Lawrence County projects
All Saints partners with St. Paul Lutheran Church in Ironton on several projects to benefit Ohio's southernmost county. The Appalachian county, of which Ironton serves as the county seat, reports that about a quarter of families with children fall below the federal poverty line.
“Tools for Schools” 2008 will be a centerpiece of a community festival set for Aug. 2, on the streets of downtown Ironton. In the midst of carnival games and rides sponsored by Ironton churches, volunteers from All Saints and St. Paul (Ironton) Lutheran Church will distribute backpacks and school supplies to 2,000 children from preschool through high school. All attending will enjoy free hot dogs, chips, soda pop and desserts.
You can help
- Donate supplies through July 30
- Organize your office, neighborhood or social group to donate
- Help with sorting and packing
- Go to the giveaway
- Bake cookies for the giveaway
What is needed?
- Backpacks
- School supplies. Click here for a list of needed items.
- Cash donations to purchase supplies
The church will provide e-mail notification of area school supply sales.
If you would like to help, contact All Saints to be put in touch with project Coordinator Susan Eakin.
Pastor Mike Poole accepts new call
All Saints’ partner in ministry Pastor Mike Poole will leave St. Paul Lutheran Church in Ironton July 15 to accept a call to Messiah Lutheran Church in Urbana.
Pastor Poole has served St. Paul, his first call, for four years. During that time he has led his congregation boldly and championed our partnership to serve those in need in Lawrence County through “Christmas with Dignity” and “Tools for Schools.” Pastor Poole will be installed as pastor at Messiah at 10:45 a.m. July 27.
The Rev. Callon W. Holloway Jr., bishop of the Southern Ohio Synod, and the Rev. John Tickner, assistant to the bishop, will work with the St. Paul Congregation Council during this time of transition. All Saints will continue its partnership with the congregation.
Christmas with Dignity
All Saints will again join with St. Paul Lutheran Church in Ironton to bring the spirit of Jesus to this economically depressed Appalachian community with our annual Holiday Gift Giveaway.
The Christmas with Dignity Holiday Gift Giveaway is offered for the needy families of Ironton and the surrounding area, many of whom would otherwise not be able to give or receive presents during the holiday season.
All Saints again responded to Christmas with Dignity with tremendous generosity in 2007. We were able to send 2,638 gifts to Ironton through direct donation of gifts, contributions of nearly $3,450 and a Thrivent grant of $1,600.
A few changes in program operations, such as pre-event registration, made this year’s giveaway smoother and offered more dignity to recipients, and 22 All Saints volunteers made the trip to Ironton on Dec. 8. Among them was All Saints Jubilate Chorus Director Pam Spade, who also provided Christmas music at the event. Many more volunteers baked cookies, helped to sort and pack gifts, promoted the event, loaded the truck and drove it to Ironton. In her first year as coordinator, Diana Miller did an outstanding job.
Many of the recipients had tears in their eyes and were generous with hugs of thanks to the volunteers who assisted them. Coming together as people who all need God’s love and experiencing that love through one another is the most powerful and important result of this program.
Local news coverage of the event included the following:
Christmas with Dignity provides gifts for needy
By Teresa Moore
The Ironton Tribune
Monday, Dec. 10, 2007Volunteers at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church did not open the doors to the annual Christmas with Dignity until 10 a.m., but that didn’t stop people from lining up at the church doors long before then and by 9 a.m.— an hour before the event began— there was a line that extended a third of the way down the block.
In the line were people who would find donated toys and other gifts they could take home and wrap for family members, a little help with the holidays for those in need.
“This is a really good program for people who don’t have any money,” Jennifer Dalton said as she waited in line. “And this year is a lot better than the last time I was here, year before last. I was here from 4 a.m. until noon, standing in line in the cold.”
She planned to pick up presents for six kids, aged 2-19.As Dalton and others waited outside, volunteers inside were getting tables of unwrapped items ready.
Don Bauer was with a group of parishioners who came from All Saints Lutheran Church in Columbus, bringing a truckload of donated items. All Saints and fellow Christians from Resurrection Lutheran Church in Hilliard co-sponsor the event each year with the local church. He said while he wants those in need to have a Merry Christmas, he is also keen that they come to know the real meaning of the holiday.
“It’s fun. And while it’s good to have that material gift I do want them to think about what the season is all about, Jesus. And if a material gift helps spread the gospel, we’re happy,” Bauer said.
St. Paul’s pastor, the Rev. Mike Poole, said 1,300 people pre-registered this year. The pre-registration was instituted to make the process simpler and eliminate people standing in long lines for hours in anticipation of the event. Last year some people began lining up long before midnight the evening before the giveaway and waited all night in the cold.
While the participants selected gifts, a group of Ironton High School music students played Christmas songs and other volunteers offered refreshments. Still others offered gift-wrapping.
About the region: Lawrence County has been a focus of All Saints’ community service programs for four years. A high countywide poverty rate (22 percent, 2,420 individuals, 1,190 younger than 18) and a lack of local resources led Lutheran Social Services to suggest that our congregation work with St. Paul Lutheran to address some of the county’s unmet needs.
