'For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matt. 25:35-36, 40
For this year the Missions Team has decided to change our special holiday giving. For the past several years we have celebrated the 12 Days of Giving, supporting 12 different needs in our community in the first 12 days of December. This year, we will support our community in two different ways.
For the month of November, we will be collecting blankets for Dover Elementary. Dover Elementary School has been a mission of St. Andrew's for over 25 years. If you do not know about this school, it is located in Dover with an enrollment of 626 students; Head Start through fifth grade. The students are from multicultural, transient families who follow the agricultural growing seasons with 98% of these families fall below the poverty level. Many cannot provide basic needs such as clothing, personal hygiene items, shoes, nor a bed or pillow. All month long we will collect blankets for the kids of Dover Elementary. Blankets are often used for beds for these kids. Fleece blankets or throws from Walmart are inexpensive and deeply appreciated.
In December, we will shift our support to two other schools, Springhead and Wilson Elementary schools, both located in Plant City. Both schools serve low-income families who need a lot of extra support. We will be collecting shoes for these kids. During December, we will have a Christmas Tree located in the narthex where you can come and grab a paper ornament which will give you the needed shoe size for either a girl or boy tennis shoes. All shoes can be delivered unwrapped during the month of December.
For both November and December, there will be boxes at the front of the sanctuary to collect your items. These boxes will be out for blankets beginning November 12. We thank you for your willingness to bless the communities around us that need the most support!