Past Projects
For Anderson County Award
This project encouraged and honored those that do good and serve others in our community. Often times, people and organizations serve and do good and no one ever hears about it. We called it the FOR Anderson County award to give to organizations and people that were doing good FOR Anderson County. We gave out 12 total awards.
Canterfield Assisted Living
This project served assisted living residents at Canterfield in Oak Ridge by sending monthly cards and small gifts on special holidays and birthdays.
School coffee cart
At Claxton Elementary, one of our Ridgers put together a "coffee cart" with coffee and creamers for teachers and staff that went around on Wednesdays as a way to "warm up during the winter blues"! It was a huge success! Teachers loved it!
Snowman Hunt
Another school project, this staff member hid snowmen around the school and as staff found them, they could bring them to her for a "special prize" coffee mug! "I had them bring the snowmen to me so I could personally tell them how appreciated they are and give them their prize. It was a wonderful few days for our school."
Teacher appreciation Fun
At one local school, a Ridger did a teacher appreciation holiday party! There was food, prizes and lots of fun games! "We had an absolutely wonderful time yesterday celebrating with our staff. I had so many people say that it was just what they needed. I talked to yet another teacher about our amazing church and invited her to join us Eve Eve. God is moving here."
The thankful tree
"We did the Thankful Tree bulletin board and watched it get filled with thanks for our teachers. It truly brought a smile to everyone’s face. We took the leaves down and gave them to the teachers that they were written to along with a a rice crispy treat"
Thanksgiving meals
"For the past several years we have provided full Thanksgiving meals for families in the Oak Ridge area. This year was different- because we provided meals for the most families we have ever done. Plus gift cards with enough money to purchase a turkey, a gallon of milk, 2 dozen eggs and butter!"
Family resource center drive
Through one of our local schools, we were able to use Dollar Club funds to kickstart a drive put together to help provide a local school in Anderson County with enough hygiene products to source all hygiene needs for the year at that school!
hair treatment ministry
A need that often gets overlooked at local schools in economically depressed areas is the care for students who have gotten lice. It can be a big problem for school administrators to deal with. One Ridger did something about it. "The hair ministry is set! We purchased a giant bottle of lice treatment. We also purchased 900 hair ties, 6 special hair brushes, 72 combs, and 24 regular bushes and enough sanitizer to last 2 or 3 years. Thanks for your support on this one!"
Blessing bags for Torch
The Ridge Church Homeschool Group put together 25 bags filled with essential items to drop off at a local non-profit called TORCH to help minister to the homeless during the winter months!
Cards of encouragement
For the month of August, the Ridge Church Homeschool Group wrote 50 encouraging cards to give to children who were in extended care at the Knoxville Children's Hospital. Students loved writing words of encouragement and bible verses!
Dollar Club Reverse Offering
As a church, we decided to flip the script and instead of collecting a Dollar Club offering, we gave away the Dollar Club to each attender and asked them to either multiply it and use it to serve someone or to give it away fully to serve someone in need. Check out this testimony from someone who received a $100 envelope to use!
Sacred Ground Hospice
For this project and group of Ridgers did a beautification project for Sacred Ground Hospice House. One Ridger said, "They have a large area of landscaping that still needs to be done on the front of their building. They have a lot of visitors and would love a peaceful and beautifully landscaped area for their guests to enjoy. It will be a beautiful place for guests to feel at peace and ease as they experience the end stage of life with a loved one." They were also able to place painted rocks on the grounds full of encouraging words! "I want the rocks to have positive messages on them so they can feel peace and hope."
Christmas trees for Children's hospital
"Our older American Heritage girls came over on Saturday to decorate the tiny trees for the Children’s Hospital. These trees get placed in patients rooms. The Dollar Club bought the four trees and lights along with the teddy bears to decorate one of the trees."
Pajamas for isaiah house
This Dollar Club:Go project helped fund flannel pajamas for children going into foster care through the Isaiah House ministry. "Children in foster care will receive a new pair of pajamas. Many of them come to Isaiah House with only the clothes on their backs."
Handicap vehicle fundraiser
This Dollar Club:Go project was about helping a family in need raise funds to purchase a handicap accessible vehicle. Several Ridgers pitched in. "All money raised will go to the families so that the can put the money towards a handicap accessible vehicle. These vehicles are significantly more expensive than regular vehicles so this will help both families out tremendously. One family has 2 children that are in wheel chairs so this will help and make it easier with being able to transport the boys. We will use funds to make t-shirts we can sell and concessions to sell at a basketball fundraiser game."
Neighborhood welcome dinner
For this project, some Ridge families hosted a dinner party every 3 months in their neighborhood for new people moving into the neighborhood. It was a good way to meet new people in their immediate area and build relationships to open up conversations about Christ and invite them to church. "Our hope is to build relationships with new people moving here. We will also volunteer ourselves to help them with questions, concerns , childcare when needed., and to be a contact person at the school for their children because many people moving in, have no family here."
