Caring and Sharing Service
December is known as the month of giving. And though we endeavour to support our community throughout the year, December is likewise designated as our Caring & Sharing Month. The needs of our borough are numerous but if each one of us reaches out to somebody, we can make a difference in our community.
We (Croydon Seventh Day Adventist Church) produced and distributed hundreds of booklets as a way to encourage our community; those who live or work in Croydon. In the booklet was featured a prayer calendar for the month of December where each day we invited our community to pray or to spare a thought for a particular area or group of individuals.
On the 8th of December, we held our Caring and Sharing service. It is an event that acknowledges the role played by individuals in the community, as well as offer tangible support to those who are less fortunate than ourselves. This year, our main speaker was the Deputy Mayor Cllr Humayun Kabir who delivered a very inspiring speech. He was accompanied by the Deputy Mayoress Rahena Chowdhury Kabir. We were honoured to have both of them in attendance as well as the following: PC Allan Gill, Communities Faiths Liaison; Penny Smith-Orr, Faiths Together Chair; Sharon Kilborne, Community Coordinator and Counter extremism; Jenny Jones, Best Start/ABCD Community Builder – Selhurst & South Norwood; Pauline Powell, Hestia Domestic Violence Accommodation Project Manager; Roger Eatwell, St Christopher’s Hospice Ambassador, and Karlene Loney, Croydon Seventh Day Adventist church Community Services Leader.
All our guests gave us some more valuable insight into the wonderful work that they continue to do in Croydon. Another feature of our Caring and Sharing event is the donation of gifts purchased by our church members to our chosen charities. The festive season can be a lonely and challenging time for many. As such our church seeks to let people know that they are being thought of and we do care by purchasing items such as toiletries, clothing, books, toys for children, etc. This year, two charities were the recipients of hundreds of gifts: Hestia Women’s Refuge and St Christopher’s Hospice. In addition, gifts were offered to our friends who attend our weekly Community kitchen.
This event was punctuated by musical items performed by adults, children, youth, the well-known Croydon Seventh Day Adventist Gospel Choir and Daniel Costin, a talented saxophonist. Our guests were served refreshments and had an opportunity to mingle.
Bringing hope to our community is a privilege but also our responsibility. We plan to continue our endeavour to help foster a more caring, heathier and safer Croydon.
Marline Levy, Croydon Seventh Day Adventist Church 01.02.19