Bob Strader is talking to me as he walks.
“It’s not full,” Strader says. “We have a lot of great donations, but even though we’ve announced it in Chapel and the truck is sitting there in plain sight, people are like ‘oh I didn’t know that ended today.'”
Strader, director of Ministry and Service, is coordinating the Season of Caring on campus and ACU’s partnership with Love and Care Ministries to help the community.
For 10 days, a truck has been sitting, waiting next to the GATA fountain for donations from students. After Chapel, that truck will be driven to Arrow Ford on South 1st, and the donations will be given to Love and Care Ministries’ Mission Thanksgiving program.
“If people miss the truck, they can still take it to Arrow Ford,” Strader says. “Really it’s a pretty cool experience just to do that. It’s pretty impressive what they do out there.”
When I ask why students should care about this particular ministry, Strader has two reasons.
“First, people really need the stuff we give. They need it. I’m a follower of Jesus, and He tells me to help the needy people. They need it so we do it.”
And second?
“To show we are a part of the Abilene community. To show we’re not outsiders. We’re not just spoiled rich kids on the Hill. We are people who want to in the community. This is a great way to do that.”
Students can also volunteer on Saturday at 8 p.m. to help unload the donations. Volunteers should meet at the Love and Care Ministries’ headquarters.
Simultaneously, Turkeys for Taylor continues – a program dedicated to collecting money to purchase Thanksgiving dinners for 70 families and students at Taylor Elementary.
“We’ll take 25 cents, we’ll take a dollar, we’ll take five dollars, but a turkey dinner costs 70 bucks,” Strader says.
Students can donate money to Turkeys for Taylor’s in the Center for Christian Service and Leadership office in the downstairs of the Campus Center until 5 p.m. on Friday. But Strader calls it a “soft deadline”, and they will take money next week.
“I’m walking around right now picking up money actually,” Strader says. “Some people called and said they had some to give.”
