By Sarrah Peters
News Editor
This last week, several out-of-town churches have been on a mission to
improve the Gadsden area. While here, the volunteers from Hepzibah
Baptist Church, Indian Lake Baptist Church and Fairview Church of God
worked with Breakaway Ministries, which aims to provide Gadsden with
services it needs.
According to its Facebook page, “Breakaway Ministries is based in
Gadsden and was founded in 1990 with nothing more than a burning
desire to demonstrate the love of God by proclaiming the truths found
in the word of God.”
The ministry aims to show God’s love through actions. Breakaway
Ministries helps run two transition homes, one for men and one for
women.
While here, volunteers gave Gadsden Convention Hall a fresh coat of
paint and pressure washed the sidewalks and outer walls that had been
stained over time. Volunteers also helped build a wall in a transition
home, held Backyard Bible clubs, volunteered with the seniors at
McGuffey Healthcare and Rehab First and assisted those in need with
home repair projects.
This is the fifth year Breakaway Ministries has hosted this volunteer
week with out of town churches. The volunteers work from 8:45 a.m.
until 3 p.m. with a lunch break. After spending the day working, the
volunteers attend The Cornerstone Church for worship in the evenings.
Last year, volunteers helped clean the old Boys Club, where Breakaway
Ministries’ Eddie Nichols was director in 1976 until 1981. The old
Boys Club is now the future Dream Center, which Nichols plans to use
for children’s after-school programs with a Christian message. The
point is to bring together intercity missions under one roof and bring
churches together to run the facility.
“Everything we do there is going to be centered around the word of
God,”said Nichols.
However, the Dream Center is in need of repairs. Breakaway Ministries
has raised $30,000 but is still $20,000 short of the $50,000 needed to
complete the project.