Pastor Keith Walton
Journey Community Church - Sherwood
Pastor Keith Walton of Journey Community Church - Sherwood is on a mission to feed the homeless. “I noticed there were people living under the Windsor Spring underpass. I would then drive to church and go into my comfortable building. It didn’t sit right with me,” says Pastor Keith. “Every second Wednesday of the month we open our campus for the community to get food and clothes,” says Pastor Keith Walton. “We serve people slightly above the poverty level, right on the poverty level, and slightly below,” says Pastor Keith.
Karen Strite
Upside of Downs
“We are a Down syndrome support group to encourage families and provide links to helpful resources that can be found in the area,” explains Karen Strite, the organization’s president. “We have social events and provide scholarships for individuals with Down syndrome for education and for participation in programs like Steps of Grace Ballet. Additionally, we are trying to bring Gigi’s Playhouse to the area and would love the community’s support in doing so.”
On October 22nd, Upside of Downs will hold its annual fundraiser, the Buddy Walk, at Evans Towne Center Park. For more information on participating in the walk and for other helpful resources, visit www.upsideofdownsinc.com and follow Upside of Downs – Augusta, GA on Facebook.
Officer Payne, Board of Education School District Police
Blue Ridge Elementary School
We would like to say thank you to Officer Payne who protects our children at Blue Ridge Elementary School! A typical day for Officer Payne involves greeting students, checking the building to make sure all doors and windows are locked, and making sure everything is safe at school. “We are there to support our administration and for safety. I’ve been at Blue Ridge Elementary for four years and I absolutely love it. Those babies are like my babies. They know they can come to us for anything they need and that we are here for them,” says Officer Payne.
Thank you Officer Payne for your dedicated work and keeping our children safe!
Pam Lien
Knitting For Others
“We knit baby hats for University hospital,” says Pam. The Knitting for others group has been meeting for fifteen years and has made thousands of hats for newborns. Pam drops off the hats every few months. “We take anywhere from 100 to 150. The nurses get so excited when they come in,” says Pam. “We also make teeny tiny little hats for Resurrection Lutheran Church. They make tiny hats, dresses, and blankets for babies who have passed,” says Pam. The ladies of Knitting for Others meet at the Fury’s Ferry Goodwill every Thursday from 10am to 2pm.