Grace Community Baptist Church gives hospital a LIFT

Living up to their 2011 Resolution to be ‘Others Minded’, the Ladies In Fellowship Together (LIFT), the women’s arm of the Grace Community Baptist Church, reached out to the Pediatric Ward of the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, bearing gifts.{{more}}

On Monday, March 14, close to 20 women of the Kingstown Park church journeyed to the hospital where they handed over linen and toys to hospital officials.

Group Leader Jackelle Kirby, on making the donation to the officials, said that the women intend to embark on three major projects this year, with the first stop being the Pediatric ward of the hospital.

“We are taking the attention off of ourselves and putting it on to others, and it’s just a form of showing that church is not just coming to the building and have worship and fellowship. It’s more to it than that.”

“How we came up with the Pediatric Ward… one of our mothers in the group, her daughter got sick and she came here. From being here and looking around, the Lord just showed us where the need was, so where the need is, that’s where we decide to go.”

Kirby highlighted that the group got together and accumulated altogether 11 sheets, 13 crib sheets and pillow cases, 24 pillows, 24 extra pillow cases, eight new born cot sheets, 13 crib bumpers and toys.

The ladies also brought along a cake for the nurses on the ward.

“We really hope that these will go a long way and make the children a little more comfortable.”

“We just want to give as the Lord provides,” she added.

Speaking at the hand over, Hospital Administrator Cuthbert Knights said that he was very appreciative of the gesture, and that such philanthropic and social acts showed the church in a different light and made the church more visible in the community.

“What you have done here is marvelous, and we hope in the future you would be able to continue such generous acts and hope that others can do it as well.”

“We are most grateful for the donation, and I always say that it’s the thought behind these donations is most important to me…. The need to act and a need to give is an act of love and charity which we are asked to do by our dearly beloved Father and you are putting these things into practice.”

“Your thoughts are manifested into acquiring these things and making the journey here (on a public holiday) to ensure that they are made available to us and for the benefits of our kids.”

Knights noted that donations to the Pediatric Ward are always a special gesture, since it shows that the donors are looking at the country’s future generation.

He said that in a developing country such as St. Vincent and the Grenadines, where hospital officials and nurses are doing their best to supply the needs of the citizens, donations are always welcome, especially in an institution which is very costly to sustain.

Also thanking the women for their gesture was the sister in charge of the ward Malika Williams.

She said that the donation to the ward was an appreciated blessing, which she was certain that not only the nurses and doctors, but also the parents of the children who are cared for on the ward would be glad for.

“We are grateful that you thought of the children. They are very important; they are the future.”

The Ladies at the Grace Community Baptist Church have fellowship together on Mondays at 6:30 pm weekly. (JJ)