Valley Baptist Church VBS Donates Offerings to A Day of Caring
Valley Baptist Church, in Searcy, has found a creative way to give to A Day of Caring. Offerings from Vacation Bible School participants last week will be used to purchase school supplies to give to children at A Day of Caring. In a friendly competition of boys versus girls to see who could raise the most money, the total raised to benefit A Day of Caring was $1,221.48.
Bro. James Hays, Pastor of Valley Baptist Church, said the church regularly encourages children to give. A Day of Caring provides an ideal opportunity to give locally so that the kids can see tangible evidence of their giving.
The Sunday before A Day of Caring on Saturday, August 4, Bro. Hays said he will take a sampling of the items purchased to show to kids during Children’s Sermon. “I plan to talk to them about the importance of giving and how we are giving these items to other children whose parents may not be able to afford new school supplies,” he said. “Then, the Sunday after A Day of Caring, I will talk with the children about how kids and parents were so appreciative of the gift they made possible by giving at Vacation Bible School. It gives our kids a sense of ownership; we are doing what the Bible teaches us … to give unto others.”
In addition to the Vacation Bible School contribution, each Sunday School class at Valley Baptist is asked to bring particular items – from children’s socks to non-perishable food items – that will benefit participants at A Day of Caring.
“Our church has been a part of A Day of Caring for nearly a decade,” Bro. Hays said. “A number of our members work at White County Medical Center, also our church hosts Christmas House every December, so we know how important the mission is in helping people in our community. We do this as a way to minister to people who need help the most.”
Bro. Hays said the church will continue to do a big push in the coming weeks leading up to A Day of Caring by discussing it in Sunday School classes and sermons. Also, the church has placed a big collection box in the Welcome Center.
“The Valley Baptist congregation and Vacation Bible School children went above and beyond in their efforts to give to A Day of Caring,” said WCMC Director of Marketing Brooke Pryor. “They have demonstrated a caring spirit for our community and what it means to give cheerfully and care for others who need help. This is a wonderful example of what giving looks like at a local level.”
Coordinated by White County Medical Center, A Day of Caring is a community-wide outreach program designed to help the uninsured and underinsured residents of White County. Free medical, dental and eye screenings will be provided; additional services offered include haircuts, immunizations and pap exams. Items such as school supplies, Bibles, children’s socks and underwear, diapers, bags of groceries, and personal care products will also be distributed. Various health screenings, such as blood pressure checks, and social service information will be provided. (Children must be present to receive school supplies, socks/underwear and diapers.)
Partnerships between WCMC and community churches, businesses and organizations, along with hundreds of nurses, WCMC associates and volunteers throughout Searcy, are vital to the success of the outreach program. Last year, 530 extraordinary volunteers united to provide needed services that helped more than 1,600 people.
WCMC welcomes churches, individuals, clubs and organizations to be involved through collecting personal care items including bar soap, shampoo and conditioner, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste and diapers. Non-perishable food items are also appreciated to stock the A Day of Caring Food Bank. For more information, please contact WCMC Event Specialist Anna Overbay at (501) 380-1057 or via email at aoverbay@wcmc.org.
