LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) - Compassionate Ministries of Lima and volunteers were prepared to serve over 700 meals at their annual Easter dinner for the community.
Sunday was about giving back to the community, providing a warm meal, and being together to celebrate the holiday.
If you ask a child, Easter is all about eggs, candy, and the Easter Bunny — and for some, it’s about celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. For Compassionate Ministries of Lima and volunteers, Sunday was about giving back to the community, providing a warm meal, and being together to celebrate the holiday.
"I can't think of a better way to celebrate Easter than to just be here as a church together. Actually, there are people from so many different churches that have come together today that are just handing out food and just blessing our community in Jesus name," said Jonathan Burkey, executive director with Compassionate Ministries of Lima.
"I've had seasons in my life, seasons of what I would call suffering. So it's such a pleasure and honor for me to be able to give back to those who maybe are going through some tougher seasons in their life as well. Especially at the holiday times I know it can be lonely, so this is kind of a way of giving back to an extended family, if you will," said Kelly Baeza, volunteer.
For the 60-plus volunteers who gave up some of their Easter to help serve meals, they were more than happy to do so.
There are many people who might not have had a place to be or someone to celebrate this holiday with for different reasons. For the 60-plus volunteers who gave up some of their Easter to help serve meals, they were more than happy to do so.
"For me, personally, I recognize that I have been given so much, and so many of us in the community have been given so much, and there are some incredibly generous donors who have made this happen today, the Tom o family activate Allen County, there are people from our town that just want to share the love or just share the generosity that's been shared with them, the blessing, if you will. And so really, this is kind of about, about paying forward that which God has given to us, you know, really in trust or in good stewardship," said Burkey.
"Yeah, it makes me feel great, honestly. I mean, the fact that somebody may not have something to eat, may not have something to drink, that's something that we can take for granted, and to be able to be that, that the help for them in that time of need. It's just, it's an amazing feeling," said Jonas Fields, volunteer.
"I have two adopted Haitian brothers, and they're both here serving. My younger sister, she's biological, and she's she's here serving, and it's kind of like this family bond thing we're doing. It's a real joy, especially to see the boys, they moved here a little less than a year ago, and now to see them give back to the community already. It's pretty impressive to see that, and it's pretty inspiring," said AJ Schafer, volunteer.
From Compassionate Ministries of Lima, the volunteers, and those who celebrated the holiday with this dinner — the spirit of Easter was alive in every smile, every conversation, and every meal.
