Day of Hope event brings resources to Butler County families
Those in need in and around Butler County were connected with resources at a Day of Hope hosted Saturday, July 13, at American Legion Post 778 in Butler Township.
The event provided food, fun and services to Butler County’s at-risk families, and was coordinated by Peter Bess and Natalie Wall of Allison Park Church’s Butler campus.
The event formerly was known as Serve Day, but considering its mission and purpose, the name was changed to Day of Hope.
“We wanted to encapsulate what our goal of the day was,” said Bess, “what it was we wanted to bring to the community.”
He said organizers were very happy with the turnout, given the campaign rally for former President Donald Trump held at the Butler Farm Show grounds on the same day.
There were 125 volunteers and 240 participants who attended the Day of Hope. According to Bess, 80% of the volunteers were from Allison Park Church and 20% were outside individuals who wanted to help the families who attended have an uplifting day.
“I love watching the people who are doing the serving side of things as well as seeing people being served,” Bess said. “It’s uplifting to your soul. I feel it gives you more of a purpose.”
Participants engaged in games at various booths where they could win small prizes, and children received balloon animals or played on an inflatable bounce house.
A free hot lunch was available to all who attended, and all children received new shoes and socks through the church’s collaboration with Convoy of Hope, an organization out of Springfield, Mo., that travels around the U.S. to areas that have experienced disasters or where there are needy children to hand out shoes, shelf-stable food and other items.
Volunteers at Day of Hope could be seen loading cars with food for the families in attendance and those who only accessed the food distribution.
The environment was relaxed and festive, as upbeat music filled the air and dedicated volunteers interacted with the grateful families who were served throughout the day.
Bess said he aspires to grow the Day of Hope to include collaborations with local agencies and organizations so various outreach opportunities are available in one place to make access more convenient for those Day of Hope serves.
Allison Park Church also holds a biweekly food pantry at their Butler campus, which is located in the rear of the Clearview Mall at the site of the former movie theater.
Food is available to those in need from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. every other Wednesday. The next food distribution will take place July 24.
Questions about the food pantry can be emailed to Jimmy Tarpey, worship leader and food pantry coordinator, at jimmyt@allisonparkchurch.com.
