Volunteers kick off Love Out Loud

Between 60 and 70 volunteers gathered Monday morning at the Neshoba County Baptist Center to kick off a week-long Love Out Loud celebration of giving back to the community and sharing the love of God.

Love Out Loud, in its second year of helping Neshoba County organizations and groups, began at 8 a.m. Monday with locals and out-of-towners gathering for a warm breakfast while listening to morning devotion by speaker Jon Martin, director of the Mississippi Baptist Convention’s Men’s Ministry. 

After the morning gathering volunteers broke into groups to go into the community to do service projects in keeping with the Bible verse Jeremiah 29:7, which is the theme for this week’s Love Out Loud, “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile and pray to the Lord on its behalf: for in its welfare, you will have welfare.”

One of the goals of Love Out Loud is to work with other ministries and organizations in the county to assist them in any way they can during this weeklong event, organizers said. 

The Rev. Dan Howard, pastor of First Baptist Church of Philadelphia, said the organization still needs more volunteers to help at the public library, BeeHive Homes of Philadelphia, Center for Pregnancy Choice and other organizations and programs. 

Those who want to volunteer for Love Out Loud can go to the Neshoba Baptist Center at 903 Valley View Drive, Philadelphia, starting at 8 a.m. any day this week through Friday, June 25.

Love Out Loud begins each day at 8 a.m. with registration and then volunteers can sign up for a particular job to help the community while enjoying a warm breakfast. After signing up, the Baptist center holds a short worship service, and then ministers and team leaders direct volunteers on where to begin their community projects. 

Tyler Jordan, a second-year volunteer for Love Out Loud, drove from Hattiesburg to participate in this week’s event. On Monday, Jordan signed up to work at the free carwash that includes a drive-through prayer. Jordan said he loves doing mission work and helping the community as much as he can. 

“It doesn't cost anything to give,” Jordan said. 

First-year volunteers Emma Taylor and Wendy Windham chose Monday as their day to help the Neshoba County Library get ready for the Summer Reading Program for children. 

Registration is free, and in the morning time breakfast is served free. The ministers over the different programs will also be handing out water to those who are volunteering and helping.