The Donation Center: Loving People During a Crisis
Loving God, Loving People. That’s the mission of Element Church. When the COVID-19 crisis struck the community of Wentzville, Mayor Nick Guccione called Element’s Community Engagement Director, Mary Henderson, to see if we could help.
“Mayor Nick reached out and he was saying that he was looking for someone to partner with because we had space and people to help. What you will hear time and time again from Pastor Erik and Pastor Leo is the most valuable resource we have here at Element is people, so we were able to leverage our space and our people.”
Element Church is a difference-maker in the Wentzville community. On a given weekend, all the campuses together reach over four-thousand people. This is supported by hundreds of volunteers and over sixty full-time and part-time staff. Element Church has the people to make an impact, and what an impact they have made.
The Donation Center volunteers and staff distributing goods to Emmaus House on Wednesday, March 25th.
One of our Donation Center volunteers sorting the numerous canned goods that have been donated.
Since the Donation Center opened on March 18th, several families, individuals, and groups have come together to donate hundreds of canned goods, snacks, diapers, cleaning products, and more. “The goal is to be a central drop site and then distribute on an as needed basis,” says Mary, who is coordinating this effort.
Mary and her team have already been able to share the love with the community in a big way. On Wednesday, March 25th, the Donation Center team got to help distribute some of our donated good to Emmaus House. Through this, we helped around 260 clients with developmental disabilities and the over 600 staff servicing them around the clock.
“All the donations go back into the community,
via Hotline calls, school district, police & fire and community organizations as well as social media responses.”
Mary and her team are also taking extra precautions in this time to limit contact and leave no chance for worry or contamination.
A church member donating diapers and toilet papers, two items that are major needs at the Donation Center.
“We are following recommended precautions, all donation are taken curbside and then sprayed with Lysol before sorting. We are not allowing people inside the collection center for donations or pick ups. We are scheduling pick up times and placing items on a cart outside the door to limit contact.”
This partnership with Mayor Nick and the city of Wentzville has created an amazing opportunity for our community to serve each other. “Aldi was pretty stocked up, so I just grabbed what I could,” said one donor. “I’ve never bought baby diapers before, but I thought they would help.”
Loving our neighbors has never seemed so immediately important. In this time, if you are looking for a simple way to make an impact in our community, Mary has a suggestion:
“Donate items during our collection times. And, If you know someone in need, give them the hotline number! We are answering and supplying most needs within 24 hours.”
Toilet paper has been a hot commodity in this crisis, and is one of the most-needed items at the Donation Center.
There are so many needs in our community that can be remedied simply by looking through your pantry or stopping by the grocery store. “We need cleaning supplies and paper products and toilet paper, of course,” says Kim, who has been volunteering much of her time away from work at the Donation Center.
Currently, the donation center is collecting non-perishable food items such as canned goods and pastas, as well as baby supplies such as diapers and formula. Where there is probably the most need is in paper products such as toilet paper, and cleaning supplies, which are in high demand.
Through the Donation Center, Element Church will reach hundreds of people in this crisis, and we are so grateful for your continued support. This time may seem scary, but as Pastor Erik said, “the decisions we’re making right now in this crisis determine the stories we get to tell to our kids and our grandkids tomorrow.”
“When we take the cross, and we put it into any bitter situation we encounter, ultimately what the enemy meant for harm, everything that was meant to destroy us, God can take it, and He can make what was bitter… [and] make something sweet out of it.”
This time is one that we can use to impact hundreds or even thousands of lives for good. Thank you for donating so then the love of Christ is known through Element Church in our communities today. If you would like to help by donating this week, you can stop by the West end of the Wentzville campus Tuesday through Friday from 10 AM to 6 PM or Saturday from 8 AM to 12 PM. You can also visit elementchurch.com/community today for more details and information on how to donate.