Turner Chapel to Host Back-to-School Block Party

Turner Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church will host a back-to-school block party on Saturday, July 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The block party, at 492 North Marietta Parkway, is hosted by the church’s Evangelism and Generation Activated with a Purpose (G.A.P) Youth Ministries. The event will feature free food, games, community resources and various giveaways for kids and their families.

While the church has hosted back-to-school events in the past, parishioner Tiara Crumby said this year they wanted to expand to involve more of the community.

Crumby added the church especially wanted to incorporate the surrounding neighborhood of Roosevelt Circle.

“We wanted to really be a part of their neighborhood, invite them and let them know that we love them and we’re here for them,” Crumby said. “We want to share our resources and be the best neighbor we can.”

In the past, the event has typically been hosted by the youth ministry, according to Rev. Daisy Barnum, core value leader for Love Our Neighbor Ministry at Turner Chapel.

“This is the first time the Evangelism Ministry is joining and coming together to be more efficient and to have a greater impact on the community,” Barnum said.

While Barnum said part of their mission as a church is to evangelize to the community, the main goal is to provide young attendees with the supplies they need for school.

She said that there are many people in the surrounding community who are food insecure and living below the poverty line.

“It is our responsibility as a church that sits within the community to do as Christ tells us to, which is lift up the downtrodden, the brokenhearted, to help this community,” Barnum said. “Our goal, as a church with a lot of resources, is to make sure the community is aware that they have help.”

To do so, the church will be giving away free food as well as free backpacks and school supplies. Free raffle tickets will also be given away at the event when attendees come in and register, said Crumby.

Raffle prizes include bicycles, two sets of four Atlanta Braves tickets and gift cards for things like food and gas.

In addition to giveaways on a first-come, first-served basis, the event aims to educate the community more about free resources available to them. Representatives from Cobb and Douglas Public Health will be available to help individuals sign up for the Georgia Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program, which provides monthly food benefits to low-income women, infants and children up to age 5.

There will be additional resources from MUST Ministries, voter registration and The Marcus Mission Center, a food and clothing pantry located in Marietta.

“We should be one of the stops they make in looking for assistance, because if we can’t provide it as a church, we can direct you on how to get it, and we can, in most times, help to expedite the process,” Barnum said.

Barnum also hopes the kids will have fun with games like tug of war, sack bag racing, water balloons and dunk your pastor.

“We just want to make this really fun, really inviting and… we just want to make sure that we are doing our part in taking care of our community, and that they look to us as a resource,” Crumby said.

Barnum and Crumby ask that attendees register beforehand so the church can prepare enough food and have backpacks and supplies for all children.

To register for the event, visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1eVpfcLV-Z0TYXeK7NSf61BTyi9lE-Eg_mYLgZjeVEtI/viewform?edit_requested=true. For additional information about events hosted by Turner Chapel, visit https://www.turnerchapelame.org/.