Winona Lake Methodist To Host Day of Helping June 28
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
WINONA LAKE – Looking to be the “hands and feet of Jesus,” the Winona Lake Free Methodist Church will host a Day of Helping from 1 to 4 p.m. June 28. During the three-hour event, the church will help those in need in the community at no cost, while supplies last. The church is at 902 College Ave., Winona Lake. According to organizer Rick Swaim, families in need will be provided with food, haircuts and manicures, financial and budget advice and an opportunity for community service. He said stationary will be provided so they can write encouraging notes to be sent to troops overseas. For the children, there also will be hot dogs, popcorn, a bounce house and other activities. Family photos will be taken, too. Swaim said Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church does a Day of Helping every year in the winter. The Free Methodist Church copied what they’ve done but decided to do it in the spring/summer. “We went through Brandon Hatmaker’s book ‘The Barefoot Church,’ and that was the genesis of this. It shows how we need to be Jesus’s hands and feet,” Swaim said. Grace Brethren Associate Pastor Dave Rank helped WLFMC last year to get their Day of Helping started. To make people aware of the Day of Helping, Swaim said 250 fliers were sent home with the elementary students in the Boomerang Backpacks program at Warsaw Community Schools in late May. Fliers also were delivered to Combined Community Services, Salvation Army and Our Father’s House. World Compassion Network donated $500 to Day of Helping. Owen’s has helped with the Day of Helping the last two years and also donated water this year. “We appreciate what they’ve done,” Swaim stated. Anyone who wants to donate can call 574-267-7260, but are asked to do so by Tuesday because food packages will be assembled on that day. “We raised more money through our church. We hope to serve 120 families. Last year we served 70 to 80 people. We think it will grow and there will be better attendance this year,” Swaim said.
