Parkway UMC Kids Fill the Bookshelves of Harvey Victims
By: Sherri Gragg
The children of Parkway UMC recently donated more than $300.00 worth of books to children impacted by Hurricane Harvey.
Each year, the children’s ministry of Parkway UMC designates their children’s worship offering to meet a missional need. The first offering of 2018 was donated to the “We Love All God’s Children” book fair. The purpose of the book fair is to replace children’s books destroyed by Hurricane Harvey.
The Power of Books
According to Julie Baker-Fink, President of the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation, one of the most powerful ways to increase early childhood literacy is to give at-risk children greater access to reading material. As the children of Parkway UMC donated to the book fair, they participated in Bishop Scott Jones’ “We Love All God’s Children” imitative in a powerful way.
“We always want our gift to go directly to a cause that helps children in need,” said Valerie Throgmorton, Children’s Ministry Leader. Over the years, the children, grades Pre-K – 5th grade have given generously. Over the years, they have supported Lunches of Love and Heifer International. The Harvey book fair is especially close to the children’s hearts. During the Hurricane, their community was under mandatory evacuation due to the risk of the Brazos River levee break. Additionally, one Parkway family, whose home suffered extensive damage, had to be evacuated during the worst of the flooding.
More Books to Come
The children will continue to give weekly throughout the second half of 2018 so that they can purchase more books for kids in need. Throgmorton is hopeful the children’s ministry will be able to make an additional, similar contribution to the Harvey book fair at the end of the year as well. “Our children know firsthand how much Harvey has impacted our communities.”