Making a Difference

by Kisha Noriss
Todd Parish, a noted philanthropist, once said, “Giving is the lifeblood of happy living.” And, he was right! Many of our ladies who attended and participated in the outreach projects organized by our Texas Conference Women’s Ministry directors, found this statement to be true during the “Free Indeed” Women’s Convention held on September 25-27, 2009. The convention, organized by the North American Division Women’s Ministry Department, was much more than a nurturing event. The convention provided unique opportunities for more than 400 women to touch the lives of others in the community. One of these events was the “God in Shoes” community outreach on Friday morning. This event took women to the streets of Dallas and Arlington to interact with residents of homeless shelters, shelters for abused women, children’s hospitals, and day care centers, as well as lend a helping hand in food pantries and clothing distribution centers.

Joyce Yeager, of the Texas Conference Women’s Ministry committee, was asked by Carla Baker, NAD Women’s Ministries director, to make the initial contact to the DFW area shelters, to see if they would be interested in having the women help at their venue. “The people I talked with were so gracious. They were eager to have us come in and serve, and they know how to serve. They taught us so much,” said Joyce.

Women from all over the conference committed to provide bags of supplies and toys for the children at the sites that would be visited. The goal for 115 bags proved to be too low. The women donated 127 bags for this exciting event.

“Our goal was to have ladies experience disinterested benevolent community ministry and take it back to their communities as an outreach initiative,” said Lynn Ripley, Texas Conference Women’s Ministry Leader. “I believe our goal was met.”

Many of the churches have discussed taking on this project as something that can spiritually enrich the women of their church. Joyce Yeager and the women of the Fairview Mosaic Christian Fellowship Church are planning to adopt a shelter. Mary Ayonga and the Dallas New Life Church have made a commitment as well to bless themselves and the lives of others by giving back.

“I received an email asking for volunteers to adopt one of the facilities that the women’s convention had sponsored,” remembers Mary. “They wanted to make sure that there was some sort of follow-up to what had taken place at the convention. This place [The Bridge] is right in our backyard. I felt we should make a commitment to make a difference in our community on behalf of our church.” So Mary approached the women of her church with the idea of sponsoring the facility on a regular basis, and they agreed. As she started to get acquainted with the facility she saw “The Bridge,” a homeless shelter located in south Dallas, was filled with women and men. Mary thought to herself that the men of her church should get a chance to have life changing and blessing experience, just like the women had.

“I talked to the pastor and he agreed that the entire church should have an opportunity to get involved,” said Mary. The Dallas New Life Church plans to visit “The Bridge” for the first time in February 2010. They plan to spend at least four hours at the shelter and provide manicures, pedicures and back massages for the women and hair cuts for the men. They will also make packages with personal toiletries for those who are staying at the shelter.

“My entire church is excited and willing to get involved,” says Mary. “We are ready to make a difference.”

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ Acts 20:35