What the Giving Depot Means to Rise Up For Kids!
Rise Up For Kids is a special place, and you can feel it as soon as you walk through the doors. It is a place of love, growth, and learning. It is a home away from home for many of our children that we work with. We support them in everything they do from crafts, to sports teams they play on, to spelling bees, and even recitals for orchestra or dance. We are there for the small moments and the big moments and we try to celebrate the good things every chance that we get and comfort during the sad or difficult times. We provide a stable environment in which our children can fellowship and develop into the people that they are going to be!
The people that work at Rise Up are dedicated and passionate about our mission. We strive for our children to be relationally successful and prepared for their futures. We do different activities and events to help encourage the servant heart that God has placed in each of them! The Giving Depot is one of these events that helps teach our children what it truly means to be servant minded. Every year it is beautiful to see how excited the children get when they learn that they can give to others. We have already started making lists of who they want to buy for and what they want to get them. The sweet replies these children have given when asked who they want to buy for is priceless. “Granny needs fuzzy slippers because her feet are always cold.”, “My mama needs fancy earrings because she works so hard for our family.”, “I want my sister to have a really nice gift since we always have to share what we have.”, “I want my dad to have a watch so he can wear it to work.”. These precious little ones are constantly observing those around them and notice the small things.
Grace Fellowship gives them the opportunity to give back to those in their life that do so much for them. They get to treat those that work so hard to make ends meet. The dad that works more than one job. The mom who is in college and working in order to fulfill her dreams and work hard for her kids. The grandma that picks up multiple children in order to help out other families. The cousins that are more like siblings than cousins. The parents that coach sports teams in order to give their child a chance to find their passion. Grace is allowing our kids to give back to them. This event makes them feel special because for once they are the ones that get to give and spotlight those that are closest to them. That is priceless. This entire event, made possible by the Grace Family has a lasting impact further than just that day.
Blair Fisher, Rise Up For Kids Giving Depot Coordinator