An Interfaith effort at Christmas
This story ran on Christmas Eve to showcase the phenomenal effort it takes to provide for homeless families at Christmas.
Interfaith helps homeless of Augusta
Yearlong effort of 24 churches soon to expand
By Kelly Jasper | Staff Writer
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Three weeks ago, Lawanda and Timothy Howard were homeless. Their Christmas, however, will be dry and warm, with plenty of gifts for their four children and food for the family.
That’s because the Howards are one of three families enrolled in the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Augusta, an organization that uses various member church facilities to shelter families in need. For Christmas, volunteers step up their contributions to provide an experience that parallels holidays at home.
“Each and every need our children had has been provided for,” said Mrs. Howard, a mother of two boys and two girls, ages 11, 6 and 5 years old, and 21 months. “Interfaith is a door God opened up. He touched hearts and made this possible. It’s something we’ll never have the words for the gratitude we want to express.”
The families are spending Christmas Week at Wesley United Methodist Church in Evans. It’s one of 24 churches that participate throughout the year. As a host congregation, Wesley provides meals, activities and volunteers who spend each night at the church with the families.
“The churches do this 365 days of the year,” said Sarah MacDonald, Interfaith’s director. “There’s an everyday need and they’re there to meet it. This organization wouldn’t be anywhere without its volunteers. They do so much.”
Volunteers shopped for gifts for the seven children staying at Wesley this week.
On Sunday, the three families arrived at Wesley to find that their bedrooms — classrooms, really — had been decorated by Sunday school classes. Ornaments and baubles hung from house plants, and garland draped the windows. Stuffed animals were placed on children’s beds. There was also a Christmas tree. Volunteers left boxes of ornaments at the base of the tree for the children to decorate later in the week.
Read more at augustachronicle.com.
Questions? kelly.jasper@augustachronicle.com
Posted: January 4th, 2010 under Uncategorized.
Comments: none
Write a comment