ALDEN REACHES OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AS PART OF THEIR

60 YEARS OF MINISTRY

On December 11, 2004, as one of the final activities of the year held in celebration of their 60 years of ministry, Alden Baptist Church hosted a special event that reached out to the community. During the season of Advent, the true meaning of Christmas was highlighted through the joint efforts of the pastor, J. Willard Cofield, Jr., the deacons, deaconesses, missionaries, church members and the community as they came together to feed and clothe the homeless.

The volunteers who were involved in this effort are committed individuals from all neighborhoods who each did their part to ensure that all had enough to eat. Feeling that sometimes our eyes are not open to the ongoing issue of homelessness, these volunteers realized that a single event of an unexpected job loss, prolonged or serious illness or domestic violence could take one outside of his/her comfort zone and have him/her wearing the shoes of a homeless person.

As part of their outreach to the community, the church donated $250.00 to the Open Pantry to assist in feeding the hungry. They plan to continue their efforts in January, February and March 2005 by opening a pantry in the church to assist those in need that come through their doors.

According to Deacon Earl Willridge, 60^th Anniversary Coordinator, “If each one of us did one good deed to help another each day, we would truly be following our purpose in this life and one day homelessness would no longer exist.” He asks all to consider, “What is your purpose in life – and what are you doing about it?” n