Oklahoma winters can get extremely chilly, and for children who do not have the right clothing they can seem even longer.
That is why The Kirk Church hosts a Winter Essentials drive throughout the month of December at their two church campuses. This month-long clothing drive benefits local elementary children in need.
The church encourages congregation members to shop with their family for new, unworn items including socks, underwear, sweatshirts, sweatpants, hats, gloves, scarves and pajamas.
“It is the season of giving, and our church members have big hearts,” says Dr. Dan Bair, one of The Kirk pastors. “We know that a lot of these kids rarely get new clothing, and that is why we ask our congregation to bring in new, un-open items.”
The Kirk delivered four huge, oversized trash bags to six different elementary schools this past week. The Kirk of the Hills campus is located on 61st Street in between Yale and Harvard. Therefore, schools close in proximity were selected for deliveries – Carnegie, Key, Marshall and Zarrow.
Kirk Crossing, the other Kirk campus, is located in Jenks, but draws a large membership from Glenpool and Sapulpa residents as well. For this reason, the other two schools receiving a delivery were Glenpool Elementary School and Holmes Park Elementary in Sapulpa.
“We know that this time of year can be tough on people, and sometimes they just are not able to budget for winter clothes,” said Bair. “It is our hope to help eliminate that problem. We don’t want to see kids not having the warm clothing they need when they are waiting for the bus, or walking to school.”
Not only did The Kirk members step up in a big way by filling over 20 large bags with clothing, but several spent one afternoon sorting through the clothes and dividing them up for each school.
“We are a missions-oriented church,” said Bair. “We want to help our community and others as much as we can. The overwhelming response from our congregation for this Winter Essentials drive is a testament to that fact.”
Kirk of the Hills is located at 4102 E. 61st St. in Tulsa. Kirk Crossing is located at 11420 S. James Ave. in Jenks. For more information regarding The Kirk, visit thekirk.com.
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Featured Image: Pictured from left to right are Jamie Smith, Kirk Crossing deacon; Emma Smith; local missions coordinator for The Kirk; Micah Barker, Holmes Park counselor; Katherine Stufflebeam, Holmes Park principal; and Jamie Eidschun, Holmes Park assistant principal.
