Local Church Gives Back to the Community

COLTON>> With Christmas around the corner, the community is invited to attend “Community in Unity” on Saturday, Dec. 17 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Veterans Park, located at 290 E O St. in Colton, CA 92324. The free event is open to the public and will consist of free meals, medical services, activities for children, resources for the community and raffle drawings. Pastor John Braxton from Church of Fire in Christ in Grand Terrace and his wife, Kathy Braxton, established the outreach in 2014. The church will also be holding their first annual Toy Giveaway during the event in which children from ages 0-12 can receive toys and clothes. The Loma Linda School of Psychology will also be present to do face painting for the children. Braxton said more than 20 vendors will be present including Salon Success, who will be giving away free haircuts and makeovers. Hygiene kits for homeless will also be given away which consists of a backpack filled with water, flashlight, a blanket and toiletries. “It’s something that God has put on our heart,” Braxton said. “Back in the day, I used to be a bad boy but God had touched my heart. We just want to be a blessing to the people, love on the people and give them different resources and avenues, and to let them know that they can make it. I’m a testimony of where I came from to where I’m at today.” Free meals will be provided including mashed potatoes and gravy, grilled chicken, mixed vegetables, stuffing, rolls, desserts and more. Bags of groceries will also be available to take home. “It’s like the Bible says; it’s better to give than receive,” Braxton said. The event will allow those who need to be seen for general medical needs to meet with one of the available physicians or registered nurses to get prescriptions and medicine. For any immigrants living in the area, legal counsel will be available to help with and legal documents. Braxton said families with family members that have been deported can get more information to help their family. Representatives from Operation SafeHouse will also be present at the event to help be a resource for runaway teens to get them off the street and get them plugged back in with their families or to learn about any other resources that are available to them. Three live praise and worship bands will perform at the event on Saturday including Nation of Salvation from Church of Fire in Christ; the Beating Heart band from Crossroads Ministry; and a bilingual band from Redlands known as Fountain of Life. Participants can also enjoy a free raffle for a gift items including a 32-inch flat screen TV, Butterball turkey and more. The Community in Unity events will resume in the 4th week of April and then every fourth Saturday of the month at Veterans Park. For those interested in attending a service at Church of Fire in Christ in Grand Terrace, service times include: bible study at 10 a.m on Tuesday, prayer at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, bible study at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Spanish service at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, men’s service at 7 p.m. on Thursday and English service at 10 a.m. and Spanish service at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Church of Fire in Christ is located at 12354 Mount Vernon Avenue in Grand Terrace.