WS Chronicle

Yes, it is still summer, but the upcoming school year is rapidly approaching.  To give parents one less thing to worry about, Phillips Chapel Missionary Baptist Church held its seventh annual evangelistic outreach event, where they passed out book bags filled with school supplies for the surrounding community.

Marcellette Orange, outreach coordinator, says they prepare all year by collecting donations for the event.  They go by the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools supply list to fill the book bags with the necessary items.

“We go out throughout the year to get the supplies that we need, and this year we were lucky enough to find resources to fill 645 bags,” said Orange.  “So we are going to give those bags out. I don’t do this by myself; I have a team a of people that help coordinate this.”

To make people aware of the outreach, the church goes out into the community to pass out fliers.  To collect the resources, the church collects donations from their members along with community partners.

The church also provided games for the youth, food and fellowship.  Orange stated they didn’t want to just give away backpacks but also to let the community know the church is there for them.

“This is really a blessing to be able to serve the community and help them meet their needs to go back to school,” Orange stated.  “It costs a lot to buy book bags and all the school supplies, so us giving back to the community is why we are here and what we are about.  That is what this whole day is about.”

The parents who attended were very appreciative to Phillips Chapel for its help in preparation for the upcoming school year.  Anglea Williams has brought her two children to the outreach for the past two years and stated it has been a big help.

“This has been a really big help to me and my family,” said Williams.  “As a single mother, it is difficult to provide everything my kids may need for going back to school.  I am sure there are other parents out here just like me who appreciate what the church is doing today.”

The Rev. Chad R. Armstrong, Phillips Chapel senior pastor, has been pastor of the church for the past decade.  He introduced the idea to the church in 2011 and they have been going strong ever since then.

“After the first year, Ms. Orange caught on to the vision and she has taken it on since then and it has evolved in such a great way for us to give back to the community,” said Armstrong.

Armstrong stated the church had humble beginnings at first, helping around 250 to 300 families.  He says the event has continued to grow each year with the efforts of the members and community partners.

“It has grown from year to year and Ms. Orange typically has something new to introduce, so it pushes us to reach a wider audience,” he said.

Food Lion, Walmart, Harris Teeter and others have all donated funds and supplies to the event. 

Armstrong says it’s a lot of work to put the event together, but it is all worth it once he is able to see the smiles on the kids faces once they receive their book bags.