This spring, GKC was able to go into one of the local elementary schools and participate in their career day. It was a great experience for our team but more importantly, it was an awesome experience for the children of this school. All of the kids were extremely excited to see the many tools that we use on our jobsite. Who knows, maybe some of these children might become future GKC employees.

CAREER DAY AT LOCAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Our team was able to take a break from all the jobs we have been working on since the storms of spring. We were able to get together for a team building meeting which was very challenging but very beneficial as the group was able to encourage each other on to complete the tasks set before us. Even though the team building exercise was difficult, it gave the team a chance to work together as one large team as most of the employees work in groups of 2 or 3 while completing the jobs they are working on. This was an opportunity for everyone to be together and grow stronger as a group.

TEAM BUILDING DAY AT GKC

On December 18th, we had our annual Christmas party with the employees of Grace Klein Construction, Inc. and their families. It was a time of fun and relaxation with everyone as this time of year is always so crazy around Christmas time. Everyone had a great time, just spending time with each other outside our working environment. Each of the employees realize how appreciated they are and GKC is truly blessed to have them as a part of its team.

EMPLOYEE CHRISTMAS PARTY

Right before Christmas, GKC was blessed to have an awesome group from Infinity help with putting together Christmas gifts for the families in need throughout Jefferson and Shelby County. This group was so helpful in coming in during this busy time and help organize food and gifts for the families that receive food each month. Every member of this group truly was a blessing to us in the office as they were all so positive and willing to do whatever we needed them to do. Thank you guys for your willingness to help provide blessings to those who need it the most.

HELPING HANDS FOR CHRISTMAS

This year, GKC was able to participate in 4 different parades. These parades were in the cities of Alabaster, Helena, Homewood, and Chelsea. All of the families that participated in the parades had a great time throwing out cups and shooting t-shirts into the crowds. All of the children enjoyed throwing out candy to everyone. We were very fortunate that the weather was nice for each of the parades. Thanks to all who were able to attend and participate in the parades.

CHRISTMAS PARADES FOR 2010

The Mercedes Marathon was a great event, not only did the charities and runners benefit, but also the underpriviledged of Birmingham received a blessing. GKC and friends were able to collect over 23 construction size bags of coats, gloves, hats, and other warm clothing. After the bags were collected, 12 ladies volunteered to wash all the clothes, so they could then be distributed to families in need throughout the Birmingham area.

CLOTHES FOR THE NEEDY

Families are hungry right here in Birmingham, AL. How can we not help them? God has provided an amazing quality of food for an economical price through Angel Food Ministries. Asbury United Methodist Church, Chelsea Community Church and First Baptist Church Alabaster are serving as our host sites for food pick up. Anyone can sponsor a box of food for $30 that will feed a family of four for one week. We then work with volunteers to help distribute these food boxes to needy families in Jefferson and Shelby counties every fourth Saturday of the month. Thanks to many food box sponsors, customers, families and our corporate friends, God will feed over 300 families for one week through this outreach for every 3rd Saturday of each month. If your family would like to help distribute food boxes once a month, please call us at 205-390-2211. If you are interested in feeding families in Birmingham, in the name of Jesus, please follow these simple steps:

1) Go online to www.angelfoodministries.com.

2) Select order online.

3) Select host site a. Enter Asbury United Methodist, Birmingham, AL 35242 b. Enter Chelsea Community Church, Chelsea, AL 35043 OR c. First Baptist Church, Alabaster 35007

4) Click on order online.

5) Select the number of boxes you want to order. (Consider the signature, fruit/veggie & senior box)

6) Under “Your Information” section enter your full name in the first name field and enter GKC Friends in the last name field. **This is urgent for pickup**

7) Pay by debit or credit card (Check website for monthly deadlines as they change.)

8) Done – you just fed some folks (thank you!!)

FEED THE HUNGRY

In July 2010, many GKC employees and GKC friends were involved in a Rock the Block Party. This was an opportunity for the church to get out into the community and share the love of Christ to families all throughout Jefferson and Shelby County. This type of Vacation Bible School is different than most as it is taken into the communities around the city, instead of having the children come to a church building. During these Rock the Block Parties, children sing, play, and learn about Christ. This was an awesome opportunity to take church to our communities and share with them what being a Christian is all about.

ROCK THE BLOCK

One of our employees wanted to help with the efforts to clean up the oil that had been spilling out into the Gulf of Mexico. He was not able to physically go down to the Gulf, but was willing to donate his hair to help with the process of absorbing the oil from the Gulf. Even though this spill is several hundred miles from Birmingham, we feel the need to try and help any way we can. Please continue to pray for those people who live on the Gulf and how this oil spill has affected them financially, as many tourist are not travelling to the Gulf to spend their vacation time and money, due to this unfortunate incident.

HAIR FOR THE GULF OIL SPILL

In January 2010, five members from the GKC family and 3 others, were able to have the opportunity to visit Livingstone, Zambia. The purpose of this trip was to see where GKC could help with a children's home known as Kwathu Home. Currently this home has 9 orphan children that live in a 3 bedroom home. The Kwathu Home has been alotted some land from the Zambian government and the plans are to build a school and several homes to house over 60 orphans. The GKC team that travelled to Livingstone, was scouting out the possibilities to help construct these buildings and also to possibly create a branch of the company over there. This team was able to work side by side with 3 Zambian missionaries in local villages around and on the Zambezi River close to Victoria Falls. It was very eye opening to see the many needs in these very rustic villages. Life expectancy is only around 30 years of age due to diseases and HIV Aids. This is why there are so many orphans in this area that so desperately need the basic needs of life, which is clean water, food, and shelter. Please be in constant prayer for the people of Zambia.

ZAMBIA 2010

In March 2009, State Farm Agent Michael O'Neal coordinated a mission effort to San Jose, Costa Rica, with the Costa Rican ministry Conexion. God allowed four members of the GKC family to accompany the team on this outreach along with another State Farm Agent Craig Dorris and his family, State Farm employee Steve Barlow and his daughter, and two other men from Birmingham, AL. God allowed us to more than double the size of a home for a humble, gracious family of five previously living in a 400 square foot area, paint two rooms of a daycare center, play with children in two villages and worship with locals in a house church. Please pray for Conexion as they continue to minister to the people of Costa Rica. May God help us live to love people with the love of Christ.

COSTA RICA

Our Human Resource Manager, Tim Bower, helped lead a group of college students into the country of Zambia. The Zambia team learned that if we will pray for elephants that God will send them to us. They had visited a local game park and were disappointed as they prepared to leave and had not seen any elephants. Just when they were leaving and had given up, God brought hundreds of elephants toward them. They also saw joy and happiness in a people group who have very little resources and the majority affected by the AIDS epidemic. See below the huts these people reside in compared to where we have the opportunity to live here in America. What a privilege to meet and live life with people all over the world.

ZAMBIA

Four of us from the immediate GKC family, jointly with ten of our customers and additional new friends, were given the opportunity to work alongside a team of seven native Africans ministering to a rural community in Swaziland. God enabled us to lead a soccer camp for the boys, work a primitive medical clinic and live life with the people. Each of us showed up and allowed God to use our lives as He wished. For example, Brian Labello had the privilege to teach the Bible during the boy's soccer camp. God is mighty and powerful like the lion and He will accomplish His purposes. Isaiah 32:20 "How blessed you will be, sowing your seed by every stream, and letting your cattle and donkeys range free." May God use all of us to sow seeds for Him wherever we are and may we hold loosely to our possessions and let our "stuff" roam free. As in Africa, the cattle roaming free is a visual picture that nothing is truely ours and we must hold tightly to God as He is in control.

SWAZILAND

In March 2008, God blessed our company with the opportunity to send ten representatives from Grace Klein on a mission trip to Capetown, South Africa. We were able to help re-build Redhill, a community that was destroyed by fire just a month before our arrival. The challenges we faced included lack of material and tools as well as time restraints. All of us learned to appreciate our power tools and accessibility to supply stores so readily available in the States. God gave us the privilege to partner with local missionaries already at work so that we might encourage them as well as learn from their strong faith and perseverance.

CAPETOWN, SOUTH AFRICA