The Gilead Friends Church main hall was a beehive of activity during the Christmas Miracles event with a Santa station and gift wrapping.
Courtesy | Gilead Friends Church
Gilead Friends Church (GFC) volunteer Rita Barton said hundreds attended the Christmas Miracles in Morrow County event held Dec. 16.
“We were keeping track at the door of how many were coming in. At 11:30 a.m., we were up to 250, then we got so busy we lost track, and we are estimating there were around 400 who attended,” said Barton, who added the event was “a lot of fun.”
The children really enjoyed the Secret Santa gift area. It was so popular, they had to get more volunteers to do the gift wrapping.
“Our church was really blessed, realizing how much people appreciated everything,” Barton said.
GFC Pastor Wayne Evans described how the church got turned into the “Mount Gilead Mall” with a food court, Santa’s corner, craft center, and stacks and racks of clothing, toys and shoes. He gave credit to Pam Linder, who held the Christmas Miracles event in her own home for many years and taught the church volunteers how to do something for the community they had never done before.
Evans said Linder and volunteers made sure donations were only new or very good quality clothing and toys. The additional space in the church allowed them to have Christmas crafts, a Secret Santa, and a station where children could wrap their gifts for family and friends.
“It was beautiful,” said Evans. “Some shoppers burst with joy at what was available, while others cried when they couldn’t believe they could get things free.”
Both Evans and Barton said the kids had so much fun and enjoyed wrapping a gift for their parents and family. Many people stayed for hours to enjoy every part of the event. They were able to offer Gideons Bibles as well as giving visitors information about their church and church activities.
After days had passed, Evans said volunteers were still basking in the glow of the Christmas Miracles event and what it means to help people at Christmastime who might not have other means of getting gifts or enjoying the season.
“I would like to note that there were many residents in the county and other churches and businesses that made this all possible,” said Evans. “That kind of cooperation may have made another kind of Christmas miracle.”
Alberta Stojkovic is a correspondent for The Morrow County Sentinel.
