One of the definitions of benevolence is the love of mankind.  In Matthew 22:39 Jesus says to “love your neighbor as yourself.”  Our church family holds firm to this command from Jesus.  As a congregation we support many benevolence programs that help our neighbors.

College Avenue provides monthly support to Southern Christian Home in Morrilton as well as Children’s Homes of Paragould.  In addition to the regular support provided, our members participate yearly in the “Change for Children” project to raise money for Children’s Homes and we also provide Christmas presents to the children there each December.  We recently began a “children’s offering” during worship to benefit the Southern Children’s Home. Opportunities to contribute food, money, and other items needed by Southern Christian Home are also provided.  Recently, several thousand dollars was sent to Morrilton to help buy an air conditioner for their facilities.

College Avenue was a beacon of light as we helped evacuees from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the months following those terrible disasters. Thousands of dollars were given by members to provide food and necessities to these people.  Our members prepared and served hundreds of meals each day as the American Red Cross used our facilities.

Our Tuesday morning Ladies class is involved in supporting our missionaries. School supplies, as well as money, are sent to Leslie Klein in Porto Alegre, Brazil.  Money is collected from the ladies and sent to Romania to pay for milk.  Imogene McAnulty works with eight orphanages in Romania.  She distributes the milk money for these babies in need.

Our congregation supports many other projects throughout the year.  In November we have a coat drive for the children in the El Dorado school district.  Over $1,000 was given last year for this event.  We deliver Thanksgiving meals to families in the community.  College Avenue participates with other congregations in town during the “Apostle Build” for Habitat for Humanity. We supply both food for workers and “man-power” for this yearly event.  Our members also filled a container with many items that was sent to Nicaragua.  We collected eyeglasses for the people in Mexico. We also fully support a young orphan from India.  Our youth support two young boys through the Compassion International  program.

We are busy doing the Lord’s work in our community around us as well as abroad.  College Avenue is obeying the Lord’s command to “love your neighbor.”  We strive daily to be a shining light for Him to all those with whom we come in contact.

-Cara Jobe

Updates added October 2006:

-  College Avenue was in partnership with many surrounding churches in collecting school supplies, backpacks, and clothing for the El Dorado children.  Over 600 kids were served the weekend of August 19. 

-  For the past 10 weeks College Avenue members have been asked to bring small items to fill shoeboxes to send to the children in Nicaragua for Christmas.  Almost 200 boxes were wrapped and filled by the Ladies ministry.  These boxes will be shipped from Judsonia, Arkansas soon to be in Nicaragua for the Christmas season.