Being responsible for arranging breakfast for 24 ladies at 6:30 on a Sunday Morning can be quite a daunting task. Iโm Dave Hawkins and Chairman of the Benevolence Committee at Hayes Barton Baptist Church (HBBC). I am also a member of The Danielson Sunday School Class which is quite a benevolent group of older church folk. I also serve on HBBCโs Mission Evangelism Council.
All of these facts come together as you begin to see and understand just how โmission orientedโ HBBC is. Each year we select 5 Priority Partners as a part of our 5 Points Vision (quite a coincidence our being located at the 5 Points intersection of the Hayes Barton Community).
One of my most rewarding tasks at church is being involved with those who seem to be less fortunate than myself. Going and doing and then seeing the joy or even the hint of a smile makes my day and starts my week.
As I started working on the breakfast schedule for the Helen Wright Center for Women, I realized that The Danielson Class was responsible for providing breakfast on Christmas morning. Who in the world would want to give up Christmas morning with family and grandchildren and go downtown to provide breakfast? My children are all grown and have families far and wide to visit at Christmas so I decided Jennifer and I were the perfect couple to do Christmas breakfast at Helen Wright.
Little did I know that this would turn into the brightest part of my Christmas. About one month before it was time to serve, I texted (only way to communicate with the younger generation) a granddaughter at Southern Methodist University and a niece working her first job out of school in DC. These two St. Maryโs grads had been involved in community projects throughout school and had both been to Helen Wright with us before. Each responded almost immediately. Kate tells me that Mom and Dad also want to go. Taylor said, โUncle David, if I am in town; I definitely want to go.โ
Thinking further ahead, I told Jennifer that we needed to do something special โ after all, this was going to be Christmas morning. Santa needed to visit The Helen Wright Center! My younger brother Jim is VP of Sales for Gold Toe Hosiery and he gets the call again. Jim comes through with 40 pairs of knee-highs and 40 pairs of regular socks. HBBCโs SONshine in the Park directors, Greg Holmes and Tonya Hill came through with 40 hygiene kits from United Airlines.
When 6:30 AM Christmas morning rolled around, a team of six Hawkins rolled into The Helen Wright Center for Women, playing Santa and serving breakfast. Miss Jennifer had prepared several breakfast casseroles (1 vegetarian) and the others sausage, egg, cheese and bread. To compliment the casseroles, we served fruit and orange juice.
As a further treat โ St. Paulโs Christian Church rolled in with bus passes and McDonaldโs coupons.
At 8:00 AM Christmas morning at The Helen Wright Center the ladies were happy and full. Who do you think was the happiest? THE HAWKINS FAMILY! โ No doubt about it
