Dec. 13 - 19, 2013
Reaching out to those who call the streets their home With no outside funding, volunteer says ‘everyone just chips in and does what they can, and God makes the rest happen’ by ANNETTE JOYCE Sally Randall didn’t set out to start a special ministry. With some of her fellow church members from Center City Church in downtown Greensboro, this Summerfield resident was simply walking the streets, talking and praying with people. Then one July night last year, she and a friend, Mary Beth Lovette of Greensboro, met a homeless man who excitedly shared the news that he had gotten a job. After the two women prayed for him, the man asked if they would pray
for three of his friends who were also homeless. The four men shared that they were hungry and had nowhere to go on Monday nights. During the other nights of the week, various churches and organizations provided meals, but there was nothing on Mondays. Randall went to McDonald’s, bought the men food and told them that she and Lovette would be back the following week. Much to the men’s surprise, the two women returned not only the following week as they had promised, but they kept coming back. In the beginning, Randall and Lovette took turns cooking a little extra
food when they prepared dinner for their families, then they packed it up and took it to their new friends.
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As news of the women’s generosity spread, it developed into a ministry that has grown greatly over the past year. Known as Re4Him (reform), the group now serves between 80 to 100 hungry people every Monday night. Early on, Randall and Lovette were joined by Mary and Kevin Miller of Oak Ridge and Debbie Marino of Summerfield. The number of volunteers has since risen to almost 30.
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Photo by Patti Stokes/NWO
Dec. 5 was an emotional night for Councilman/Mayor Pro Tem Roger Howerton, as he was recognized for 15 years of service on the town council, over 50 years of volunteering with the Oak Ridge Fire Department, his service to Central Baptist Church in Oak Ridge and northwest-area schools. Superior Court Judge Stuart Albright (left) joins others in applauding Howerton as Howerton’s wife, Donree, and Mayor Ray Combs (right) congratulate him on receiving Oak Ridge’s Lifetime Community Service award and the Order of the Long Leaf Pine award, which is one of the governor’s most prestigious awards bestowed on a North Carolina citizen. Howerton joins the ranks of other famed Long Leaf Pine award recipients, including Maya Angelou, Michael Jordan, Bob Timberlake and Rev. Billy Graham.
File photo
It’s that time of year! Don’t miss the annual Stokesdale Holiday Parade this Saturday, Dec. 14, at 2 p.m. in downtown Stokesdale. See article and more details on page 17.
News in brief.................................. 3 Your Questions .............................. 4 Oak Ridge Town Council ............. 7 Around Town ............................... 10 Bits & Pieces ................................ 11 High School Sports ..................... 14 Student Profiles ........................... 15 Deck the halls! ............................ 16 Business Notes ............................ 18 Letters/Opinions ........................ 19 NWO On The Go! ........................ 20 Crime/Incident Report ............... 21 Community Calendar................ 22 Grins & Gripes ............................. 25 Classifieds ................................... 27 Index of Advertisers ................... 31