Christmas comes to Hay Court early this year

By WVUA 23 News Reporter Aajene Robinson

Tuscaloosa’s Mind Changers teamed up with Cornerstone Full Gospel Baptist Church, the Tuscaloosa Housing Authority, Benjamin Barnes Branch of the YMCA of Tuscaloosa and other organizations to ensure these Tuscaloosans have a very merry Christmas.

Families living in Hay Court were invited out Sunday afternoon for a free Christmas meal, but the children got an extra surprise: Toys.

Mind Changers founder and CEO Rodney Pelt said they had about 500 toys available at the event, and he’s proud he can bring a little joy to the community.

“Hay Court has been devastated lately with a lot of violence and a lot of issues, so we wanted to bring love through this Christmas season,” Pelt said. “We wanted to let them know we love you, we’re encouraging you and everything is going to be OK. We are going to keep pushing and making it happen.”

With Christmas right around the corner, offering holiday joy is a must, said Cornerstone Full Gospel Baptist Church Pastor Freddie Washington.

“We want to continue to be a blessing to the local community throughout this holiday season,” Washington said. “The struggles that many (residents) are having, it just makes us feel good to be able to provide some support and take care of some of the needs they may have.”

Also lending a hand Sunday? Shelton State Community College’s men’s basketball team.

Head coach Joesph Eatmon said helping the community is a big part of their program.

“One of our core values is service,” Eatmon said. “That’s something we really strive for is serving the community. I think we get just as much of it as the community does.”