Churches unite for community outreach

NORWALK — Area churches and community organizations will come together on Aug. 8 to provide families with free school supplies, food, haircuts and activities during the annual Love Norwalk event. The community outreach will be hosted from 6-8 p.m. along Main Street in uptown Norwalk. Organizers plan to offer backpacks, toiletries, socks, water bottles, food, games, giveaways and bounce houses at no cost. Children will begin by receiving a backpack before moving through a distribution line where they can collect additional back-to-school and personal care items. Free haircuts will also be available along with hot dogs, drinks, chips, cookies and other refreshments. Some activities will include drawings and a scavenger hunt-style punch card that children can complete by visiting participating booths. Nonprofit groups and other community organizations will also have tables offering information about their services. Vince Cooper, who pastors Oasis Church with his wife, Nicole, said Love Norwalk dates back to about 2010. The event began as an effort to bring local pastors together but has grown into a much larger outreach primarily carried out by church congregations. Cooper estimated that seven to 10 churches participate each year, along with several community organizations. For Cooper, the event is about more than distributing supplies. He said it allows churches from different denominations to work together for the community. "It breaks down denominational lines," Cooper said. "We're all under the umbrella of Love Norwalk rather than our church denominations." Families also may receive a New Testament from the Gideons or request prayer, but Cooper said neither is required to participate or receive supplies. Love Norwalk organizers have avoided duplicating school-supply efforts already being provided through other local programs, instead focusing on backpacks, hygiene products and other items children may need as they prepare to return to school. Cooper said the churches' cooperation demonstrates what can be accomplished when congregations set aside their individual identities and unite under a shared goal. "The most important part is the example we set as we work together for the community," he said.