HAZEL MASON The Mission House in Bullard accomplished a lot in 2009.

During the past year, the Mission House provided food for 1,598 families, or a total of 6,000 people, including 2,801 children and 3,199 adults.

In December, the Mission House provided food for 149 families, including 619 people.

Food was donated by Brookshire’s, Bullard Elementary, Bullard Middle School, First Baptist Church in Bullard, and Southern Baptist Church in Bullard.

The Mission House also helped provide toys and bicycles during the holidays. The Pioneer Club donated toys, and bicycles were donated by Legends and the FCA.

The Food Pantry and Clothes Closet at the Mission House, located at 226 Phillips St., will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 20, and from 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Jan. 25.

For information, call (903) 521-5711.

Hazel Mason, director of Mission House, said the annual benefit golf tournament will be scheduled in the spring, at Eagle’s Bluff Golf Club. The dates all be announced.

Kory Prince, a senior at Bullard High School, received honorable mention in a congressional district art contest. (Banner Staff Photo by Don Treul) The Mission House Health Clinic of Christus House, located at 307 W. Cain St., will be open at 8 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 28. Call (903) 894-0109 for an appointment.

The ETMC EMS donated a Zoll AED-Plus electronic defibrillator to Christus House in November. The machine, worth about $2,500, was presented to the clinic by Ron Schwartz, ETMC EMT general manger; Roy Langford, ETMC regional director; Dr. William Moore, ETMC medical director; and Erik Switzer, ETMC director of support services.

Schwartz said electronic defibrillators or AEDs save lives, and the more that are available to the public, chances improve of surviving a cardiac arrest .

“We want people to talk about it because you don’t want people to forget about it.” He said.

Schwartz demonstrated the simple operating procedures of the electronic defibrillator. The availability of AEDs contributes to better survival rates.

“You need one preferably in the first four to six minutes,” he said. Daisy Stephens, R.N. and the Christus House Mission director, as well as Jan Verzosa, accepted the donation.

“This is a blessing. We’ve been looking forward to this,” she said. “There is such a need for this, we are grateful.” According to Schwartz, more and more AEDs are available in airports, schools, courtrooms, senior centers and other public places, such as grocery stores and casinos. One placed at a school, he said, resulted in saving the life of one of the teachers.

“We have given 150 AEDs throughout the service area,” Schwartz said.

The Bullard Fire Department also has an AED available.