UM ARMY
United Methodist Action Reach-Out Mission By Youth

Letter from Donna Stewart

Letter from Donna Stewart,
  Beeville office of Texas Department of Human Services

Greetings, Fellow Bee Countians:

The citizens of Bee County are privileged to have been selected by the United Methodist Youth ARMY as they extend their services to the aged, disabled and/or impoverished members of our county this summer. The best part is, "They will allow any county member to participate in blessing our own.

Enclosed you will find 2 letters - one from the United Methodist ARMY (UM ARMY) camp coordinator outlining their intentions to bless our community and the other from the state headquarters of the Texas Department of Human Services (DHS) informing of our role of making referrals to the ARMY. As stated in the UM ARMY's opening paragraph, this is an ecumenical effort. No person will be discriminated against for their religious preference or any other civil rights reasons. The main and most important requirement is for the person(s) being referred need to own or be purchasing their own home. Again, this is a service to the aged, disabled, and/or impoverished in our county.

The 3 people in the DHS office in charge of referrals were Josie Fulghum, Elia Martin, and Donna Stewart.

Packets were sent to all churches in the county and as many businesses as possible. The July week of ministry, to many of our citizens, will be such a blessing from Heaven. As a church family, you may have asked many times, "How can we put actions to our faith?" Well, here's your opportunity! This is a win/win situation. Our less fortunate have their needs met and those who participate have the opportunity to grow as a person and improve the quality of someone's life and the community. Why let this youth group have all the fun? Let's join them as a community to make this venture a success!

The United Methodist Church of Beeville will host the ARMY, which in-turn will generate many un-for-seen financial needs. There will be $1.50 allotted per student every day for meals, which comes out of the $150.00 fee the student pays to get to participate in this summer project. The building supplies/materials are purchased out of the remainder. When is the last time you ate 3 squares for a $1.50? Plus, these students will be working in the South Texas July heat! To be very specific, the ARMY will not turn down any monetary donations, any building materials/supplies, or any food items that may be offered.

Example: cases of bottled water or other drinks, cakes, cookies, loaves of bread, etc.. .screen mesh, paint, lumber, use of lawn equipment, etc... Who knows, your church or organization may be able to sponsor one of the evening meals for the whole ARMY. You may even have some vacation time and want to spend some of it helping with actual manual labor. A good idea is to purchase gift cards from HEB or Walmart. REMEMBER to contact the Methodist Church concerning all donations.

In conclusion, the Beeville Methodist Church will be honoring the ARMY and all who played a part in the week's activities on the evening of July 11, 2002 with a celebration concert. This will be a city wide, out-door concert for the whole county. Awards and special thanks and recognition will be given. All businesses, churches, and organizations are encouraged to make banners to represent their group. This will
be a wonderful outing for the youth of our county and a special way to bring everyone together in celebration of the weeks accomplishments.

The DHS would like to thank everyone for the referrals and the donations provided in making the week successful.

Working together for the betterment of the county,

Donna Stewart
Long Term Care Caseworker
Texas Department of Human Services

Donna Stewart
Department of Human Services
1800S. Washington Ste 1
Beeville, Tx 78102