This was my first experience at a HOPE event, and it was a memorable one. It was amazing. As I helped sort through thousands of school supplies donated by the community, my heart swelled with pride that even in these hard economic times, compassion still stands strong in the hearts of those in our community. The hours seemed to fly by, as we hand counted pencil erasers, notebooks, and backpacks.
We set up and prepared the site provided by our OneBody Church Coalition, and lined up our service agencies in a row together, ready and willing to assist families in crisis. How many service agencies, you ask?
Chiropractic evaluations by Oviedo Family Chiropractic, Vision Quest Bus for eye health screening, vouchers for haircuts, Food Stamp sign up, The Grove Counseling Service, Healthy Start, Tobacco Free Florida, Shepard's HOPE, WIC, Legal Aid, and Whole Foods Market! PHEW! That's not including the Bounce House and games provided by A Leapin' Lizard, Balloon Artists and cinch bags provided by Walt Disney World, Face Painting, crafts for kids, and basket raffles!!
As the children and their families lined up, it was an unbelievable feeling. Emotions were running high - giving to those in need is almost like an addiction! As the families walked through and kids were able to pick out their backpacks and school supplies, there was this quiet ease of relief that you could sense on their parents mind, and excitement for the children - it was Christmas in August! I had an opportunity to walk through with a parent and assist in picking out supplies, along with chatting with other parents and hearing their stories - we hugged and were reminded that, at least in our town, our community sticks together and is there to support each other.
At the end of the day, we were able to serve almost 500 students and their families. Would you like to know what that was like? Take a look at our upcoming events and volunteer opportunities!
Want to help, but don't have the time to volunteer? Make a donation to HOPE, today!
Written by:
Sara Ozim
Administrative/Events Assistant
Hope Helps
www.hopehelps.org
