By Valerie Baldowski
vbaldowski@henryherald.com

Kim Gertman used a similar amount of time to help beautify the entrance of McDonough Elementary School.

Both women were among more than 350 volunteers from McDonough First United Methodist Church, and Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church, who participated in the “Many Hearts, Many Hands” outreach initiative. The outreach is the result of the churches sharing a vision last year of organizing their own service project, and was inspired by a similar “Great Day of Service” held in June 2008 by the North Georgia Annual Conference, said Mike Broome, associate pastor of McDonough First United Methodist.

“It’s important for the Girl Scouts to learn how to share in the community,” said Pointzes, a grandmother who is a member of Wesley Chapel United Methodist.

She was leading a troop of Girl Scout Daisies. The group of 5- and 6-year-olds made paper hearts, sprinkled with glitter, and gave them to some of the residents at Westbury.

“It’s very important for them to learn to respect others, to care for others, and do for others,” Pointzes said.

Taking part in the community projects, according to Gertman, also a Wesley Chapel member, enhances participants’ perspective of their surrounding environment. “It makes you more aware of people who are right in your general region that you normally wouldn’t see,” she said.

Gertman’s team planted shrubs and flowers, and cleaned up around a large tree in front of the elementary school.

Members from the two churches gathered Saturday, at 7:30 a.m., in the fellowship hall of McDonough First United Methodist to sign in and have breakfast. They then moved to the sanctuary for a brief worship service led by Broome and McDonough First United Methodist Church Senior Pastor Dana Everhart.

“This day began as a dream over a year ago, a small meeting and a fateful e-mail exchanged between our two churches, resulting in a forging of new relationships and combined resources of Wesley Chapel and McDonough First, serving Christ,” Broome said.