TAKE UP - GIVE OUT CHALLENGE 2021 SPOTLIGHTS

 One of our groups chose to Live Love to a group of residents in a nearby assisted living facility. These residents were not only isolated by the pandemic, but they also did not have any family or friends who could reach out to them. To help combat the isolation they were experiencing, the ‘Take Up, Give Out’ group wrote letters to the residents and sent them flowers and sweets. The residents were overjoyed that a group of people was thinking about them and praying for them during this season!

One of our ‘Take Up, Give Out’ groups chose to Live Love to our city’s homeless population. They bought backpacks and filled them up with everyday items that people would need – food, drinks, supplies, and an uplifting note. Participants of the Rest and Restore women’s group were then encouraged to pass them out throughout the city as a way of living out Jesus’ command to help those in need.

This group brought a Share-A-Thon to the Lealman community and the Dream Center. They first asked the congregation to bring in items they were willing to give away – clothing, electronics, household items. The group then sorted the items, packed them into a van, and traveled to the Lealman community to give it all away. People who came that day were shocked to learn that everything was free! This ‘Live Love on the Go’ program was a great reminder of the grace that God freely gives to us.

This group chose to help children in the community with two projects. The first was to raise money for Clothes to Kids, an organization that provides children in need with a week’s worth of clothing free of charge. Overall, they raised $1,540, which will supply a week’s worth of clothing to 30 children in the Tampa Bay area! The second project was to collect donations of school supplies and masks from the congregation for children in need at Gulfport Elementary. These items were delivered and will be used by students in need for many months to come!