Church Hosts Hayride for Famiies With Disabilities
PORT DEPOSIT, Md. — Pleasant View Baptist Church (PVBC) hosted their second annual Harvest & Hayrides in November. Senior Pastor Harold Phillips and his wife Corkie opened their home for families affected by disability.
Katie Matthews gives paint to a mom and her son to paint pumpkins. (Photo by Sharon Mager)
Adults and kids painted pumpkins, roasted marshmallows and enjoyed lunch together — hot dogs, chips, macaroni salad plus baked goods and hot cocoa. Some kids jumped on a trampoline while others tossed a football around. The highlight was an extended hayride that brought many laughs as riders joked, ducked at oncoming branches, waved at passersby, and bounced along.
Katie Matthews, director of The Banquet Network, was pleased to see some families return from last year’s event and several new families. She also liked the flow of the day. “it was relaxed and comfortable,” she said. She was grateful for PVBC and Harold and Corkie Phillips. “This isn’t an event that required a special education building or etiquette training or anything. It‘s just a pastor and his church who want to love families with disabilities.”
Harold agreed about the relaxed pace. “We started early and didn’t rush. And it was great weather, not real cold, which is a plus for a hayride,”
A mother and son enjoy the hayride. (Photo by Sharon Mager)
“I enjoy being with the families — they have a special kind of love,” he said. “I also appreciate the leaders and all the work they do,” Harold said, referring to Matthews and others who helped.
Several PVBC members shared their excitement that the church will host their first Tim Tebo “Night to Shine” prom for people with disabilities in February 2024 in partnership with First Baptist Church North East. “We‘re looking forward to that,” Harold said.
