Over the past 22 years, Corryton Church has given away nearly $1 million dollars of gifts and goods to families in East Tennessee, Virginia and Kentucky.
And the church apparently has no plans of stopping.
This year, the church focused much of its attention on flood victims in Chuckey, including hosting a party at the South Central Elementary School on Dec. 7.
The school chose the “invitees” (who think they’re coming for a meal and a gift). Each family left with a pickup truck (or more) of gifts, and every child received an age-appropriate bicycle.
‘Not forgotten’
Corryton pastor Rocky Ramsey explained that the church “is here to share the love of Jesus.”
“Even though they’ve been through tragic loss, God knows who they are, where they are, and has not forgotten them,” he said.
During the party, Grant Rodgers, pastor of Etc. at Corryton, told attendees that they were going on a two-hour shopping spree with all items being free. The children played games in the gym and shopped for gifts for their parents. The parents moved from “store” to “store” shopping for gifts for their children.
This is the 22nd year that the church has hosted a party, and Ramsey said the event has become the best part of Christmas for many of its members.
The church also provided a “thank you” dinner for a group of Mennonite families who fed flood victims after the flood. The event included singing Christmas carols.
Even more giving
In addition to hosting the Christmas party, the church provided a remodeled home for a single mom, Brandi Bible, who teaches kindergarten and whose home in Newport had been flooded.
Brandi and one of her daughters were rescued from their home by a neighbor in a canoe. Brandi is the niece of the late Trish Roan, who operated Corryton’s Trish’s Diner at the church’s WaFloy Mountain Village retreat center before her death.
The first floor of Brandi’s home was underwater. Brick was torn from her exterior wall, her two HVAC units were destroyed, and everything in the house that wasn’t higher than four feet was lost.
Tennessee Baptist DR volunteers did some major clean up and sprayed what was salvaged for mold. The entire first floor was “gutted.”
Community members and others outside the church heard about the project and donated $22,000. A church in Kentucky that uses WaFloy also donated $6,000 toward new furniture.
Corryton members and their companies made large donations of materials and labor. Other businesses provided siding, a new roof, a solar energy system, a grand fireplace, appliances, two HVAC units and all of the flooring.
Brandi was presented her remodeled home on Dec. 7. The home was was fully furnished (living room, three bedrooms, and a dining area). The kitchen had new cabinets and two bathrooms were fully redone. The home was completely decorated, including a Christmas tree inside and Christmas décor outside.
All the work was completed in less than six weeks. The value of this project was well over $120,000. “Rather than spending this Christmas in someone else’s home, Brandi and her family will be in their own fully remodeled and decorated home,” Ramsey said.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written and originally published by the Baptist and Reflector.
