Submitted by the Minden Presbyterian Church to the Minden Press-Herald for publication.
Early in 2020, the Minden Presbyterian Church launched an effort to spread more “kindness” throughout the community of Minden. A young member of the congregation of the church, Mary Evelyn King, designed a “Be Kind” yard sign, which would be reproduced and sold.
“The Session of the church decided that all money raised by the sales of the signs, along with stickers and license plates, would be returned to the community,” explained church pastor, Rev. Keith Mariott.
However, when the COVID virus struck and schools were released early, the church decided to use the money from the sale of “Be Kind” items to provide free lunches to those in need twice a week.
“After just a few weeks, we discovered that the lunch program was also gaining supporters and contributors,” said Bob Gray, church elder and coordinator of the lunch program. “God is an awesome God, and our projects not only met, but also exceeded, our expectations!”
The church was able to divide up the money raised by the sale of “Be Kind” items among several non-profits in the Minden community. The Northwest Louisiana Pregnancy Care Center, Joe LeBlanc Food Pantry, CASA, Webster Humane Association and the United Christian Assistance Program (UCAP) were the first to receive $500 each from donations to the food program and the sale of “Be Kind” signs. Another $500 will be donated to St. Jude’s during the 2021 Auction.
“We know that this is a time in history when even small donations are needed by non-profits,” said Rev. Mariott. “And our church is a small one. But we made these gifts with big hearts and a big ‘Thank You’ for what these organizations do for our community! Thank you!”
For more information on “Be Kind” visit www.bekindminden.com.
