Ministry Spotlight: LAMBS
Who we are:
LAMBS is a ministry that was created in 2014 at Fincastle Church, led by Dawn Bruce and Kim Graves. It was created to help elementary age school children that have a need for clothing and shoes. LAMBS stands for "Living As My Bible Says."
What we do:
We work with teachers and guidance counselors through various schools and also in the community with people that know about our program. Most of the orders we fill are for LaFollette Elementary School. When teachers see a child in need, they provide us with some basic information. We fill the order as soon as possible and deliver it to their school. Sometimes we are contacted about house fires in our county. We feel blessed to fill these orders as well.
What we send:
With each order we provide 5-7 outfits (new and gently used), new socks and underwear, coat, shoes and a toothbrush. We also send a toboggan and gloves in winter. The emails and texts
that we receive are heartbreaking. We have been told children have no coat, shoes that are taped together, dirty clothes, and clothes that don’t fit. We also have been told about pants that are tied up with string. We don’t share these stories lightly but feel that our church family needs to know how important this ministry is. Since 2014, we have sent 403 orders.
How you can help:
Our ministry is funded by donations from our church family and friends. We also receive a monthly donation from the church general fund. We filled 11 orders in the last week of September, which cost $902.00 after using clothing donations that we already had. The LAMBS room appears to have many clothes but each child has specific sizes and needs. We usually don’t have everything we need to fill the order. We also want to make sure that each child gets some new clothing. We appreciate everyone who has helped by supporting this
ministry. We have a few people that donate monthly, and we are so appreciative! If you have donated, you have made a difference in a child. We are told they wear their new items with smiles! There are several ways that you can help. You can make a donation to the church and write LAMBS on the memo. You can also donate online at the church website. We take cash too! For those who like to go shopping, you can keep an eye out for clearance racks! Any sizes from 4-18 in children’s clothing and coats are needed. Children’s tennis shoes are also needed. We will be making our annual Christmas list for socks and underwear during the month of December.
Our mission is simple; we just want to help families that are struggling with basic needs for their children. God has truly blessed our ministry so that we are able to accomplish that mission.
To donate or get involved, contact Dawn Bruce or Kim Graves.
Fincastle Church
Email: smevans1960@comcast.net
Website: http://fincastlechurch.org/
Location: 629 Old Middlesboro Highway, LaFollette, TN, USA
Phone: (423) 562-6262
Facebook: facebook.com/fincastleunitedmethodistchurch/