Acts 20:35 “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.’ ”
When you are a care center who depends on everything from the kindness and generosity of others, it is not often that your cup runs over. 2 years ago we, as a management team, realized that we were not tithing and we did not feel good about that. Yes, some months are hard and money is not there, but we need to trust God and in His faithfulness. So, we began the community outreach task force. This task force decided to go looking for people in the community who were desperate for help. We have helped with seeds for fields, housing for a special needs child, food for hungry families, and school fees and uniforms for kids who were unable to (or too embarrassed to) attend school.
This year we targeted 18 students from 4 schools who were in great need. Thankfully the schools are able to tell us which children have the most need and then Beautiful Gate chooses 4 to 5 from each school. This year we did something different because we wanted to have a chance to encourage the children. We invited them to come for a little ceremony at BG, and then our task force and PR Officer went to businesses asking for some support for the children. We received burgers, fries, and drinks from Spur and 20 small pizzas from Romans (both local restaurants), and we received 25 hot dogs and buns from our local grocery store, Pick N Pay.
Not only were we able to provide encouragement to the children, but also uniforms for the next year or two and full bellies for the day. The children were so grateful, especially the 4 Secondary (high school) students whose school fees and exam fees were paid. It felt good as an organization to be able to bless those in our community. These children’s lives can go in a new direction because they have a chance for an education.
I did not want to exploit the children by taking pictures, but these children have been wearing uniforms that are so worn, tattered, ripped and hole covered that they have been teased by fellow students. It is a real blessing that we can also restore some of their dignity by allowing them to be just like the other kids at their school. No longer an outcast for being in tattered clothing, but an equal who can learn and grow in their knowledge and also in their confidence.
We give God the glory for taking care of our needs so we can give a little back to our community. Thank you for your support so that we can really continue bringing hope to children and families both in our care and in our surrounding community.
