Atlantic Gardens/Southern Hills Newsletter: February 2008

It's a new season and a new day — City Gate's youth respond to the cold by having a clothing and hot chocolate giveaway

The young people in the after-school program at the Atlantic Gardens and Southern Hills helped with a community service project to honor Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday. The youth were accompanied by Haymarket Baptist Church, a volunteer group through City Gate's Urban Hands Ministry program. The Urban Hands Ministry is an awesome experience for both the group that comes from a rural area to the inner-city area to do ministry for those in need. Many families and children were blessed by this outreach effort. We look forward to having more events where our youth are able to participate as God has said: "It is more blessed to give than to receive". They were accompanied by our Associate Director Mrs. Kristin Wiener who took a group around in the community and had a prayer walk, knocking on doors and asking people if they wanted prayer. Wow! Great ministry guys keep up the good work. We gave away many clothing items like coats and served hot chocolate. The youth at Atlantic Gardens and Southern Hills are well pleased with themselves after experiencing the opportunity to serve their very own community.

Samaritan Feet Event along with City Gate, Paramount Baptist and St. Thomas More in SE Washington, DC

Samaritan's Feet, an international non-profit making the lives of children better by giving away new shoes, providing fun events, and evangelism, will be in our neighborhood Saturday March 15. The five day event will be centered in our neighborhood, with City Gate serving as the primary partner and Paramount Baptist and St. Thomas More as host sites. Referring to the recent death of the four sisters on 6th street, J Rollins, the DC Mission Coordinator and a Director of the organization said, "That neighborhood in southeast was already full of despair and a feeling of being forgotten and neglected. The tragic event we all saw play out in the news only amplified their feeling of being disenfranchised. We want to go into that neighborhood and lift that community up and let them know that they are loved and not forgotten."

In addition to a hot meal, thousands of pairs of new athletic shoes and socks will be distributed. But the giveaway has a special twist. Before each person is given a clean pair of socks and new shoes, a volunteer washes their feet — similar to the biblical account of John 13:1–17, in which Christ washed his disciples' feet.

(From Samaritan's Feet Press Release)

If you would like more information about City Gate and its programming please give Ms. Newby a call at 202-561-5113/202-361-6573.