Christmas and New Years are a special time. I pray we all keep the true meaning of Christmas in our hearts as we gather with family and friends over the holidays. We are blessed as a nation, having so much more than so many people throughout the world. Grand Lake is a wonderful place to live, have a second home for the weekend and holiday family gatherings, or even to visit. I drive around the roads in the area or travel the lake by boat and become awed by the sheer number of large fancy homes in the area. It is a true blessing for many to be able to afford these homes and enjoy them. It is a part of our nations greatness that we have so many opportunities.

There is another side of the area that we share with other areas of the nation that we like to forget about. This week the Tulsa Daily World newspaper on Monday’s front page had the story of hunger in the United States. Oklahoma ranked number one among the states in the number who go about the day and night hungry. To top this, Delaware County home of Grove and Monkey Island is the number one county in Oklahoma in numbers who are hungry every day according to the Tulsa World article.

We have in Grove an agency formed by the local ministial alliance to feed the hungry. The Help Center headed by director, Anna Shaw has been meeting the growing needs of the hungry and less fortuntate for quite some time now in a rented, small facility near the Grove airport. In order to meet the large need in a more effective manner the Help Center has contracted to buy it’s own, larger building on the east edge of Grove, Oklahoma on  Grand Lake. The Help Center now needs our Help. They must pay for this much needed facility, add more ways to help give people a lift to a better life, not just the food items for this time of need (people can reach out to the Help Center six times a year, or more with a ministers written recomendation), and many other ways to help our great Grand Lake area be a blessed land of opportunity for all as it is for so many of us who have a wonderful retirement or weekend home on Grand Lake. We cannot live with this number one county in the state of the number one state in the nation for hunger amist our large showing of blessed lives in the area through the many wonderful homes on the lake.

I have agreed to serve on the Help Center committee to raise the needed funds. You can help with a check and your time. We need one or both. This will be a short term committment of time to raise the needed funds. Even if you live in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Wichita, or other city and come to the lake on special holidays and weekends you can help by reaching friends in your home city that you know come to Grand Lake and ask them to donate. Please call me today to say you will help at 918 640-3300. You may mail donations made out to the Help Center and send to me, Joe Neill, RE/MAX Grand Lake 2330 South Main, Grove, OK 74344.

This gift of time, money, or both will be a true blessing in your life and help those who have less than we get a new start. You can make a difference. Please respond today.

Thank You and Have a Great 2007.