It started with six men looking to help
In 2015, six men were gathered around a campfire talking about what it would actually look like to help the hurting people around them. Since Archie Baker is from the poverty-stricken town of Whitesburg, Kentucky, and has a heart for his hometown, the men thought this small city in Southeast Kentucky would be a good place to start.
Christmas wasn’t too far around the corner, so we started there. Every child deserves a Christmas full of laughter and love, and we wanted to partner with parents to help make sure that happened. Long story short, God opened doors in the local school system and connected us with a group of caring women who have been serving in the shadows for years. They had a greater knowledge of families’ circumstances than we could ever have due to them building relationships with hundreds of families in need. Through this partnership, we provided a Christmas for 128 children by giving their parents clothes and toys to put under the tree for their children.
Next, we learned about a food pantry that helps children in need through the school system. We were able to load 6,000 food items in a truck and some trailers to provide meals for hungry children. Shortly after, we were connected with an annual event called The Back to School Bash. On our first trip, we gave away over 300 backpacks full of school supplies. We’ve been making these same two trips, Back to School Bash and Christmas, for the past few years and have seen God do more with our small dream and availability than we could have ever imagined.
Loving others doesn’t need to be complicated or something to only talk about. We’ve always said, “Just listen to God and load the truck.” Listening and acting is all it takes to help our hurting neighbors.