Skip to content
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
The Baptist Paper
The Baptist Paper
  • SBC 2025
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your state news
  • Classifieds
  • SBC 2025
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your state news
  • Classifieds

New bicycles, toys lift spirits of children in Kentucky towns leveled by tornadoes

  • January 6, 2022
  • Georgia's The Christian Index
  • Alabama, Disaster Relief, Georgia, Kentucky, Latest News, New Mexico
Georgia Baptists purchased new bicycles for children in Kentucky where a tornado outbreak last month devastated whole communities.
(Courtesy of The Christian Index)

New bicycles, toys lift spirits of children in Kentucky towns leveled by tornadoes

Churches in north Georgia knew exactly what children in Kentucky communities leveled by tornadoes needed to lift their spirits — new bikes and toys.

In an inspiring show of generosity, Georgia churches and others donated more than $80,000 for children who survived the deadly outbreak of tornadoes that leveled entire communities in Kentucky last month, killing 77 people.

Jamie Callaway, pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Bowman, Ga., said local residents were heartbroken for the families who lost everything in the tornadoes and decided to do something especially for the children whose lives were turned upside down.

Beyond expectations

With so many organizations focusing on providing basic needs like food, water and shelter, Ricky Thrasher, head of Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief, said it’s important that the children aren’t overlooked. Thrasher said the show of love by the Georgia churches and businesses could provide the kind of boost children need.

Callaway posted a call for donations on Facebook. The response was beyond his expectations.

“In nine days, the Lord provided almost $84,000,” he said. “We wound up providing gifts to 230 kids. They got boxes of toys, new bicycles and gift cards.”

Faith Baptist Church has become known for such outreaches to families impacted by natural disasters, whether hurricanes, tornadoes or floods. In just the past few months, the church’s crisis response team has deployed to several locations, including other parts of Georgia and Alabama after tornados in March.

Last month, they delivered firewood to residents of a Navajo reservation in New Mexico. That firewood was from trees knocked down by a tornado in Coweta County. The crisis team’s chainsaw crews had removed the fallen trees from homes and sawed them into firewood.

In Kentucky, the Georgia Baptists partnered with Macedonia Baptist Church in Kuttawa, population 650, to get the gifts to children. Macedonia Pastor Bryan Grigg handled arrangements for a distribution center where families could pick up their gifts.

Callaway noted, “To see the Lord work all this out was just absolutely amazing. It was something.”

Faith Baptist Church hauled the bikes of every size and style, plus plastic storage bins filled with all kinds of toys, in a caravan of six trucks and trailers filled with more than 200 bicycles that had been purchased from Walmart stores across north Georgia.

“We would have 20 to 30 people shopping for the kids every evening,” Callaway said.

Children under 14 received the bikes. Teens over 14 received gift cards to purchase what they wanted.

“Our community, through churches, individuals and businesses, came through in an unbelievable way,” Callaway said.


EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Roger Alford and first published by the Christian Index, news service of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board.

Share with others:

Facebook
X/Twitter
LinkedIn
Email
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

Latest News

  • Pew report shows Catholicism’s roots, challenges in American life
    Pew report shows Catholicism’s roots, challenges in American life
    June 17, 2025/
    0 Comments
  • Supreme Court to hear case involving pregnancy center, free speech
    Supreme Court to hear case involving pregnancy center, free speech
    June 17, 2025/
    0 Comments
  • GCR Task Force files unsealed, available for review
    GCR Task Force files unsealed, available for review
    June 16, 2025/
    0 Comments

Sign up for the Highlights

Get all latest content delivered to your email a few times a month.
Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

Related Posts

Pew report shows Catholicism’s roots, challenges in American life

While reporting relatively low levels of attendance at Mass, almost half of U.S. adults (47%) say they have a personal or family relationship to Catholicism, a new Pew Research Center survey finds. 

Supreme Court to hear case involving pregnancy center, free speech

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear First Choice Women’s Resource Centers v. Platkin. The case spotlights a New Jersey faith-based pregnancy center fighting a state subpoena it says infringes on its First Amendment rights.

GCR Task Force files unsealed, available for review

The audio files from the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force’s 10 months of work in 2009 and 2010 were sealed for 15 years, the agreed-upon time by the group. The collection is housed in the Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives and consists of 57 compact discs and very few paper documents.

Christian falsely charged with blasphemy in Pakistan is acquitted

A judge in Pakistan on June 12 acquitted a Christian of blasphemy and terrorism charges after the prosecution failed to prove its case against him,

Want to receive news highlights throughout the week? Sign up here!

Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

About

  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us
  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us

Explore

  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos

Submissions

  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy
  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy

Subscribe

  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
The Baptist Paper
Address:
3310 Independence Dr.
Birmingham, AL 35209
Copyright © 2025 TAB Media Group
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ

Email:
news@thebaptistpaper.org

About

  • Our Team
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Donate
  • Photo Galleries
  • Contact us
  • Hosted Church
  • Our Team
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Donate
  • Photo Galleries
  • Contact us
  • Hosted Church

Explore

  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your State News
  • Persecuted Church
  • Editorials
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Archive
  • Submit your news
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your State News
  • Persecuted Church
  • Editorials
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Archive
  • Submit your news

Subscribe

  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate

Log Out?

Lost your password?

Log In

Lost your password?

Log in

Become a part of our community!
Forgot your password? Get help
Privacy/Terms of Use

Reset password

Recover your password
A password reset link will be e-mailed to you.
Privacy/Terms of Use
Back to
Login
×
Close Panel