Come join us at McDonough Presbyterian Church this Sunday, December 11^th during the Alternative Christmas Giving Bazaar!  It’s your last chance to visit COL’s booth this holiday season.

Learn more about our current projects and discover ways you can give to ChangeOneLife this Christmas.  Representatives from COL will be available at our table from 9am-1pm.

And check out one of COL’s new flyers below (click to enlarge). Doesn’t the Abugah family look great?

Liz Rieckmann

ChangeOneLife/ Lead Blogger

T.O.P chaperones

The great Johnny Jackson at the Henry Herald has once again written an article about our growing community-building fundraiser. In it, he talks about both the goals and results of this year’s McDonough Youth AIDS Walk. He also took some great quotes from one of our participating youth directors, Shannon Whitford from Kelleytown Presbyterian.

Special thank you Johnny for your continued support and Shannon for your fresh championship of the cause. Can’t wait for next year!

For another link to the article, click here.

Liz Rieckmann

ChangeOneLife/ Lead Blogger

Thanks to one and all for a great McDonough Youth AIDS Walk last Saturday! We had great weather; no one got hurt; people had a good time and met folks from other churches; and we made some money for a good cause.

Over 80 youth and adults participated in the second McDonough Youth AIDS Walk. They walked 4.1 miles from Bethany Baptist Church to McDonough Presbyterian Church. At MPC, the Walk participants played games, had lunch, and enjoyed the Wesley Way United Methodist Church’s Youth Praise Band “By Grace.”

Youth and adults from six area churches participated. Churches included Wesley Way United Methodist, Sharon Baptist, Mt. Bethel United Methodist, Tabernacle of Praise, Kelley Presbyterian and McDonough Presbyterian.

The proceeds will go toward ChangeOneLife’s AIDS Alive Projects in Kenya. These funds will be used to purchase infant formula to help feed the babies of HIV-positive mothers being treated at the AIDS Clinic at Kikuyu Hospital outside Nairobi, Kenya.

It was a great community-building fundraiser this year. Let’s continue to spread the word and grow even bigger next year!

Blessings,

Mike Griffin, Pres/CEO

ChangeOneLife, Inc.

It’s the “two minute drill.” Time to band together for next Saturday’s McDonough Youth AIDS Walk. We are going to have a great time raising some money for a good cause. This will be a wonderful community-building fundraiser because youth will have the opportunity to interact with students from six local churches: Kellytown Presbyterian, MPC, Mt Bethel UMC, Sharon Baptist, Tabernacle of Praise and Wesley Way UMC. I can’t think of a better way to build Christian community than by having fun together doing something good for those in need.

This year’s Walk’s proceeds will be donated to the AIDS Clinic at Kikuyu Hospital outside of Nairobi, Kenya. This Christian hospital has ministered to the physical and spiritual needs of Kenyans for over 100 years. The hospital’s history is rooted in the Presbyterian Church.  Our monies will help feed the babies of HIV positive mothers.

All applications and monies need to be submitted by today at McDonough Presbyterian Church. Please deliver them to the church office  located at the entrance to the church near the flag pole in the parking lot on Hwy 20. The church office phone is 770-957-9890.

*Most Important* Please ask your spouses and friends if they can give some time to help  us manage the event.We are expecting to be twice the size of last year’s event and need folks to help register youth, walk with them, hand out water, cook lunch, oversee games, and help clean up at the end of the day. The walk starts at 8:30am at Bethany Baptist and we hope to be finished by 1:00pm at MPC.

Blessings,

Mike Griffin, Pres/CEO

ChangeOneLife, Inc.

Planning has begun for ChangeOneLife‘s 2nd annual McDonough Youth AIDS Walk!

The Walk is scheduled for Saturday October 1st and will follow the same route as last year, starting at Bethany Baptist Church and finishing at McDonough Presbyterian Church.

At MPC we will have plenty of games for the youth, a Christian band, and lunch.

We have several churches committed and working on the Walk. To date: McD Presb., Wesley Way UMC, Tabernacle of Praise, Salem Baptist, and Sharon Baptist. Please leave a comment if you know of a local youth group that may be interested in joining us for this event.

We are asking each youth to raise just $25 to participate with proceeds going to COL’s AIDS Alive Projects in Kenya. This year, we are also lowering the age requirement from 12 to 10 years old; however, 10-11 year olds must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

The Walk website is up and running. To stay up-to-date on Walk developments you can click here or click “McDonough Youth AIDS Walk 2011″ under Pages in the menu on the right hand side of your screen.

This event will be a great opportunity to spread awareness and offer support for those living with AIDS in Africa. We look forward to sharing it with you.

Liz Rieckmann

ChangeOneLife/ Lead Blogger

ChangeOneLife is looking brightly at the road ahead in 2011, but we need your help.  With the vision to expand existing projects and establish new ones, COL is looking for new fundraising opportunities.  Among these fundraiser opportunities are:  the COL fashion show in the spring, the McDonough Youth AIDS Walk in the fall, and a Tom Key performance next winter.

If you would like to take part or help in the organization of these events please email Mike Griffin at mike@griffininsure.com.

Blessings,

Liz Rieckmann

ChangeOneLife/ Lead Blogger

Dear COL Friends,

Tom Key on stage

I hope you are all enjoying the thaw and have finally escaped the house this weekend.  I hope too that you’ll plan to join ChangeOneLife at our first fundraiser of the year.  We are planning to host Atlanta’s own Tom Key for a performance of one of his popular one-man shows (either Cotton Patch Gospel or C.S. Lewis).  All proceeds will benefit COL’s AIDS Alive Projects in Kenya.

Details are still coming together, but the event will be scheduled for late February/early March.  So keep your calendars open for what is guaranteed to be a fantastic night of faith and fundraising!

Liz Rieckmann

ChangeOneLife/ Lead Blogger

UPDATE: Because of scheduling conflicts, the Tom Key Fundraiser has been moved to next winter.  In its place we will be holding our second annual COL Fashion Show in May.  Stay tuned for more details.

Dear COL Friends,

Mother's Milk participant

As you mark off gifts on your Christmas lists, please don’t forget the other ways of giving this holiday season.  This is just a friendly reminder that MPC’s Alternative Giving Bazaar continues this Sunday the 12th from 9am to 1pm.  Please take this great opportunity to support our mission work in Kenya.

You can also support ChangeOneLife this Christmas season by purchasing one of our fundraiser Cookbooks.  For more information please contact Ruth Ann Welty at trawel@juno.com. They are also on sale at Moye’s and Thompson Market in McDonough.

Happy Holidays!

Liz Rieckmann

ChangeOneLife/Lead Blogger

Charity (Urgent Medical Needs)

Tis the season. . .


for cold nights, warm soups, and Christmas music,

for rushing, buying, coupons and sales,

for Christmas trees, wreaths and cards,


and for giving.


At MPC we give to causes that touch our hearts and touch our world.  Our hope is that our giving is an extension of our neighbor-love.  We can’t see these neighbors, but we hear their cries and share their dreams.

We encourage you to give to support our medical mission work in Kenya.   Your gifts support infant formula for babies of HIV positive women (Mothers Milk), young girls who need life-saving and life-enhancing health information, front-line health care delivered by rural health clinics, and special medical cases of people who can’t afford the life-saving care that they need.


Give as you can . . . smile as you give.


Thank you for your prayers and support.

The Board of Directors of ChangeOneLife, Inc.


Please join us at McDonough Presbyterian Church‘s Alternative Gift Bazaar Dec. 5th and 12th, from 9am-1pm.  MPC’s Local and Global Mission Committee will be hosting this event as a way to offer an alternative to the tradition of giving gifts for Christmas.

We cannot wait to see your smiling faces and please know the great joy your gift will bring to others!

Dear COL Friends,

Fall is here and as the temperatures outside cool down, it’s time to get things cooking inside. What better way to do that than to buy a ChangeOneLife Cookbook!

Last year, the wonderful women of McDonough’s First United Methodist Church put together a cookbook for us. We still have a few left and are looking to sell them this holiday season.

Cookbooks are only $10 each, so order a few; they make great stocking stuffers. All proceeds benefit ChangeOneLife’s AIDS Alive Projects.

To order, please contact Ruth Ann Welty at trawel@juno.com or 770-954-0221. They are also on sale at Moye’s and Thompson Market in McDonough.

Liz Rieckmann

ChangeOneLife/Lead Blogger