With Easter baskets, photos with the Easter Bunny, and family dinners provided to La Porte County residents for free, families eagerly hopped on over to Advancing Christ's Kingdom Ministries in Michigan City for an Easter Bunny event on Thursday, March 28.
Families lined up at the door at Advancing Christ's Kingdom Ministries in anticipation of a photo op with the Easter Bunny, complete with a beautiful backdrop, ribbons, and Easter decorations. After smiling for a photo, children between the ages of two and 10 were handed brightly colored Easter baskets full of goodies and families received pre-packaged meals with their choice of cupcakes and drinks.
On Friday, March 29, Lake County residents also gathered together for an Easter Bunny event where they were able to snap pictures with the Easter Bunny, take home a meal, and receive colorful Easter baskets at Greater First Baptist Church in East Chicago.
Geminus and the local Department of Child Services (DCS) worked together to host the Easter Bunny events for La Porte County and Lake County with a little help from their grant dollars along with the support of the families they serve.
“We partner with the local DCS office. This is a way to get families engaged before they get involved in our services and engage with DCS on a different, intimate level that doesn’t involve an issue in the home,” said Geminus Vice President of Community Services Nicholas Neal. “Some of the families that we are serving are able to help provide Easter baskets for the kids, pictures with the Easter bunny, and food for the families.”
DCS Community Partners Program Manager Kristin Smith is grateful to be part of an inviting outreach event that draws in so many families who may not be familiar with DCS. Smith hopes the opportunity to make those positive first connections with families in La Porte County will both prevent home issues from arising and help families familiarize themselves with DCS’s services should they need them in the future.
“We have a photographer that we hire with the grant money that we use. We choose to spend so much on food, so much on the pictures—because I know that's a hit—and then so much on the basket,” Smith said. “The DCS does this so the community sees the positive side of the DCS.”
On top of the impact on the community as a whole, the Easter Bunny event also benefits families individually, giving them an outlet to celebrate Easter through family photos taken and printed at the event, kids’ Easter baskets, and meals for the whole family.
“These days, a lot of things aren’t easily accessible and some families may not have the opportunity to do activities like this, so we like to put this on for the community and do outreach so people know we're here. If they need us, we're here for them,” said Geminus Director of Family Services Kristin Chamberlain.
To learn more about Geminus’s services and upcoming events, visit https://geminus.care/.