Partygoers fill their plates with desserts provided by New Vision Baptist Church during the Community Christmas Dessert Party. TMP/ J. Philleo
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The Franklin Heights and McFadden Elementary School communities got a sweet taste of the holidays last Friday night, thanks to New Vision Baptist Church.
For the second year in a row, the church threw its Community Christmas Dessert Party at McFadden School, in an effort to bring those communities together.
“It’s the spirit of Christmas we are here to celebrate today,” said outreach associate Michael Davis when speaking to the crowd of about 200 children and adults. “To celebrate the birth of Jesus – that’s why we are here tonight.”
The party was Davis’ idea, and he feels like it is accomplishing its goals.
“I wanted to find a way to bring the community together, not just to address social issues, but so they can get to know one another,” he said. “It’s a lot bigger than what we had last year.”
The inaugural party had about 75 in attendance, he said.
Davis described the party as a community meeting of the minds between the families of the McFadden magnet school, and the surrounding community.
“There’s so much separation, and I just wanted to bring people together to make a difference,” Davis said.
“There are children (in Franklin Heights) who are smart enough to get in here (McFadden),” Davis said. “They just don’t know that. This is a way to open them up to more awareness of the opportunities that exist for them.”
He said the party was not just for the children, but was designed to educate the parents about opportunities available to their children.
“They have no idea that their kids can get in here,” he said.
The church baked up a huge spread of varied desserts, and the party also included face painting, a concert by the McFadden Fourth and Fifth Grade Chorus, a jazz performance by the Lund McVey Group, free family portraits provided by New Vision, and finished up with the distribution of Christmas trees to the community by the Brittany Project.
“I think we created some buzz about community unity,” Davis said. |
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