Rey de Gloria responds to community needs
At the Anabaptist Vision and Discipleship Series the weekend of Feb. 23-24, over 200 persons, including a significant number of Hesston College students, were present to deal with areas of injustice and inequality that we face, some that are clearly obvious and visible, some that are more subtle and even hidden. I could not help but be reminded of the way that one SCC congregation is responding to the needs in their community .
For the past several years, the Rey de Gloria congregation in Brownsville, Texas, has organized a summer daycare program for children whose parent or parents, many of them undocumented, are working at minimum wage (or less) jobs that do not provide enough income to cover childcare service. Members of the congregation, along with whatever other volunteers they can recruit, offer a safe place for such children during the day. They provide food, clothing, access to health care as needed, transportation, recreation and consistent supervision. They raise the funds however they can, including the sale of meals throughout the year. Some years, the Schowalter Foundation has provided grants to help.
Conference leadership has endorsed this service, which will happen again this coming summer, encouraging congregations and individuals to consider providing financial assistance to help relieve the burden being carried by Rey de Gloria. Funds can be channeled through the conference office.
–Bill Zuercher, SCC Ministry Coordinator
Posted on March 7, 2018 in Congregational Stories News Weekly Word