Free gasoline courtesy of local churches
(Seguin) – This weekend, local families will be riding around with more than just a free tank of gas. They’ll be riding around with hopefully a new sense of unity. That’s at least the hope for Evangelist Sharrell Kemp of ReachUp Ministries in San Antonio.
ReachUp Ministries on Saturday will be partnering with Sweet Home Baptist Church in Seguin. The congregations will be looking at making a positive impact on the community by filling up the vehicles of local families with a free tank of gas. The gas is geared for those who could use a little help. To qualify for free gas, a child or children must be inside each participating vehicle.
Kemp says a recent trip to Seguin and the partnership with the small Sweet Home
Church community south of Seguin, gave rise to the Summer Gas Giveaway in which motorists can stop by VP Racing Fuel Pic N Pac located at 630 Court St. to receive free gas while supplies last. She says like most growing communities, there can often be a sense of a disconnect between the leadership and residents who live there. She says this weekend is all about helping to better strengthen that relationship.
“The pastor and I was talking one Sunday at Sweet Home and he was saying the historical history of that area Sweet Home, how the school has been there which they are celebrating 100 years this coming month, next month and how the community has changed and how a lot of people don’t know where to turn and who to go to and so my husband and I took a trip there. We just rode around the neighborhood, reminiscing of how we hung out and played around this corner and went to this store — found out this store wasn’t there anymore. So, we happened to stop at this service station, and we ran into the manager and there were some people in the store and I asked them, ‘who is the mayor of Seguin?’ Only one person knew it. That was the manager.
The customers did not know who their mayor was. I was like ‘who is the police chief?’ They did not know,” said Kemp.
Kemp says it was this visit to Seguin that again prompted them to extend this sense of unity and be of service to local families.
“We prayed and we cried out and I saw us coming together in a vision. Seguin coming together with the churches there, sharing all resources and coming together and my husband and I just happened to go up the street and go to McQueeney (Wuest’s/VP headquarters) and asked the owner if we could have a gas giveaway because in San Antonio, a grandmother said, ‘we can get everything to assist us, but no one ever gives us gas to get from one doctor’s appointment to the next.’ So, therefore, it birthed the gas giveaway and the gas giveaway in San Antonio, we’ve been having it for six, seven years so when I went into that store, it just sprung on my husband and myself to bring that to a foundation base so people would know who their leaders are. So, it’s the churches and community coming together,” said Kemp.
What has been most impressive for these churches is the outpouring of support from city of Seguin leaders. Kemp says city leaders, including Mayor Donna Dodgen, will be among those there to help pump gas.
“So, as they are pumping gas, they will meet their mayor. They will meet their fire chief. They will meet the owner of the service station where they will pump gas. They will meet churches and pastors in their neighborhood. They will get information and resources of where they can find help. So, we are coming together in unity to do just that – nurturing a love that lasts and hopefully and prayerfully, the mayor – well she co-chaired all of this. She sat at the table, and she got all the officials together and we worked this out to be able to serve the community and hopefully, this will be an annual event. They put it on the calendar. So, it’s going to be every third Saturday in July,” said Kemp.
In addition to complimentary gasoline, a bouncy house for kids will be set up on the lawn of the Sebastopol House located next door to the gas station. Sparky the Fire Dog, courtesy of the Seguin Fire Department, will also be making a special appearance. First responders will also be on hand showcasing fire trucks and police cruisers.
Event organizers expect to provide gas for approximately 150 vehicles. The Summer Gas Giveaway will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday. Again, to receive free gas, at least one child needs to be in the vehicle during the event.