Roswell Day of Hope Set for April 14

ROSWELL, GA — Hundreds of volunteers are preparing for the Day of Hope, a yearly festival of fun and services for families in North Fulton who find themselves in need. Once a year, families make their way to Mimosa Elementary School for medical screenings, haircuts, and lunch along with children’s games and more.

The services and fun are offered free of charge, thanks to volunteers and donors who come together to make things better for those in need in their own community. The event is a project of Hope Roswell, a network of volunteers from local churches who work together throughout the year to serve the local area.

This year’s event will be held Saturday, April 14 from noon to 4 p.m. at the school, located at 1550 Warsaw Road in Roswell.

A miniature train ride and musical entertainment will add to the fun as children enjoy games and families visit with one another. Guests will even get new shoes until supplies run out.

This year’s event will also focus on education with some help from costumed children’s characters. They will engage the youngest students in activities that teach early reading skills. Organizers have pegged this as an important need since families in poverty tend to have less reading material available in their homes.

The Roswell Day of Hope is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, serving a community where ten percent of families live at or below the poverty line.

In the medical arena, families will have access to doctors, nurses, and dentists. Attendees can also receive eye exams as well as haircuts.

But for volunteers, it’s about heart-to-heart connections as well as services.

Gilma Cantu remembers one woman in particular who seemed as grateful to find a new friend as to receive shoes and other offerings of the day.

“She told me that she was so lonely and talked to me for a long time,” says Cantu. “She was so grateful to be there, and I invited her to church. She was a sweet, sweet lady. It was really good to be able to sit down and talk to her. She was a person who really wanted to talk about what was happening in her life.”

Cantu has worked at the event for several years. “Our job is to show people the love of the Lord,” she said. “We’re going to serve them, and we’re going to love them.”

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