McCORDSVILLE — Faded or regular jeans?
Vestina Langford wondered what the person she was buying for would like.
She went with a little fade and held up a black shirt.
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“Nice,” said Laura Adams.
Lists in hand, the women pushed their carts on.
They were part of a flock of volunteers from Fortville Christian Church who spent the morning of Dec. 15 shopping for others at the Meijer store in McCordsville.
For years, the church has pursued “Be the Gift” initiatives at Christmastime. Lead pastor Rob Rigsbee has said Jesus came to be the gift and has challenged church members to share that gift.
“It makes my children understand Christmas isn’t about getting,” said Adams, who was accompanied by son Jonathan on the shopping trip. “It’s eye-opening.”
Last year part of Be the Gift involved helping some Fortville Elementary School families with Christmas gifts.
This year, when the United Christmas Service announced it would not serve Hancock County families, people from the church and the school talked about how to help families in need. The church agreed to help not only the Fortville Elementary families in need, but also those in the entire Mt. Vernon district.
Every year the Be the Gift theme is revealed during a service in November. The buzz begins earlier, though, said Erin Flick; as soon as late September, people begin asking her and other organizers about the theme. That unveiling happened earlier in November this year, because they knew more donations would be needed.
Donors took tags in the church lobby with a dollar amount or gift printed on them, agreeing to provide the listed item.
With some of those donations, volunteers went to Meijer with shopping lists for Family A, B, and so on, with information about number of people, clothing sizes, and what they would like to receive. They also had a budget in mind, but one shopper admitted to carrying a little extra cash if it was needed to finish the list.
Barb Borgman was adding up prices on her cellphone’s calculator and trying to choose what the children on her list would truly want to wear.
“They want to be part of their school and look like the other kids,” she said.
A few aisles over, Samantha McCarty was smitten with llama pajamas for a little girl on her group’s list. She was part of a young women’s small group there shopping with their leader, Amy Griffey.
McCarty said Griffey had helped her get involved in the church; McCarty recently decided to be baptized. She said the shopping trip is an expression of changes happening in her life.
“I feel God’s directing me in being a servant … just showing me there’s more to life,” she said. “This is an opportunity to put others before yourself.”
The shoppers were just one wave of volunteers who make Be the Gift happen. There were wrappers, including church members and the Mt. Vernon High School boys basketball team, the next day after services. There were teachers who paid for the privilege of wearing jeans to help add to the donations.
“We’re excited it was more of a community response this year,” Flick said.
There were also the Cub Scouts who meet at the church; they baked cookies to fill tins for food pantry visitors. The visitors were treated to those and other extras during pantry hours on Tuesday — add-ons such as hams, fresh potatoes and bags of oranges.
Some church members took tags that asked them to fill a basket of hygiene items, and these were also given out Tuesday.
“We specifically picked things that aren’t covered by food stamps,” Flick said. “It’s been overwhelming, the response.”
Other tag-takers agreed to visit a shut-in from the congregation. Still others agreed to donate a set amount that would be used for an additional need that arose later. Now, the Carmel-based Ascent 121, which helps survivors of human trafficking, will be able to furnish two offices for new staff members.
Flick said partnerships in the community have been forged over the years through the Christmastime giving, and 2018 has marked the first year the team has been active throughout the year, meeting needs where it can as they become known.
“We’re getting more and more where people know our church has this Be the Gift team,” she said.
