'Big Give' for Students Draws Large Crowd

Ever since becoming part of the Dixon Community Jeff and Jamie Myers have always found a way to help local school children whose families have fallen on hard times.

The Myers, along with an army of 50-75 volunteers from , held the fourth annual “Big Give” at Sunday afternoon.

Children who attended the event were given a free backpack loaded with school supplies for the upcoming 2010-2011 school year, as well as free medical checks for scoliosis, free immunizations and pizza from Papa John’s.

“It’s to help families that are short on cash, and help them make ends meet with school starting up,” event organizer Jaime Myers said.

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Every child that attended the event got a ticket for a free backpack. Myers said that grade school and junior high/high school backpacks were available depending on the age of the children which needed them.

All attendees were given food tickets for snacks also. Paul Mitchell Salon in Sacramento had its students give free haircuts to kids in attendance. The cosmetology students were able to record hours towards their graduation.

In all, the church spent about $4,000 on school supplies with generous support from local business who donated to the event.

Originally from the Midwest, the Myers moved out to Dixon in 2008. Prior to that, current Dixon Living Hope Church Pastor Jeff was a youth pastor in the Bay Area for six years before moving back to the heartland. It didn’t take long for Jeff to realize he missed California too much and jumped at chance to move back when Living Hope said there was an opening available in Dixon.

While back home, Jeff saw that a church in Missouri did something similar to the “Big Give.”  The Myers’ eventually realized something like that in Dixon would click.

“We just thought something like that could really work in Dixon,” Jeff said. “We gave it a try and it really was a hit.”

Jamie said that the need for an event like this in Dixon was evident when they first arrived in town.

“We thought it was a need that the community had,” she said. “No one else was fulfilling it, and it was something our church could fulfill.”

Jeff said that the Big Give has grown every year it’s been held, and that trend appears to continue, as he said there appeared to be more people this year than ever before. The couple estimated 500-600 kids would be served by the end of the day.

“We do it just because we want to share the love of Christ and we just think that it’s a real practical way that we can help the community, and let them know there is a church and a God in town that cares about them,” Jeff said.