THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, August 3, 1994 TAG: 9408020141
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Linda McNatt
LENGTH: Long : 116 lines
The Rev. J.A. Taylor was surprised one Sunday morning earlier this year when he walked into his church study and found some new handkerchiefs on his desk.
The gift was accompanied by notes from members of Little Zion Baptist Church's youth group, thanking the minister for all that he does.
He deserves some special thanks, said one youth group director, James Ford. After all, at 79, he's been at Little Zion for nearly 40 years. And since he lives in Chesapeake, he faces a long drive each week to get to the church services in Isle of Wight County.
Ford thinks it was nice of the youths, who call their group JAMM, for ``Jesus and Me Ministry,'' to think of their pastor. But it was more than a thought.
The gift and the notes were just one ``random act of kindness'' the children of Little Zion - from age 2 to 17 - have been performing for most of this year.
Some say the national kindness effort started with a Saturday night television show called ``Crusaders.'' But the children at the local Baptist church say they heard about it first on the ``Oprah Winfrey Show.'' Or rather, one of the adults who works with them heard about it and suggested that the kids participate.
The gift to the minister was their first act. Soon afterward, said Glenn Ford, James' cousin and head JAMM director, the children put flowers and notes on cars during a Sunday morning service.
``The idea is to do something for someone and not look for any recognition,'' Glenn said. ``It should be something unexpected, for no apparent reason.''
Twice, the children have gone through the community their church serves, from Rushmere almost to the packing plants, and picked up trash for residents.
That meant that those residents didn't have to make a trip to the dumpsters that day. It must truly have been an unexpected kindness in a county where there is no door-to-door trash pickup.
The children, accompanied by eight pickup trucks provided by parents and church members, simply went door-to-door, knocked, and explained what they were doing.
``Some people tried to give us donations for the church,'' said Anita Saunders, another youth worker. ``We told them, `No,' but some of them insisted.''
The children had the same problem when they offered a free car wash in the community. They simply set things up at the church and put out a sign. They explained that the service was free, it was simply something they wanted to do for others.
Still, their efforts were often rewarded with more than words of gratitude and praise. Some folks, Saunders said, insisted they accept a donation.
It wasn't necessary, the kids agreed, but those little gifts have helped to fund some of the group's activities this summer. The youngsters have gone skating together, sponsored a free dinner for the church community and had a ``fun'' weekend with movies, dinner and games. Just recently, they camped out on the church grounds.
``We had about 40 kids participating in the campout,'' Glenn said. ``Most of them had never camped out before, so we thought it would be a good idea to start on familiar territory.''
Before the group went camping, their youth directors had two church members familiar with camping talk with the youngsters. They had other church members donate tents and camping equipment. The youth group purchased some more tents, so there were enough to house all the children.
The successful outing at the church - complete with roasted marshmallows, hot dogs, camp songs and breakfast the following morning - will be followed later this summer, before school starts, by a campout at Sleepy Hole Park.
The fact that the kids are grouped together, from the youngest to the oldest, is just one thing that is unique about JAMM. The directors of the group agree that it works fine. The older children look out for the younger ones, and all of them learn.
``They seem to inspire each other,'' Glenn said.
JAMM meets the second and fourth Thursday evenings each month at the church. The meetings are conducted just like any business meeting, with the president, one of the older children, in charge. That way, the Ford cousins agree, even the youngest child is getting familiar with properly conducting meetings.
The business meeting is followed by Bible study, crafts and group activities. That's the only time the youngsters break into age groups.
And every meeting is brought to a conclusion by group members talking about what kind acts they have performed the previous two weeks.
``We tell the kids to say something to make somebody's day bright,'' Glenn said. ``We tell them to do things for others without having to be asked. They each get to tell their own stories on meeting night.''
One teenager, Laura Hall, who had just gotten her learner's permit, announced the night I was there that she had been kind enough to yield to pedestrians at the crosswalk in front of the meat packing plants.
I told her I felt sure her parents and her insurance company were grateful.
Another, Aisha Saunders, said she had reported that an elderly neighbor, who sometimes loses his memory, had walked out of the house while nobody was looking. When she saw him, he was walking down the middle of the road.
She also cut her uncle's grass while he was away, surprising him when he got back. I asked her if she'd like to have my address.
Kenny Hall, 14, said he helped his mom. He went and got the mail. And when the others joked about that act, he commented that it was a long walk.
Even the adults get in on the act. James Ford told about a recent night when he was in Hampton during a rainstorm. A woman waiting at the entrance to a store offered to watch his children while he went and got his truck.
When he accepted the favor, he said, he noticed that the woman had three children with her, so he parked his truck at the curb, where he could watch his own children, got out and watched her children while she went for her car.
The children are told they don't have to spend any money or go far out of their way to be kind. It certainly is a neat idea.
And they promised to let me know the next time they have a free car wash. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Jameson Gibbs, Tobias Greene and Zachary Robinson roast marshmallows
at the campout.
by CNB