An outreach ministry of Locus Benedictus Retreat and Outreach Center is hosting a Christmas party for children with special needs on Saturday.
The party is organized by the Special Blessings of the Delta ministry, said Charlotte Dale, who has helped organize the annual party for several years.
The party will be held at the center from 9 to 11:15 a.m.
“It’s just a wonderful thing to give joy to these children,” she said.
To assist with the setup on Wednesday were cheerleaders from Leflore Legacy Academy.
“We do a lot of these service projects around the community,” said Markita Smith, the school’s scholar support coordinator. “And plus, being a new group, trying to get out and show our faces and help and do as much as possible. They were excited to come out and do this service project.”
The idea for student assistance came from Christina Meriwether, the Leflore County 4-H coordinator for Mississippi State University Extension Service.
“I just called around to the schools to see if I could get some kids to come volunteer to do the decorating and stuff like that,” Meriwether said. “Whatever (Dale) needed to get done. A lot of these schools require kids to do community service hours, so I’m trying to bridge that gap.”
Smith said that the service hours are not a requirement for her students but that they are encouraged to get involved.
Dale told the students that the party is a way to bring children with special needs together every year for a variety of development and engagement reasons.
The students helped with decorating the center’s Christmas tree, hanging up stockings and wrapping the decorative presents to go under the tree.
The ages of the attendees range from 3 years old to over 20.
“We just try to enrich their day with our event,” Dale said.
- Contact Kevin Edwards at 662-581-7233 or kedwards@gwcommonwealth.com.
