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| Heritage UMC member Mark Edwards, left, and Rev. Russell Brown try to get the attention of passing drivers to encourage donations to a clothing drive for Cross-Lines. (photo by Cindy Svec) |
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| A banner in front of Heritage UMC about the clothes collection for Cross-Lines. (photo by Cindy Svec) |
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| Youth prepare to sleep in tents at Heritage UMC during the Camping for Cross-Lines event. (photo by Cindy Svec) |
On June 30, collection boxes were set up in the Heritage parking lot for people to come by and donate new and gently used coats and new hats, underwear, gloves and socks for children and adults.
The donated items would be delivered to Cross-Lines, a Kansas City agency that assists at-risk families, the elderly and single individuals.
However, the event went beyond collecting clothes.
Members of the church were invited to pitch a tent on the church grounds and spend the night there.
More than 60 Heritage members camped on the church’s front lawn.
“Partially, this was a time of fellowship with one another, but the campout served a second purpose as well,” said Rev. Russell Brown.
“It served as a powerful reminder that there is a segment of our population who are not able to move effortlessly from one air-conditioned environment to another the way many of us do. Our comfort is something we easily take for granted.”
There were hot dogs cooked on grills, a speaker from Cross-Lines, music and a family movie shown outside after the sun went down.
“It was a great day,” said event coordinator Cindy Svec. “We collected 94 packages of new underwear, 92 packages of new socks, 68 gently used coats, and 48 new hats to donate to Cross-Lines.”
The next morning, the church had a worship service at 8 a.m. on the front lawn. Most of the campers were up at the break of dawn and had folded up tents and sleeping bags and deflated air mattresses before the worship service began.
A pancake breakfast in the church’s fellowship hall followed and raised additional funds for Cross-Lines.
“There were no injuries, no heat stroke, and lots of good fellowship,” said Svec. “The general consensus seemed to be that we should do something like this every year.”
For more information about Cross-Lines, visit www.Cross-Lines.org.
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| Tents on the front lawn of Heritage UMC in Overland Park during the Camping for Cross-Lines event. (photo by Cindy Svec) | Worship on the front lawn of Heritage UMC concluded the Camping for Cross-Lines event. (photo by Cindy Svec) |
