Editor, The board of directors of Seven Ministries of Liberty County Inc. would like to thank the community for coming out in support of our back-to-school rally. The event was held Saturday, Aug. 2, at Rebecca’s Place on Rebecca Street in Hinesville, and a crowd of more than 300 showed up. School supplies were given out, and food and fun were the orders of the day.
An undertaking like this only can be made possible through the generosity of family and friends. We would like to thank Hinesville Mayor Pro Tem Charles Frasier and his wife, Shirley, for their donation of school supplies. Thanks to Ernest Davis of Guardians in Action for setting up a booth and issuing school supplies to hundreds of students. Thanks to local businessman Clay Sikes, Liberty County Commissioner Eddie Walden and his wife, Kathy, for their support. Also, thanks to my co-workers from CH2M HILL. Thanks to our local Walmart store for its support. Special thanks to Dr. S.L. Thorne, the First Calvary Missionary Baptist Church family and its ministers, Evangelist Timmolyn Harvey, Evangelist Nora Carter, Evangelist Ashleigh Williams, Chaplain Valiant Lyte, the Rev. Douglas Carter of Beach Hill Baptist Church and Seven Ministries board member Evangelist Valarie Frasier, who brought spiritual words of encouragement to the students.
Thanks to Liberty County Board of Education member Carolyn Carter for the use of Rebecca’s Place and for speaking to the students. Thanks to newly elected BoE member Marcus Scott for his remarks. Thanks to Hinesville City Councilman Keith Jenkins and Liston Singletary of Coastal Mediation Services Inc. and Big Brothers and Big Sisters for their well-spoken input. Thanks to Seven Ministries board members Vivian Gilliard who is an assistant principal at Button Gwinnett Elementary, and Frednell Walthour, who is a guidance counselor at the same school, for firing up the crowd. Thanks to Seven Ministries board members Irma Bowser, Pete Gilliard, Teresa Stewart, Yvonne Akins and Felecia Holmes-Gilliard, along with friends Trell Bacon and Melvin Bowser for their assistance. Thanks to Evangelist Johnnie Mae Miller of First Calvary for supplying electricity. Thanks to First Calvary Deacon and Deaconess Joe and Gracie Scott and to my friends, former Hinesville Mayor Allen Brown and local NAACP Educational Chairman Jack Graves for the for gracing us with their presence.
While there are countless others, I want to thank Diana Reid. Diana and I grew up as neighbors in the Rebecca Street Housing Projects, and once she found out that the event would be held in our old neighborhood, she got heavily involved with the planning and supported this event from start to finish. And last but not least, I must thank the home team from Azalea Street, particularly my cousin, Don Ellis Taylor (our cook).
Azalea Street is the home base of Seven Ministries, and nothing would be possible without the love and support given to us from friends like Sheritha Kirkwood-Baker and the entire Blue House.
See you next year. May God bless and keep you is our prayer.

— Gary Gilliard
president/CEO, Seven Ministries