Reach out is a 501c non profit organization that is comprised of all BP and Contract employees at Cherry Point.  It was started by employees over 30 years ago and it stands for Refinery Employees and Contractors Helping Out.  ReachOut provides a way to help out families here in our county.  They help over 225 families and that translate into over 700 individuals.  The neat thing about this is the volunteers give up lunch breaks, evenings and weekends to pull this off.  There is the fund raising, the organizing, the execution of this huge project.  People volunteer to tape boxes, to purchase presents and food, to unload those items, to assemble bikes, to wrap presents, and to deliver them.  We've gotten involved in the years past by wrapping presents and filling food boxes.  This year, I was going to take the kids out of school to help out but it so happens that school was a half day so they weren't missing anything.  We arrived around 11:30 and proceeded to tape up boxes for 1 1/2 hours.  Then we moved on to wrapping presents.  While Lona wrote out numbers, Isaac and Job taped them to the floor.  The rest of us wrapped presents.  The numbers represent families.  Next each of the wrapped presents had to be placed on the correct family number.  The kids did that while we wrapped and wrapped and wrapped.  We finished up around 5:00 without many breaks.  I love that the kids learn to work with out a return.  I love that so many people are willing to help out to make this a reality for people.  I love that in the midst of I want I want I want, there is something we can do to give I what ever way that means.  For us it means an afternoon.  I love that people will be blessed who may not have had any hope during this season of joy that many of us take for granted.  I love being part of an organization that cares for others and shows the love of Jesus.  We don't know the recipients but they are our neighbors and we are called to love them.  This is a practical way of showing them love.