD  late last night for CitiIMPACT. Today they commemorate the event and give thanks in various celebration services around the region.

The letter IS really to all of you who collaborate and partner with us in times of disasters. It reads,

“Dear JD,

A year ago today, St. John Parish was devastated by hurricane Isaac. Over 7000 homes, several schools and churches flooded due to storm surge and heavy rains. Thousands of residents were left homeless without food or shelter.

Yet as a result of your partnership, and generosity more than 35,000 meals were served within the first two weeks after the storm. Relief items of food, water, cleaning and building supplies were distributed to thousands of residents. We were able to house and feed over 2500 volunteer workers, who came from all over the US to help the citizens of St. John Parish rebuild. In the past 12 months, we have been able to assist 1007 home owners to rebuild their homes. St. John Parish has experience an amazing recovery. It is estimated that 90% of the homes that were damaged, have been completed. Although there are still families who are attempting to rebuild, 

I just want to pause and give thanks to all of you who made our recovery possible. Team work makes the dream work. There are people who you may never meet who are eternally grateful for you standing with us during our time of crisis.

West St. John’s Parish High School Volleyball Team helps their community in crisis. You can too! www.CitiIMPACT.org

“We held hands and prayed for Jesus to help us no matter what happens. Andrew cried out, “Mommy, Hold Me!”, sobbed Ashley. Andrew has aspergers and has never before asked to be held, which is common with his symptoms.

Her whole house blew down around them. Yet, they are ALIVE! 

Recounts Jason just last night, “My family and I were in a state of disbelief”. That was made even further difficult in that Jason was in Afghanistan at the time of the tornado. It took him 5 days to get home. His entire home was destroyed, except just a few possessions. Yet his beloved family did survive with their lives, in a storm shelter in what was once their garage. He adds, “A normal day in Oklahoma, in just a few minutes suddenly turned into the single most life-changing event in our family history. We felt helpless and overwhelmed, but most of all blessed that we had made it through the tornado with our lives.”

“Today”, he goes on, “we’re cleaning up the few items we could salvage and are gaining a sense of hope.  With help of therapy and love from CitiIMPACT Mission Teams, our children are slowly beginning more normal levels of activity. We’re still overwhelmed with all that has to be done, but remain optimistic the future holds stability for our family.”

Because of your efforts with CitiIMPACT, many such stories of HOPE and HELP arise from the destruction of natural disasters, and the disasters of life in general. Please continue to Support and BE Part of the efforts with us for those who need “a sense of hope”. Together we are reaching families like Jason’s in several states right now.

Be and ACT like this, another young man named Andrew long ago:

Mark 1:16 “As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said,“and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.”

Blessings to you today!

JD Smith

CEO CitiIMPACT