Student leads Community Service Project
During the Christmas break, our city experienced some of the coldest days on record with the temps remaining below freezing for over 48 hours straight. While many teenagers probably spent time sleeping in or playing their game console, that wasn’t the case for one of our middle school students.
TRS seventh grade student Julian Erving felt called to help meet the needs of Jackson's unhoused population during his Christmas break. Middle School ELA Teacher, Ms. Shelia Gilliam, recognized Julian's genuine concern and leadership abilities and encouraged him to take action. She helped him create a plan and to present it to the school administration and challenged his peers to join him.
“It’s heartening to see young people like Julian who are led to give back to their communities. Many times, students don’t feel like they are taken seriously enough because of their age, and we want to help equip our young saints with the tools and support they need to do kingdom work.”
According to Ms. Gilliam, Julian took on the role of "CEO" of the project, and she became the "CFO." She challenged him to work at the helm on organizing logistics with the school and classmates while she checked with friends, family, and Jackson business owners on potential monetary and gift donations. Together, they gathered supplies like socks from a retired teacher friend, while Julian's peers donated toiletries like toothbrushes and personal hygiene products. One of the most memorable contributions came from a local grocer, who discounted a generous amount of beef, saltine crackers, and other food items.
“When we were checking out at the register, she told me that once she met Julian, she knew he would take care of things and see everything through. Julian looked up at me and said, ‘Ms. Gilliam, that’s what you call a blessing.’ It was a really meaningful and beautiful moment.”
Julian and Ms. Gilliam thought it was important to package the donations in a way that would be thoughtful of their recipients. On the day of distribution, when temps were in the teens, around 12 students showed up to provide warmth and friendship at Stewpot Opportunity Center and hand out around 60 wrapped shoebox gifts to unhoused community members. The day, and everything leading up to its success, showed the power of student-led ideas, and the impact that can be made when young learners are allowed to take charge and make a difference.
“In our conversations with the men at the facility about their real needs, I remember them mentioning that they like things like ramen noodles that can be heated easily. In the car going home, Julian was already hatching a plan to start collecting ramen noodles for the end of the school year.”
In thinking about TRS' emphasis on student-led discipleship, Ms. Gilliam is reminded of what it says in Luke 12:48 (ESV) - "Everyone to whom much was given, of him, much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.”
“We are all made in God’s image, and at the end of the day, it was really important to everyone that [the students] got to serve [the unhoused], instead of going through a line. We wanted to be able to show what it means to serve and show love to someone.”
