Suffolk News-Herald

The New Mt. Joy Family Worship Center and its &uot;On the Road to Recovery&uot; drug and alcohol outreach ministry recently sponsored an annual Community Day, and this year’s event was extra special since it followed in the wake of Hurricane Isabel.

&uot;We wanted to show our appreciation and bless the members and church family,&uot; said Ronnie Vinson, founder of the Brothers Against Drugs program at the church. &uot;This year, because of the hurricane, we had an opportunity to minister well beyond the ordinary and all the while, everyone had a wonderful time.&uot;

Vinson said the recovery team distributed more than 200 bags of groceries that not only included food, but also hygiene items.

&uot;All that was thanks to Operation Blessing and the ministry of the 700 Club,&uot; said Vinson. &uot;Each time we’ve asked for assistance from Pat Robinson and Operation Blessing, they have so graciously given to help us help the people.&uot;

Vinson said the bags of groceries donated by the church family included fillets of whiting and hamburgers. Those being helped were also able to choose clothing, shoes and household items, with many new clothing items donated by Viola’s Place.

&uot;Staff members of On the Road to Recovery and members of New Mt. Joy served as volunteers to serve free hot dogs, hamburgers, fried fish, baked beans, and cold drinks to everyone who attended,&uot; said Vinson. &uot;They were entertained and uplifted by &uot;Optimistic,&uot; a wonderful young soul stirring musical group and praise was offered through spirit dancing and musical solos. We also enjoyed visiting with a representative of the DARE Unit of the police department who spoke with our youth, and most importantly, Dr. W.P. Wiggins delivered the Word of God to us.&uot;

Those attending the special hurricane recovery day came from across the city of Suffolk and according to Vinson; it was one of the greatest events ever for the church.

&uot;We are grateful to God that we were able to serve and encourage those who were most hard hit by the hurricane,&uot; said Vinson. &uot;Some needed a bag of food or some extra clothing to carry them along and we are very thankful for each and every person who attended. We especially want to thank all those who so graciously gave of their time and resources to make Community Day at Mt. Joy an affair we shall never forget.&uot;

For more information on New Mt. Joy, or On the Road to Recovery, call Brother Ron, as he prefers, at 757-519-5063. He will always respond to callers.