Christmas ministry makes sure local families don’t go without during holiday

By JOE MAY | The Southern Standard

For the past 11 years, a local ministry has been working to insure that local families in need are provided for at Christmas.

Debbie Files, who manages Lighthouse Ministries, located at 905 Highway 67 in Arkadelphia, as a ministry of the Red River Baptist Association, said the nonprofit group has operated a Christmas store of sorts for the past decade-plus. For the past four years the ministry has grown to the extent the holiday giveaway has been housed at First Baptist Church. 

Known simply by the volunteers as the “Christmas project,” the annual effort assists those in the area who qualify for help after completing paperwork.

Files spoke with the newspaper as the effort wrapped up its last day and noted that this year, the ministry has been able to help 96 families. Breaking that down, she said that includes 177 adults and 328 children.

Files explained that the parents or guardians come to the store to shop for their children and can get one new toy per child as well as select from numerous other gently used items, ranging from toys to stocking stuffers as well as books, games, movies, crafts or other gifts. Clothing and accessories are also available as are Christmas decorations and household items. Each family is given a food box containing a ham and other essentials for a holiday meal.

During the year, the ministry takes donations of new and used toys as well as financial contributions that are used to buy additional new toys and food for the meal boxes. The CONE Foundation of Arkadelphia provides an annual grant to assist in the purchase of food box items.

For the past 22 years, Lighthouse has maintained a small thrift store, Files said, explaining that not many people were aware of it until the Covid pandemic hit in 2020 and the Beehive had to stop taking donations for a period of time. It was then that the public became more aware of the ministry, she commented.

The ministry also gives away — at last count — 560 suits of cloths each month and operates a food pantry that is open Monday through Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays are a special food giveaway through Walmart and the Arkansas Foodbank retail program. 

Those wanting to come on Thursdays should plan to arrive by at least 10 a.m. because the food is usually gone within 30 minutes, Files said.

The thrift store is the main income source for the ministry, with the support coming from some local churches and individual contributions.

Files said the Lighthouse is always seeking volunteers for not only the Christmas project but also for the thrift store and other ministries.

For more information, contact Files at 870-246-9524.