Church of the Beatitudes just completed their annual Mother’s Day Purse Drive on May 4th. The filled purses, all 34 of them, were given to the women at Family Promise. Family Promise serves women and their children who have experienced homelessness. With the help of many hands within the Church of Beatitudes we have provided temporary shelter and meals for many years. Faith in Action has done a Mother's Day Purse drive for homeless women and in recent years we have given the purses our congregants filled with toiletries to Family Promise. This year, a person with a huge heart helped us out fulfill our dreams.

His name is Leo and he has the heart of Jesus. Leo came to our church around 10:00 am Sunday morning with a delivery of hundreds of toiletries items, such as deodorants, soap, washcloths, toothbrushes, feminine hygiene items, scarves and sweaters. We literally had to have a cart to bring in all the boxes and bags! Our hearts soared at this donation, but we were also touched by his story. You see, Leo belonged to the Metropolitan Church that used to meet at Beatitudes some years ago. Their pastor died and it was devastating. The church did not survive, but Leo remembered the kindness of the ministers and congregants of Church of Beatitudes. He came to our church for several Sundays recently and heard about our purse drive. He had experienced homelessness so he knew what even a bar of soap and a comb could mean to someone in the same circumstance. Thankfully, he is now working and independent. Leo works on most Sundays, but he wanted to thank the church by supporting our mission.

We are blessed as a church for the all the congregants' donations particularly the extravagant generosity of those who supplied multiple purses and products and of course those of Leo. Thirty-four purses and hundreds of products, too numerous to count, were delivered to LaVelle Bridges Earl Site Manager at Family Promise on Tuesday May 6th! We wish all those of the congregation and the mothers at Family Promise a very Happy Mother's Day.

At this time of uncertainty in our church and in the world, it is also a testament to what Church of the Beatitudes and Family Promise continue to be, places of Hope.