STAFF REPORT
Their mission was to spread goodness across the community, and on Saturday more than 100 volunteers did just that with hammers, brooms and pressure hoses.
It was the first community clean-up event called The Big
Serve for Fellowship Church, and the efforts spread from High Springs to Alachua.
Fellowship Church and 137 volunteers worked to pressure wash walls and clean gutters at Irby Elementary School while later setting up a garden at High Springs Community School. They painted classrooms, did yard work and repaired homes all while spreading the message of their church, ministry assistant Windy Bridges said.
“We checked with both Irby Elementary and High Springs Community School and asked what some projects were they would like to see done but didn’t have the manpower to do,” Bridges said.
Bridges said volunteers from ages five to 70 worked through the day, decked in T-shirts printed with a bible verse that encourages hard work.
The Big Serve came about from church leaders who wanted to develop ways for the fellowship to help the community outside of church grounds. But Bridges said the church has a history for community service, including an annual nativity reenactment each Christmas.
Bridges said Fellowship Church is planning another cleanup for Oct. 23. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Bridges at 386-454-1700 or visit fellowshiponline.org.