Two months out
A Largo, Fla., student (inset) has his blood pressure checked during the annual Health and Safety Fair at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church.
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A spirited kick-start to a new year
t’s amazing what Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Largo, Fla., can do in four hours. “It’s only four hours of a Saturday in August, but for some it is their favorite day of the year,” said Joe Glymph, pastor. On that day the church helps families in the community prepare for a new school year. Glymph said it’s “a blessing of the Spirit for those who receive and those who are serving.”
When members began the Health and Safety Fair 12 years ago, their aim was to provide free school physicals and back-to-school sup- plies. There were also a few displays from local service providers. In the beginning the most challenging element was finding doctors to do the physicals. “In the first year we had only one physician who did 27 physicals,” said Jane Cocoran, parish nurse. Last year eight physicians gave 112 physicals. And one or two called to ask if they could take part. More than 1,200 attended last year’s fair, with these additional sta- tistics painting a picture of an action-packed campus: • 90 dental exams; • 72 haircuts; • 500 received school supplies, packets, backpacks, etc.; • 2 to 3 books given to each child; • 37 community agencies shared information; • 3 translators were on hand for those whose primary language is not English; • 15 people gave blood; • 24 families were counseled by Pinellas County Schools regarding school assignments; • 105 Prince of Peace members gave of their time. Physicals take place in the classrooms and church office, and the parish hall is filled to capacity with community organizations.
“We want families to see any services that may be a help for their children,” said Faye Belskey, coordinator of the church’s disciple- ship ministries, who has been part of the fair since the beginning. Among those groups and causes represented are boys and girls clubs and scouts, drug awareness information, resources for clothing and food needs, martial arts instruction, dance studios, fingerprinting and emergency contact information. A task force begins planning in January. Law enforcement and firefighters are invited. Canine officers have also brought their four- legged partners to demonstrate skills. Face painting, finger casting and a clown
add extra fun. And there are plenty of healthy snacks for the crowd. One year a few children even went home with new bikes. Member Tim Riley has been part of the fair for years. “It’s the small miracles,” he said, telling about the year when doctors dis- covered a child was blind in one eye and the parents didn’t realize it. He also talks about a mother who returns year after year with her six children. Organizers say the witness of the congre- gation providing for the community’s needs is what inspires them. “Truly, the Spirit has been at work!” Glymph said.
For more information contact Belskey at faye@poplargo.
Good one! Goody bags
Like other groups, the women at Holy
Trinity Lutheran Church, North Augusta, S.C., gather weekly to make quilts. But once a month they also make “goody bags” for women with cancer. The Lydia project was founded 10 years ago and is headquartered in Georgia (
www.thelydiaproject.org). Because of volunteers like those at Holy Trinity, women and their families receive handcrafted tote bags that include handwritten notes of encouragement.
Send congregational stories—both those for a specific month/holiday or your best timeless idea—to
julie.sevig@
thelutheran.org. June 2013 41
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