The holiday season is here

again along with so many of the festivities that we have all come to enjoy

over the years.

The treats that make the way

into our offices, the parties after work, the dinners, the neighborhood

or church celebration time, the special family traditions. Ah, yes, the

holidays are here and we are on the go again.

Most of us, that is, but not

all of us. All of us can't just come and go as we please. Some of us have

responsibilities that make it hard or even impossible to get out and enjoy

holiday festivities or any event throughout the year.

I'm sure most of you know someone

who can no longer come and go at will. Don't forget them during this holiday

season and all seasons. Reach out. Care and show it with a visit, an occasional

covered dish, a book or some magazines. If you've got a willing heart,

the rest will follow; just be aware and remember those in need.

Among those who are in great

need of our prayers and any other means of support we can offer are the

parents of medically fragile children. These are children with birth defects

or those whose young bodies have been severely damaged by viruses, accidents

or high fevers.

These parents often must make

special care arrangements just to be able to go to the grocery or to church.

An occasional special event or family vacation is usually out of the question

altogether because they hesitate to ask for assistance.

Very few communities are set

up to care for medically challenged kids. In fact more and more Georgia

counties are not even set up to care for physically normal children who

require foster care for various reasons.

Among those who set the example

for the rest of us, regarding these great needs, are Truett and Jeannette

Cathy. As most of you know, Mr. Cathy is founder and chairman of Chick-fil-A

Inc., the third largest chicken restaurant company in the nation.

Not only has Mr. Cathy hired

thousands of young people over the years and offered various incentive

programs to help them in pursuit of their education, he has sought others

ways to care for our youth.

Mr and Mrs. Cathy founded WinShape

Homes, a foster home system, which takes young children and provides a

place for them to thrive until they are ready for work or college. There

are currently 11 WinShape Homes in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama and one

in Brazil.

There is also Camp WinShape,

a summer camp for boys and girls ages 7 to 16, 25 percent of whom attend

on scholarship.

And then there's Hope House.

The Cathys recently gave $500,000 toward the Hope House construction fund.

What is Hope House? For nine

years it has been an arm of Southwest Christian Hospice, an organization

of individuals who offer respite care for physically challenged children

so their parents can go to church together, go out to dinner occasionally

or even take a much-needed family vacation with other children who often

feel left out when a medically challenged sibling requires so much of

their parents' attention.

Any mother or father who has

ever cared for a really sick child for a week or a month can, if they

try really hard, begin to imagine what it must be like for parents who

never get a break. Even parents with perfectly normal children need a

reprieve every now and then.

In more than 15 years of writing

this column I don't think I have ever come right out and asked a reader

to contribute financially to any cause. And this may not be the best year

to ask, but I am about to do just that.

You see, Hope House is now

under construction. For some time one room at Southwest Christian Hospice

has been available for the care of children of Hope. Soon there will be

an entire wing with a specially designed activity room, a unique garden

and play area and a guest house for family members.

As of this writing another

four million dollars is needed to meet the $7.2 million Hope House campaign

goal. You and I may not have $500,000 to give or even $500 but we can

all give five dollars or 25.

There is one more thing you

might want to know as you consider what you can give. Southwest Christian

Hospice and Hope House are totally nonprofit ministries providing quality

care at no cost to patients or their families.

If you want more information

about how you can help with your time or money, call 770-969-8354 and

ask for Mike Sorrow, executive director.

Thank you, and may your holiday

season take on a meaning unlike any it has ever known before as you seek

to reach out in your own community to those in need.

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