Our View – Go 'dove hunting' at FMO this holiday

By Staff
Anyone familiar with Franklin County can tell you that dove hunting is a popular activity for many county residents.
But this holiday, a local charitable group is asking area residents to do some dove hunting of another kind altogether.
Faith Mission Outreach, a growing organization in downtown Russellville, has a "dove tree" prepared for the second consecutive year. FMO director Matthew Mangino is asking local residents to donate a child's gift, in the $10 to $15 range at a minimum, and in exchange, the resident receives a dove off the tree with a needy child's age and gender as a reminder of the gift given.
In Franklin County, most of us are blessed beyond measure. Most of us will have a great meal on Christmas, and mounds of presents under the tree, brightly wrapped and ready to open.
But unfortunately, that's not the case for everyone. FMO helps the many people in Franklin County who are less fortunate than many of us. The mission does a great work, and a work that is desperately needed in our county.
We're not talking about New York, folks, or California, or some far-away big city. We're talking about kids right here among us that won't have anything to open for Christmas.
The gifts will be given to children 17 and under at the mission's second annual Christmas banquet on Dec. 21 at 6 p.m. In addition to the mission doves, adopt-a-family doves are also available, given to those who donate 2-3 gifts per family.
There are several drop-off points in the area for the gifts, including the YMCA, Colonial Bank, Gold Kist, Cherry Hill Baptist Church, Southern Rural Health Care, Citizen's Bank, Wal-Mart and Faith Mission Outreach. For more information, call the mission at 331-GIVE.
Franklin County residents overwhelmingly attend church and profess Christianity.
In recent years among Christians it has become popular to wear bracelets asking "What would Jesus do?"
We think Jesus would help a child and get a dove.