Love The 419
When Calvary Church Assistant Pastor Keith Kurtz mentioned that each year the members of his church ventured into the community to share their time and talents, I was intrigued. Especially when Pastor Keith and eventually service director Leah Lorann, suggested that the school district had been identified as a recipient of members’ annual “Love the 419” week. I will admit now that I underestimated the offer. Perhaps because I just couldn’t comprehend the hundreds of volunteers and what had to have been the thousands of collective hours that were offered to us. From Monday, July 18 through Friday, July 22, hundreds of volunteerskept arriving. Whether they were surprising our football team with treats as they ended practice on a very hot day, managing efforts to freshen the exteriors of our school campuses–Calvary Church members served us. They also served us by assisting with a lot of heavy lifting associated with the reconfiguration of our elementary and intermediate school buildings.
There was no task that we identified that went undone. I have written too many times to count that Springfield Local Schools has in its employ the best staff that exists–period. Yet, as Calvary’svolunteers left on that last day I found myself wondering– how would the work they accomplished in those five dayshave happened without these capable volunteers? The only possible answer was to have a few weeks consisting of 48 hour days added to the calendar–something that is simplynot feasible.
The English language doesn’t have the words we need to thank Pastor Chad Gilligan, Pastor Keith, Leah Lorann and the legions of servants from Calvary for what they provided to our district. I also need to thank Dustin Hamilton and many additional members of our staff who did a lot of advance coordination work, toiled sideby- side with our volunteers, and others who showed up at off hours to catch people in the act of “doing good.” Weare indeed fortunate.
