On September 10, 2011 thirty eight people gathered at First Cornwallis Baptist to put on bright orange T-Shirts and spend their day serving the community. The event, organized by the Christian Education Committee, was timed to match the tenth anniversary of 9/11 as a way to emphasis HOPE in response to evil. The church asked community leaders and agencies, “If we could provide you three to six volunteers for a day, what could we do for you?” Eventually ten projects were proposed and posted to for volunteers to choose.
On Project day everyone met at 8:00am to gather supplies and pray together before beginning their work. Nine different projects were accomplished by volunteers between the ages of ten and eighty. They gave 330 hours of labor doing such things as constructing baby barns for a children’s center, baking muffins for the school breakfast program, painting benches and tables at the park, assisting with community festivals, painting a community hall and assembling appreciation gift bags for the elementary school staff. A food drive collected over 900 items and $650.00 for the local food bank. One team assisted a single mom of five (age six week to nine years) children who had recently moved into the area. They fixed a washing machine, put up a clothes line, and cleaned the house top to bottom while three teens cared for the kids.
Sunday morning worship celebrated the privilege of serving. A video highlighted the previous day’s activities and people shared stories of their experiences. Prayer was offered over the appreciation bags delivered to the school the next morning.
Response from the community and volunteers was positive. One festival organizer said, “We could not have done it without them.” The Principal wrote, “This act of kindness and thoughtfulness has lifted the staff spirits individually and collectively. Quiet smiles have been present since!” One of the volunteers shared, “I love being part of a church community where people don’t just talk about doing things, they actually do it.”
Pastor Lohnes commented, “While the primary purpose of the event was to do good for the community and demonstrate God’s love and kindness, there was also a secondary goal of opening our eyes to some of the needs and opportunities around us. Some times you can only see what needs to be done when you start to do something.”
Click here to view the video and photo gallery.
