West Point Baptist Church donates shoes to school children | Community Spirit

The following is a press release from the West Point Church in Hattiesburg.

The West Point Church in Hattiesburg is making an impact in the community by giving back to local school children. As the school year gets underway, church members will purchase shoes for every student at Rowan Elementary School. New shoes will be given to parents and students at the Parent Teacher Association meeting at 6 p.m. on Aug. 23 at Rowan Elementary located 500 Martin Luther King Dr.

Church members collected more than $10,000 and will donate more than 430 pairs of shoes to each student at the school. Senior Pastor Marcus Cathey said the effort is part of a partnership with the school. The church has adopted the school and continues to work with administrators, staff and teachers to help and minister when needed.  “I’m so excited about the commitment and partnership we have with this school. We take this partnership serious and we plan to be with the school the whole year,” Cathey said. “We’re making an impact in our community and are making a difference for Jesus.”

Earlier this year, church members gave the library a makeover. Members also showered teachers with love during Teacher Appreciation Week. Rowan Elementary School Principal Michelle Johnson is grateful for the outreach from the church. “It’s been quite exciting to see the involvement and engagement of the West Point Church with our staff and the many opportunities to volunteer and to be of help,” she said.

Shoe sizes and other pertinent information was collected during registration before the school year started. “As we’re registering students here and to say to parents that one of our community sponsors would like to provide shoes for every child here, that’s incredible,” Johnson said. “Our parents have walked away very excited. We’re excited, not just about the tangible things that West Point has provided to us, but the connections of the support, the ideas to strengthen our community and the opportunities for our families as well as our staff body.”