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Red Wagon Outreach
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Now that summer vacation is here, thousands of young people across America will be anxious to honor the age-old tradition of hanging out. For many communities, this means problems. But, thanks to an innovative program devised by a United Methodist church in one small Ohio town, hanging out just isn’t what it used to be. |
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SCRIPT:
Saturday night in Mount Vernon, Ohio, hasn’t been the same since a couple of little red wagons pulled into town.
Boy on street: “You guys made me nervous when you first came down here because I didn’t know you were with the church. There was just something funny about grown men handing out pop and food to kids.”
It used to be the streets of Mount Vernon were crowded with young people with nowhere to go and nothing to do—until Dorman showed up.
Eli Dorman / Outreach Pastor, Mulberry Street United Methodist Church: “This was just a vision I had for reaching our community about three years ago.”
Dorman’s idea was simple. Using little red wagons loaded with goodies, he and his volunteer corps would walk the streets giving away free drinks and chips.
As relationships formed, something happened. Many of the young people started taking Dorman up on his offer to leave the streets and hang out at his United Methodist church.
Rodney Buchanan / Pastor, Mulberry Street United Methodist Church: “I never dreamed they would come into the church building. For street kids, this was just not something I would have expected.”
Justin Musgrave: “I don’t come here because of the church. I come here because of the people in the church.”
Eli Dorman: “All it takes is the willingness to show that you care and you’re concerned.”
Boy on street: “I just heard about that you guys, like, let people hang out in the church parking lot. That’s probably where I’ll go next Saturday.”
The program has proven so successful Dorman says it won’t be long until he can retire his wagons.
Eli Dorman: “We feel like we’ve done a lot to bring a change in this community simply with an act of kindness.”
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Eli says they don’t push their religious beliefs on anyone, but instead build relationships that hopefully will lead to opportunities to share their faith.