Southside Baptist Church members joined last Sunday in a ribbon cutting and dedication for a new playground at Southside Baptist
The new fenced playground gives children a safe place to play, with room for future expansion.
It was about 10 years ago when some of the church’s membership began work to start a four and five-year-old preschool to serve families in the Southside area.
Michelle Myrick was the first director of the preschool, and later Carol Amos took over that position. The staff of the preschool and the preschool board soon realized the need for a daycare facility.
The church had constructed a new children’s building that gave the preschool the rooms needed to expand into a full-fledged daycare.
Southside Baptist Pastor Matt Wethington thanked those who served on the daycare staff for their dedication to the preschool ministry during the Sunday service.
Children’s Minister Alan Broome said several church members worked many hours to prepare the area and install playground equipment.
“And we’ve all eaten donuts for about five years,” Broome said, referring to a popular fundraiser that helped raise money for the playground. Many others made donations and helped in other ways, Broome said.
Current preschool director Delores Harrell said the children love the new playground.
“We use it everyday,” she said.
After church services on Sunday, church members and the preschool staff gathered for a ribbon cutting. Harrell, Amos and staffer Amy Beddingfield cut ribbons at the gate for the playground, and a number of the church’s children got the chance to break in the playground equipment.