Readingwith a child Nov. 13, freshman Marie Yates dedicates her free time to working with children in the projects in downtown Little Rock. "One thing I've noticed about the kids that's encouraging to me is that no matter what situation they are in,they find a way to be joyful in it," Yates said. -Courtesy of Jared White Liff e --- Students devote Saturdays to sharing God's love Every Samrday morning at 9:30, a group of students met in the student cemer to carpool to Little Rock, where they spem the day visiting with underprivileged and homeless people in the ciry. Sophomore Zach Long started making the weekly trip with a few friends in the fall of 2005. Originally, the group visited the homeless people under the Broadway Bridge, taking them food and water and spending time getting to know them. Since then, the mission grew [0 include weekly visits with underprivileged children in one Little Rock neighborhood. ------ Long said he began visiti ng the poor and :~~§§homeless in Little Rock as a way of showing = love to people around him. "1was talking about being a true follower of God and I needed [0 start doing it," Long said. "I reaJ ized that there are people around me in Little Rock that I could reach out [0." About 30 to 40 homeless people were usually gathered under the bridge. many ofthem trying to support drug and alcohol habits or other activities. Long said. The students spem time sharing not only fOod, but also enrouragement and _08 people conversation with the people gathered there. The first person Long met under the bridge was Kellino, a man he said had struggled with an addiction to crack cocaine for 19 years and had been homeless for four of them. The two men quickly became friends and prayed together over each other. "It's been the most impactful friendsh ip I've ever had," Long said. With the help ofanother friend, Kelli no was able to quit his cocaine habit cold turkey - an accomplishment that was almost unheard of without the help ofprofessionals or a rehabilitation program. "He saw that I believed in him, and he said that was his main motivation," Long said. The group also began spending time with some inner-city children and made visiting with them a regular part of their Saturdays in Little Rock. In November of 2006, the group hosted a Christmas parry in one of the ciry's projects. There was even a Santa C laus there to visit with the kids. Long and the mher volunteers wrote down each child's information and the gifts he or she requested so they could provide the kids with presents th ey may not have received otherwise. "We had no idea how we'd get the money for this," Long said. "We wen[ through the dorms and asked for spare change [0 buy gifts for kids in the projects and God provided." The volunteers collected $1,450 in two nights and spent about $15 per child. Freshman John Cannaday spent several of his Saturdays in Little Rock visiting with the kids. "These Iitcie kids are juSt awesome," Cannaday said. "They love each ocher so much and wimom inhibition. They show us the same love that mey show each other." Long said he believed he had been called to serve people who are underprivileged. "No matter what your major is, you can use it [0 serve," Long said. "There's a [On of needy people, and we've goc what it takes to help them. I'm trying to challenge everyone [0 live more simply and use what we have [0 glorify God." -Molly Morris
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc5NA==