Dozens of volunteers braved the cold weather to serve at The Children’s Village at Christian City for “A Day On, Not a Day Off” on MLK Day. A group of employees from Georgia Power joined together with the eighth-grade Transit Group from Woodstock City Church to plant shrubs in the recreation area at The Children’s Village. Julie Thames, co-owner of Flintwood Farms in Fayetteville, volunteered her time to design the landscape plan and manage preparation of the planting area. Another group stocked the food storage facility with a shipment from Midwest Food Bank.
“We are overwhelmed with the show of volunteer support on this important day of the year when we remember the great legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” said Phil Kouns, COO of The Children’s Village. “The volunteer effort today saved thousands of dollars in landscaping labor for our non-profit organization; and the food room is now sufficiently stocked to serve the needs of the children who live at The Children’s Village at Christian City,” said Kouns.
With help from the house parents, children and staff of The Children’s Village, Will Garner, executive director of Midwest Food Bank, and faithful Midwest volunteer Bob Cover unloaded six pallets of food and dry goods for use in the cottages at The Children’s Village. A total of 250 cases of product, including a pallet of frozen food, was delivered to the food storage facility at The Children’s Village on MLK Day.
Midwest Food Bank is a faith-based, non-denominational, non-profit food bank, based in Peachtree City, that provides food and other supplies at no cost to non-profit organizations that are helping people in need. “We are proud to partner with organizations like The Children’s Village at Christian City that are changing lives and making a positive impact on the community,” said Garner. “We are blessed to be able to help people who help people.” Midwest Food Bank routinely provides food to The Children’s Village throughout the year.
To honor the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., 200 employees of Georgia Power’s Metro South area dedicated themselves to “a day on, not a day off” on MLK Day. About three dozen of those volunteers arrived at The Children’s Village at 8 a.m. Monday along with Bill Davenport, Georgia Power’s Metro South Area Manager and member of the Christian City Board of Trustees. Most of the employees brought their children along to teach the value of community service to the next generation.
Group leader of the Georgia Power volunteers, Keron Davis, recalled bringing her children to volunteer alongside her in previous years. “Both of my children are in college now, and they have commented that volunteering has made a positive difference in their lives,” said Davis. “I’ve been volunteering for this MLK Day project for six years. You can see the difference you’re making at Christian City, whether you serve with the seniors in the nursing home or at The Children’s Village.”
The 2016 MLK Day volunteer effort included a group new to the Christian City campus. Richard Kirkwood and Rich McGraw brought the eighth-grade Transit Group from Woodstock City Church in Cherokee County, a partner church of North Point Ministries. The cold weather didn’t seem to bother the boys as they worked together to plant shrubs and spread pine straw in the recreation area under construction at The Children’s Village. “We are thankful for the opportunity to come out with the group to volunteer today. This has been a good experience for our 8th graders,” said Kirkwood.
“We appreciate the faithful community support of Christian City,” said Len Romano, CEO. “Volunteer effort and financial donations sustain us and help us to provide quality care for the youth and senior adults who live on our campus,” Romano said.
Christian City is a non-denominational, non-profit organization established 50 years ago when the first cottage for abused and abandoned children opened on Valentine’s Day in 1965. Today, there are almost 1,000 residents living on the Christian City campus, which has grown to more than 500 acres. The campus now includes The Children’s Village, four subdivisions of patio homes for senior adults, four apartment complexes for seniors on limited incomes, a thrift store, a 200-bed rehabilitation and nursing center, a 200-bed assisted living/personal care home, and two specialty units for victims of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Christian City is located in Union City, just south of Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport. For more information, to donate or volunteer, visit www.christiancity.org or call 770-703-2636.
