On Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, this writer had the distinct pleasure of attending and being honored at the Love in Action Outreach Ministries’ Partner Appreciation Gathering held at First United Methodist Church in Lawrenceville, Ga., a suburb north of Atlanta, and hosted by its faithful founder and president Bobbi Pack. Themed “The Drought is Over, The Harvest is Here,” the dinner and gala honored community leaders, pastors and volunteers who’ve supported LAOM’s House of Joy, a program that serves at risk and homeless individuals and families in Gwinnett County, Ga. and surrounding areas.
Glory and Honor Radio Show on-air personality G-Wade served as the evening’s emcee. Guests were also blessed to hear Evangelist Sineta Anderson who delivered a sermonette fit for the evening, “The Harvest is plenty, but the Laborers are few,” culled from the Biblical scripture Luke 10:2.
Sergeant Janeane Schmidt, a Salvation Army corps officer, shared some startling statistics regarding the homeless epidemic that plagues mainly the city of Atlanta proper, as well as DeKalb and Fulton counties, stating that at least head count, there were more than 6,000 homeless men, women and children in the three aforementioned regions. It further confirmed there’s a dire need to provide transitional housing and shelter in neighboring Gwinnett County.
After receiving our box of chocolates, heartwarming Champions of Faith Award and corresponding Plaque that drew me to tears later in the evening, the honorees joined together in song reciting Teddy Pendergrass’ “Wake Up Everybody,” which starts like this:
Wake up everybody, no more sleepin’ in bed
No more backward thinkin’ time for thinkin’ ahead
The world has changed so very much from what it used to be
So there is so much hatred war an’ poverty.
For more information and to make donations, please visit www.houseofjoynorcross.org.
