#LoveDoesTheUnexpected Opportunity Fund Helps the Homeless Community
Last fall, Chase Oaks Church challenged everyone to think big about creative ways to show others how #LoveDoesTheUnexpected. After receiving some incredible ideas of how to love our community, a few were picked, and people received grants to make them happen.
Check out the story of one young girl that used the #LoveDoesTheUnexpected Opportunity Fund to help the homeless community. And she inspired others to help along the way, too.
Video Transcription
Renee Bennett’s Story
I’m on my way to an interview and driving up Legacy and I saw this really giant orange unexpected. The word unexpected. It’s almost like the Lord stopped traffic because I stopped literally in the middle of the street and I took a photo of that unexpected sign.
And mainly because January the first of this year, I literally did a Facebook post saying this would be the year of the unexpected. So of course, it caught me totally off guard, and I just had to take a picture in front of that sign.
And it grabbed me that particular day, and so, I went on to the website and that’s where I saw the initiative, the #LoveDoesTheUnexpected Opportunity Fund. And I thought about my daughter and she had been wanting to do something for the homeless, and so, I submitted the information as if she was submitting it and we got a phone call.
London Bennett’s Story
We were going to my school one day, and I saw people under the bridge. And I saw tents and I saw food and I saw clothes, and it’s kind of like I felt bad for them. And so, I wanted to help them out because I saw my mom like when my clothes get too little, that she would put them in a trash bag and she would give them to the homeless for Christmas.
So, on Saturday, I am bringing my friends and family in to help. And we’re going to be packing the bags, and we’re going to be putting like food, covers, toiletries, and blankets. And we’re also partnering with Ms. Kathy, Mr. David, and Mr. John.
David Billington’s Story
So, this Saturday is packing day. We have 110 backpacks, sleeping bags, jackets, toiletries, clothes, and snacks. It’s a huge list of things. So, we’ll take everything down. We have a location downtown near the Bridge Ministry; it’s a place where our LifeGroup has served homeless before. And we’ll distribute the bags and then take the kids to breakfast and kind of talk about what they’re thinking and what we’ve done.
The Impact on the Homeless Community
Because of their passion and love for the homeless community, 110 people received backpacks filled with sleeping bags, clothing, and Bible devotionals. We would like to thank everyone who made this project happen for showing us how love does the unexpected.