The First Baptist Griffin community presented Dr. Randall Peters, the Chair of the Griffin-Spalding Military Affairs Committee, with a check in the amount of $50,000 during the Sunday worship service on April 23. This money was donated over a six-week period around Christmas as part of First Baptist’s “Advent Conspiracy” initiative. “We challenged our congregation to step off the merry-go-round of consumerism this year and find ways to celebrate the season with an emphasis on generosity and service. Our congregation stepped up beyond what we had imagined.” These funds will help fund the development of a homeless shelter for Griffin-area veterans. According to Dr. Peters, “At any given time, as many as 130 veterans in the Griffin region are homeless. We can do better than that.” These individuals will have access to shelter, which would provide them a mailing address where they can receive veterans benefits they have rightfully earned, find spiritual and emotional support, and access job training. Several other community agencies are actively participating in the project, including the Salvation Army and Southern Crescent Technical College. Dr. Peters adds, “I am overwhelmed by the generosity of our congregation at First Baptist. This gift will allow us to move forward much quicker with this project.”
