Armed with 1,100 bags of groceries, Celebration Church set out on a mission to ensure families in need in the area would have a happy Thanksgiving. More than 150 volunteers of all ages gathered at the church the weekend before Thanksgiving to assemble bags of “all the fixings for a nice Thanksgiving meal,” explains Outreach Pastor Mel Stauber. That Sunday, the church’s “Dream Team” of volunteers grabbed bags after church and delivered them to 1,100 families in Georgetown and Austin, including several local families through the WilCo Juvenile Justice department, Georgetown Fire Department, and WilCo Family Services. “It’s an incredible opportunity to meet the people of the community and let the people of the church get out there and do what they do best—love people,” Pastor Mel says.
Thanksgiving Bags of Celebration began about 13 years ago as a way for the church to take care of families in need. Sometimes the benefits go beyond the holiday, Pastor Mel says. “Some deliveries have turned into follow-up check-ins on the families, who had other needs, like home repair, which volunteers have been more than happy to help with.”
He explains the outreach is part of Celebration’s vision, inspired by Pastors Joe and Lori Champion; “It’s not something we do, it’s who we are. Without [the Champions’] vision for the church and community and wanting to help people, none of this would be possible.”