Sunday, April 26, 2009

Pasta Dinner and Silent Auction with Live, Local Music

We had a wonderful weekend as visitors to First Lutheran Church in West Okoboji to talk about the Fuller Center for Housing. FLCWO is also the site of our dinner on Friday, May 8, 2009. Please email us at fullercenteriowalakes@gmail.com if you'd like tickets to our dinner and auction, and don't forget we'll have live, luscious, local music from Alan Morphew throughout the evening.

As of now, our auction will include at no reserve:

Two Okoboji art prints from Terril artist Anita Plucker
Bare Minerals Starter Kit from Derm Us, Spencer
"Get Out of That Pit" by Beth Moore and "3:16" by Max Lucado from On Eagle's Wings
Season passes to Arnold's Park
Gift Certificate to Hen House in Spencer
Framed Art Print from Steffen Furniture in Spencer
Caps from Southern Archery
Gift certificate to Royal Tan
Barn Quilt from Bob Stall
Cap, tee shirt and Millard Fuller memorial celebration nail apron (no longer available anywhere else) from the Fuller Center for Housing

We are adding things to our auction every day. If anyone else has anything to donate to our auction please call Ed at 712-441-5437 or email us at fullercenteriowalakes@gmail.com.

The following items are offered with a reserve price. We are taking advance bids at our email fullercenteriowalakes@gmail.com. You can also email us for more information about each item. I hope to post more information about the travel packages on this blog in the next day or two.

ENTERTAINMENT MEMORABILIA -- each item is signed by the artist and includes a certificate of authentication.

Eric Clapton Guitar - this is a framed and mounted signed guitar

Ringo Starr Drumhead Display

Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band Drumhead Display

Bob Dylan Record Album custom framed and mounted

Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr & George Harrison Record Album custom

framed and mounted

The Rolling Stones Record Album also custom

presented

Johnny Cash 16X20 signed photo

Star Wars 16X20 Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher & Harrison Ford

Miley Cyrus 16x20 signed photo

Angelina Jolie 8X10 (no reserve)

AMAZING TRAVEL PACKAGES

*2010 Masters (Augusta, Georgia) Final Rounds with 3-Night Stay and Airfare for (4)

*Disney World Resort Family Adventure 4-Night Package with Airfare for (4)

*2010 Kentucky Derby First Floor Clubhouse Package includes 3-Night Stay and Airfare for (2)

*Pinehurst Resort (North Carolina) Golf, Dining & Spa 4-Night Package with Airfare for (2)

*Choose Your Favorite Major 2009 NASCAR Race Premium Package with 3-Night Stay and Airfare for (2)

*Nickelodeon Family Suites Orlando 4-Night Package with Airfare for (6)

*Hyatt Regency Chicago 4-Night Stay with Airfare for (2)

*Southern Hospitality Golf Package 6-Nights Pairs Savannah (Georgia)
with Kiawah Island (South Carolina) with Airfare for (2)

*NASCAR Car Racing Package with 4-Night Stay and Airfare for (2)

*House of Blues Foundation Room VIP Experience with 4-Night Stay and Airfare for (2)

*Saks Fifth Avenue Chicago Michigan Avenue Shopping Spree, 4-Night Stay and Airfare for (2)

*Kennedy Space Center Space Pass and Astronaut Training Experience with 4-Night Stay and Airfare for (2)

*Behind-the-Scenes Tour of the US Capitol Building with a Noted Historian in Washington DC, 4-Night Stay and Airfare for (4)

*Churchill Downs (Kentucky) VIP Experience including a Private Suite, Race Named in Your Honor, Trophy Presentation, 3-Night Stay and Airfare for (2)

*Pebble Beach 4-Night Experience for (2) includes Carmel and a Luxury
Car Rental 2010

*Super Bowl XLIV in Miami Package includes 4-Night Stay and Airfare for (2)

We WILL have capability of email bidding at fullercenteriowalakes@gmail.com for these so out of town people can participate.

Pictures Stand for A Thousand Words





Monday, April 20, 2009



Today, I want to tell you about our homeowner, Lisa. She is a single mom of two daughters, a teenager and an infant, who light the room with her smile. She worked as a nurse until just before her baby, now over a year old, was born. Her employer terminated her wrongfully.

Since then she's helped a friend in a home daycare, and that's been something to get by in this economy, but it's obvious from the spark in Lisa's eyes, the real warmth that emanates from her that she was made for something more -- it's just the series of events in her life have caused her discouragement right now. With her nursing certification, she does aspire to more than the work before her, but she feels an obligation to her employer.

Only recently, her friends have pointed out that the daycare can find a replacement but there may well be people who need a nurse like Lisa to give them hope and comfort. She's getting her mojo back and looking for a job that fits her capabilities and will provide steady income for her little family.

Helping find a job is not the Fuller Center's mission, but every bit of hope and stability helps for all the families living in inadequate housing.

Lisa and her daughters are staying in a nice house now, but it belongs to a church, and we all knew it wasn't forever. Plus, of course, Lisa has a house -- it's just gutted now. She was resourceful enough to contact us at the Fuller Center -- Iowa Lakes even before we had our board and we immediately said, "Yes, we'll help you."

We knew the current home was not forever, but had not imagined as we scheduled our big fundraiser for May 8 and gradually but steadily gathered materials and funds that her move-out date would move up to June 1.

Yes, that's June 1, 2009. It's more imperative than ever that we receive needed funds and materials to complete Lisa's Jensen's house as soon as possible. We need volunteers now more than ever. By now, I mean now. We will have major build days May 16, 23 and 30 at a minimum with our board members and core volunteers working with Lisa and her friends and family on other days, too.

Even in her discouragement, though, she believes God has something bigger for her, that her tears will be transformed to joy, her mourning to dancing, her mess to a miracle.

Help us finish this simple home for an amazing family, and feel your heart grow at least two sizes.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Feast and Fantasy -- for the reality of a livable home!

What: Fuller Center for Housing -- Iowa Lakes Pasta Dinner with Auction and Live Music
When: Friday, May 8th 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Where: First Lutheran Church, West Okoboji, Iowa
Why: To make houses livable for our neighbors!

Dinner: pasta with choice of sauce, garlic bread, salad and signature desserts

Live Music: singer-songwriter Alan Morphew headlining our evening!

Auction: We have the following auction items as of this writing:

Passes to Arnold's Park. I believe they are season passes.

Two art prints from Terril artist and Spencer Middle School art
teacher Anita "Katie" Plucker -- paintings of scenes around Okoboji.

Eric Clapton Guitar - this is a framed and mounted signed guitar
Ringo Starr Drumhead Display

Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band Drumhead Display

Bob Dylan Record Album custom framed and mounted

Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr & George Harrison Record Album custom
framed and mounted

The Rolling Stones Record Album also custom presented

Johnny Cash 16X20 signed photo

Star Wars 16X20 – Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher & Harrison Ford

Miley Cyrus 16x20 signed photo (not my first choice on the list but
maybe someone with a tween girl will attend)

Angelina Jolie 8X10 – Was thrown in by The Autograph Store

AMAZING TRAVEL PACKAGES

*Disney World Resort Family Adventure 4-Night Package with Airfare for (4)

*2010 Kentucky Derby First Floor Clubhouse Package includes 3-Night
Stay and Airfare for (2)

*Pinehurst Resort (North Carolina) Golf, Dining & Spa 4-Night Package
with Airfare for (2)

*Choose Your Favorite Major 2009 NASCAR Race Premium Package with
3-Night Stay and Airfare for (2)

*Nickelodeon Family Suites Orlando 4-Night Package with Airfare for (6)

*Hyatt Regency Chicago 4-Night Stay with Airfare for (2)

*Southern Hospitality Golf Package 6-Nights Pairs Savannah (Georgia)
with Kiawah Island (South Carolina) with Airfare for (2)

*NASCAR Car Racing Package with 4-Night Stay and Airfare for (2)

*House of Blues Foundation Room VIP Experience with 4-Night Stay and
Airfare for (2)

*Saks Fifth Avenue Chicago Michigan Avenue Shopping Spree, 4-Night
Stay and Airfare for (2)

*Kennedy Space Center Space Pass and Astronaut Training Experience
with 4-Night Stay and Airfare for (2)

*Behind-the-Scenes Tour of the US Capitol Building with a Noted
Historian in Washington DC, 4-Night Stay and Airfare for (4)

*Churchill Downs (Kentucky) VIP Experience including a Private Suite,
Race Named in Your Honor, Trophy Presentation, 3-Night Stay and
Airfare for (2)

Trip to 2010 Masters, airfare, 3 night stay, VIP passes, gift bags

*Pebble Beach 4-Night Experience for (2) includes Carmel and a Luxury Car Rental

2010 Super Bowl XLIV in Miami Package includes 4-Night Stay and Airfare for (2)

We WILL have capability of phone, text and online bidding for these so out of town people can participate.

Project: