For some it's a pair of shoes, others a flight. Maybe it’s the bill for a fancy meal or a ticket to the ballet. But for those in our community $242 is a game changer.

We recently got a call from a friend, Mrs. S., who supports nine people in her household. In the wake of Thanksgiving, with Christmas around the corner, my friend was asking for advice. “Mister John, I just don't have enough grocery money to feed my family this week and I'm not sure what to do about Christmas supplies,” she said.

Her SNAP benefits, a type of food stamp system, had been turned off due to an error. Most people relying on food stamps have food for a few weeks, and struggle the rest of the month to make it stretch and this was true for Mrs. S. Food might be one of their biggest expenses and now she was desperate. The little money she did have was used up. Like the rest of us, she needed medicine, household supplies, personal items and so on.

Greenhouse was ready to help. Mrs S. asked to meet her at the grocery store all the way in Brookhaven. Why Brookhaven? Chester doesn’t have a grocery store. Over 35,000 people live here and our city does not have a grocery store.

Side note: Chester is part of the First Congressional District, the second-hungriest in the US (behind the Bronx), and is the poorest place in Pennsylvania, according to one of the largest national polls ever taken.

With that grocery trip totaling $242, we were able to get Mrs. S. the food supplies her family needed that week. So what's $242? That's $24 a person for a week, or $3.43 a day for each person in her home. That $242 can be the difference between hunger and nourished school aged kids.

But the help doesn't end there. We started Greenhouse Project not just to give supplies away but to help people grow in a family-like environment. Sometimes it begins with a meal, or other supplies. Our friends, who we treat like family, receive our best “yes” when they need help.

We have been blessed to give up to God, out to our neighbors and into our community because of our generous donors. Monthly support helps us provide resources for people at the lowest poverty level. We are able to meet felt needs as they happen in front of us and when we do, the love of God speaks so much louder than just nice words.

When we live open to helping at any cost, we get to see real lives change!

Thank you so much for your prayers and support this year. From our family to yours, we wish you a blessed and very Merry Christmas!

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To learn more about Greenhouse Project or if you are interested in launching a Greenhouse please email us at info@ghproject.org