August 10, 2009

connecting the staff community

Thank You! 

We appreciate the summer interns who worked with our Hospitality Team this summer.  Tuesday, August 11, is Rachel Cash’s last day; Julianne Jones is here until Friday, August 14.  We wish them well in their continued school, and look forward to meeting again soon.

Staff Move

Michelle Booth moved to the Auditorium, suite 401.  She continues to support the Integrated Ministries Team and her phone extension is now 1459. 

IYF and Headquarters Staff Share Their Mission

The following e-mail was sent to IHQ regarding the experience of IYF.   The IYF Team and all Headquarters staff positively witnessed their passion for sharing more than our buildings – you have lived our mission of creating communities of joy, hope, love and peace and the message of Jesus Christ.

 “I just wanted to tell you how much we at Hy-Vee on 23^rd Street appreciated the opportunity to cater the International Youth Forum. The fine young people who attended from all over the world were so polite and well mannered, it reminded me of the bible verse “you shall know a tree by the fruit it bears”. Their behavior speaks volumes about your organization.

The challenge of catering a dessert bar, five meals, and several different snack options for 930 teenagers over a week- long event meant a ton of planning and we loved every minute of it! Our entire store pulled together to perform as a team and we’re very proud to have been able to handle such a large group.

I must tell you that we would not have been able to do all that we did had it not been for your outstanding staff. I was first contacted by Poul Wilson in early spring and was invited to bid on the event on behalf of Hy-Vee. I soon met Cara Casey. They were so wonderful to work with! They gave me both a clear idea of what they were looking for and the latitude to make it happen. Which would not have been possible had it not been for Kathleen Ryan and her very organized team! Kathleen, Tanya and the rest of the crew anticipated and reacted to every situation. I’ve never worked with a support staff that was so well prepared. Kathleen did a fantastic job of leading her team and was indispensable in making each meal go off without a hitch. I cannot thank her enough for her help. We look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship with The Community of Christ organization but I’m not sure anything can top the feeling of team accomplishment that pairing your staff with ours has given us.

Again, thank you for allowing us to be a part of this years’ Youth Forum !

Victoria Forbes
Catering Manager
Hy-Vee Catering Dept.

Ice Cream Thank You!

In appreciation for everyone’s support of IYF, an afternoon of ice cream and fellowship was enjoyed on the Auditorium East Patio on Wednesday, July 29^th.

Celebrations Abound!

There are many stories to be told, laughter, tears, and hugs of support, but simple words like thank you for the many years of dedicated seem almost inadequate.  International Headquarters celebrated with four employees this past week as Walt Deoring, Margaret McDowell, Rich Kohlman, and Johnny Stabno look towards retirement. 

Mark your calendar and celebrate with Dick Kramer upon his retirement from Estate and Financial Planning.  The reception will be Thursday, August 27 from 2-4:30 p.m. in the Temple seminar room.

Welcome Home World Service Corps  

Thursday, August 6, in Temple Theater 1 a group of staff, family, friends gathered to welcome home and listen to the stories of the 2009 World Service Corps members.  Snapshots and phrases bring together just part of the story here.  The past weeks have touched the lives of individuals, families, friends, the world…each one made a difference, and no one will be the same.

“As I pushed him in the swing, he exclaimed higher, higher…that day he just loved me; I realized, I CAN be a minister, no matter what the age.” – Heidi Mayer

“I had to learn what they need and what fit for that group….I’ve experienced poverty in my backyard – emotionally, physically and spiritually.” – Jena Wight

“We were always asked, ‘is USA a big island.  It’s hard to explain, but we finally just said, ‘yes’ it’s a very big island.   In New Caledonia you don’t hug people.  You only hug your family, and in the end everyone was hugging, everyone was family.  The community of the church is love – we are all one.” – Angela Cook

“We were working with children – orphans – and it was so moving to me to see how much love they had. “ – Ashley Guinan

“I was able to share with the people that my God is a God of joy, laughter, hope and love.  And yet, through my experiences this summer I left India with more questions than answers. “ – Katie Harmon

“I was afraid I couldn’t be authentic, but my fears were unmerited as I met with a group of young men to practice speaking English.  I realized that no matter what, I can still be a part of this community. “ Allie Petrie

Character Plus

 As students get ready to go back to school this month, the Character word for August is:

AMBITION…to have strong determination to accomplish goals.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

“Ambition is the path to success.  Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.” – Bill Bradley

 
Submit news and announcements for consideration in NewsPEACE.