Our Redeemer, Irving - Service of Blessing - Back-to-School Event

From Mandy Geltemeyer, Our Redeemer, Irving:

It's a new school year! Summer has drawn to a close and students are preparing for the familiar sounds of school bells, morning announcements, and catching up with friends on their first day back to class! For some, a new school year means new clothes, new school supplies, new classes, new experiences and new beginnings. What should be an exciting experience for all can be overshadowed by the financial strains a new school year can bring to families.

Volunteers at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Irving, Texas teamed with local merchants to help families in our community prepare their children for the first day back to class. One hundred and ninety-two of our neighborhood children were equipped with free school supplies. These gifts have hopefully enable our young friends to focus on a solid start and will aid in the success of their education for the 2005 school year.

The "Service of Blessing" event continues to grow from previous years. Ninety percent majority of the recipients, who ranged from early childhood to high school, were not members of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church. Anna Symank, coordinator of this project and a long-time member of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, said "the church is interested in reaching out to the community, especially to those who want to better themselves through education but might need a little assistance to do so".

Our Redeemer believes in giving to its community while sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Prior to the distribution of school supplies, a special blessing was given to each child, and the Gospel of Christ was shared by Pastor(s) Michael McFarland and Bob Gonzalez.

An estimated 25 to 30 volunteers from ORLC distributed the school supplies on August 21st immediately following the Service of Blessing. The school supplies included paper, pens, pencils, crayons, markers, folders, erasers, pencil boxes, and much more.

Connecting with the community has been a focus of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church for some time. Susan Gonzalez, coordinator of our booming ESL program (English as a Second Language) continues to feel the impact of the annual "Service of Blessing" project. This community service project is impacting families participating in the ESL program while also assisting in creating awareness of the program to our surrounding neighborhoods.

Our Redeemer Lutheran Church is committed to following up with our school supply recipients throughout the year. Contacting the families and children to learn of their successes and triumphs the school year has brought them will be a great joy for all who participated! Making a difference in the lives of our neighbors and friends is truly a blessing to Our Redeemer Lutheran Church.

Our Redeemer Lutheran Church is located at 2505 W. Northgate, Irving, TX.

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