Heartland Community Church Celebrates Second Annual Community Service Day

They did so by helping out children's organizations in the metro

WEST FARGO, N.D. — Children are the future of our community.

That’s why Heartland Community Church spent the day giving back to charity organizations throughout the metro that support kids in need.

Looking at all the needs throughout the F–M community is what inspired those at Heartland Community Church to do something about it.

“We just felt like we had to do something. There’s so many needs when we look around, especially in children’s areas,” said Ethan Zaun, associate pastor at Heartland.

That’s why they’re giving back to all kinds of children’s organizations for their second annual Community Service Day.

“It’s unfortunate that our community has so many issues and we just want to help in whatever ways we can. I think everything kind of has the ricochet is the wrong word, but the butterfly effect,” Zaun said. “Everything affects something else so I think the smallest thing can do something.”

Those small acts were for groups like the Red River Children’s Advocacy Center, who served over 600 kids in 2017.

“We see kids for varying reasons from sexual abuse but we also see kids who have been victims of physical abuse, witnessed some sort of violence, really any kind of child maltreatment,” said Jill Perez, with the advocacy center. “I find it rewarding to be able to help these brave kids who can come forward and talk about these things, help them be able to heal.”

While some kids in the community need to heal, 85 of them at the foster care agency PATH are on a waiting list, looking for their forever home.

“We need good foster parents, we need foster parents. We have a lot of kids on the waiting list. We’re especially looking for homes that will take teenagers and sibling groups,” said Bill Grommesh, with PATH. “There’s a real need for them right now. I think there’s a lot of people out there who have some interest but they’re reluctant to take that first step.”

With a community that’s only growing, some say now is the time to step up to the plate.

“We’ve got to be on the rise because the more people, the more problems. It’s just the way it is and so we’ve all got to do our part,” Zaun said.

If you’d like to help out any of these organizations, click here and here.