ELDO CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP TEAM/STUDENT BODY CELEBRATE BIG ON NOVEMBER’S “GIVING TUESDAY”

El Dorado Christian Student Council’s Leadership Team and Sponsor, Mrs. Krystal Wyant set things into motion early in November for the upcoming event known as Giving Tuesday. (the Tuesday after Thanksgiving). The first part of the event; StuCo Leadership Team announced that there would be a school-wide Food & Toy Drive that ECS students could participate in. All non-perishable food items and toys would be donated to Action Missions to assist with “Project Navajo Christmas.” Brother Jim Yates, Founder of Action Missions and Senior Pastor of Freedom Tabernacle Church in Osceola, Missouri, and his wife Alison, were beyond thankful for the 1, 535 food items and 218 toys!! El Dorado Christian students and their families certainly answered the call! Students, Moms, Grandmothers, Uncles, and Dad’s were carrying in sacks full of food and toys! One morning, there were garden wagons filled with groceries; going up and down the ECS hallways! What a sight of Giving! All food items and toys will be delivered by Brother Jim Yates to the Navajo Nation for Christmas. Brother Jim stated that, “…the Navajo children are excited and thankful for everything; many are so humble that they worry about receiving too big a gift…” Upon hearing this, the ECS students were both happy and saddened that children anywhere had a worry of “too big a gift.”

ECS sophomore Breann Reasoner introduced the second part of the “Giving Tuesday” Event; presenting a donation to the Hope Center of El Dorado Springs. “’The Hope Center is a cooperative ministry of the El Dorado Springs Ministerial Association which combines all of our community’s food pantry resources into one effort…’” Board of Director President of The Hope Center, Pastor Chad Daniel was called away at the last moment, so his wife ECS teacher; Mrs. Darla Daniel accepted the donation. Mrs. Daniel thanked El Dorado Christian School and an anonymous pledge donor with tears; “…Thank you; thank you for this wonderful gift…so many people will be blessed by this donation…” (An anonymous donor had made a pledge of $1.00 for every 3 food items and toy!).

ECS Student Council and Sponsor, Mrs. Wyant was extremely thankful for such a huge amount of donated food items and toys! So, to show their thanks, on Giving Tuesday, they awarded Mrs. Bowen’s 1stgrade class, who donated 360 food items and Mrs. Ash’s 3rd grade class for donating 111 toys, each a pizza party. After all the excitement, when exiting the gym after the assembly, a younger ECS student was overheard saying, “Giving Tuesday was cool! I wonder what were gonna give on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday?” Out of the mouth of babes? Thankful for everyday; Thankful for Giving Tuesday.

The Hope Center quote was from https://www.facebook.com/1778362248907257/posts/new-food-pantry-informationthe-hope-center.com. You can find additional information about Brother Jim & Mrs. Yates’ Project Navajo Christmas at http://www.actionmissions.com/. The Hope Center information can be found at https://www.facebook.com/eldohopecenter/.