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Dear Friends and precious supporters of Grateful Hearts,
As 2022 draws to a close, we want to take this opportunity to wish you a very special Christmas and holiday season! We hope that you are able to spend it celebrating with friends and family, but most importantly, that you are able to celebrate the reason we have Christmas in the first place- to celebrate the birth of Jesus… the savior of the world!
We understand that his past year has been a tough one for many people, but regardless of how dark our circumstances and situations may become, God is always there, awaiting an invitation to light our way more clearly.
God’s faithfulness does not negate seasons of extreme loss and pain, but rather creates a place where joy and grief can coexist. We can feel hopeful for the future while still feeling sad about what has passed. It is not one or the other, it is both AND. The comfort of Heaven doesn’t mean earth won’t feel heavy.
Having said that, you are all now probably aware of the recent changes that GH has experienced recently. After serving the community for twenty four years (as of Dec 1st, 2022) through our extensive distribution programs, we are permanently closing the doors of our warehouse, while continuing to donate multiplied pallets of food, clothing and miscellaneous necessity items to organizations that also distribute goods to those in need.
These recent changes are due largely to the recent personal and very deep loss of my sweet husband and greatest champion of “all things GH”, Gene Pietrini… In January of 2021, our family opened the pizza restaurant that Gene had dreamt of for over 30 years! Approximately 7 months later, he passed away suddenly and unexpectedly during back surgery. This left us with the choice to lay his dream down due to his absence, or to work to continue carrying on his legacy… we chose the latter.
Although we have made the decision to close our food distribution center, Grateful Hearts will continue as a non profit to help people in need in different ways. This will include various work programs in community partnership with Pietrini Pizza, along with a developing a working relationship with Homeboy Industries (the largest gang and ex-felon rehabilitation/placement program in the U.S.) Our immediate goal is to employ those who are in desperate need of a second chance, (which at this writing has already begun) along with providing training programs and employment opportunities for adults with special needs.
So as we wrap up this final portion of our 2022 holiday adopt a family Christmas and Holiday meal programs, we want to wish you and yours a blessed Christmas season, and thank you for your generous support throughout the years!
Please know that we at Grateful Hearts will keep you in our thoughts and prayers, and will always be grateful for the years we have partnering together with you for those who are struggling to provide for themselves and their families.
We covet your prayers as we move into the next phase of our operations, and we hope that you will consider continuing your partnership /support of Grateful Hearts as we continue changing lives together.
Gratefully yours,
Blair Pietrini
Director, Grateful Hearts Storehouse
