12.07.04

Among the sophomores who participated in the Project Love gift drive were, from left, first row: Sharleen Ashby, Stephanie Wooten and Julie Mages; second row: Catherine Tolbert, Sam James, T.J. Ellis, Beth Pollock and Jeramy Oropeza.

Erskine sophomore class 'shows the love' at Christmas

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Those are the words attributed to Jesus Christ by the Apostle Paul in Acts 20:35 during a meeting with Ephesian elders.

The Erskine College sophomore class is following that scripture this Christmas by donating more than 50 gifts to Project Love, an inner city ministry in Greenwood that is sponsored by North Side Baptist Church.

Beth Pollock of Columbia, president of the sophomore class, said the foundation for this project was established early in the semester.

“We decided one of the things we wanted to do was service,” she said. “T.J. Ellis is chairman of the committee and we wanted to do a service project for Christmas.”

Meanwhile, the groundwork was being laid for a Christmas get-together for Project Love children. Rick Hendricks, Project Love ministry leader who works in the public relations department at Erskine, met with Chaplain Paul Patrick about the possibility of getting students involved in the gift-giving effort.

Pollock approached Hendricks to make plans and the students went to work.

“We’ve been collecting gifts for a Christmas program for Project Love children on Dec. 11 and are shooting for 150,” Hendricks said. “For the Erskine students to come up with one-third of them really speaks to me about how God works and how He connects His people to get His plan carried out.

“Basically all I did was tell Beth what we needed and the students did the rest,” he said.

The students shopped for the gifts, then spent a recent afternoon wrapping them. The gifts will be distributed to children between the ages of 3 and 12 this Saturday at the Project Love Christmas Bash, scheduled for 1-2:30 p.m. at the Emerald Center gymnasium on Phoenix Street in Greenwood.

“We’re not sure how many children will show up, but we average between 80 and 100 every week,” Hendricks said. “While we’ll be giving out gifts and stockings, a group from Grace Community Church will perform for the kids and most importantly, we’ll be teaching them the Christmas story.”

The Project Love gift drive is not all the sophomore class is doing this Christmas. Students contacted Bill May, head of the area Widows’ Watchman Ministries, and arranged to deliver Christmas cards signed by students to 75 widows.

“Our main goal was to get as many people as involved in service as possible,” said Jeramy Oropeza of Newberry, a member of the service committee.

Pollock said the motivation for service actually comes from what others have done for the students. “We have felt fortunate to be adopted by churches,” she said. “They provide for so many of our needs, including money, and we used some of that money to help buy the gifts for Project Love.”

Another factor motivating the students for service is to set a standard on the Erskine campus. “Our main focus has been to set an example,” Oropeza said. “It’s a way to do more and keep giving back to people who are giving to us.”

Ellis, a resident of Donalds, said the group plans to continue that giving spirit after Christmas break. He said Katie Ellis is trying to start an Operation Smile chapter in Due West to help underprivileged foster children.

Pollock said she feels the need to help others because she feels undeserving of the gifts she’s been given, including the education she is receiving at Erskine and, most importantly, the forgiveness of Christ.

“My family has always taught me to give back,” Ellis said. “I think about those who aren’t as fortunate as we are.”

Oropeza said he recognizes the need in the community and that is part of why he became involved in Relay for Life in high school. He’s now co-chairman of Erskine’s Relay for Life effort.

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