New Hill church hosts back-to-school block party with school supply giveaway

MEDINA — Families with young children gathered on the Medina Square on Sunday to do crafts, play games, get haircuts and receive school supplies as part of a back-to-school block party. New Hill Church hosted the event. Lead Pastor Michael Meadows said the church has hosted similar events in the past on the square, but this is the first block party that featured a school supply giveaway. The event was planned by church member Liz Wu. "Liz had the heart to serve those with school age students to help them meet some of their needs," he said. New Hill Church partnered with Studio MD Hairstyling in Medina to give kids free haircuts as they prepare to go back to school. Meadows said the church also had more than 70 backpacks to hand out along with a variety of school supplies. "We worked with the North American Mission Board to get our backpacks," he said. "Then, donations were made for the supplies from the people in the community, but mostly our church for the school supplies." The church is located at 580 N. State Road in Medina. Meadows said the biggest goal of the event is to let community members know that the church is there for them. "We're never trying to be in anybody's face with what we believe," he said. "It's just to be there and to serve and to love others, as we've been called to, and build that relationship with the community." Meadows said to ignore the need within the community is to ignore the value that every person inherently has. The church hopes to put on the event again in the future. "We believe that everybody has value and dignity, and they deserve that," he said. "If we can help meet those needs, then we want to. Obviously, there's needs that we can't meet as a smaller church, but this is something we feel really called to do." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.