On May 6, hundreds of volunteers crowded the field of Alamo Elementary School in Galveston, Texas, ready to serve in any capacity. Over 2,000 guests participated. Convoy of Hope worked in in conjunction with the Vineyard Fellowship Leadership Conference. One Pastor volunteering from New York said, “This feels good, being a distributor of hope in a community that has had such hard times.” Galveston has had a tough time, as it was only nine months ago that a category four hurricane ripped through the town, leaving much of the community under water.

Guests were greeted, served a hot lunch, and invited to a picnic area where they could sit and relax while listening to music from several different groups who entertained throughout the day. In the Kids Zone, children were entertained by clowns and puppets.  The children had the opportunity to play over thirty carnival games, complete with prizes for the kids to enjoy.

In the health service tent, one guest said, “This is especially meaningful to me because I don’t have a doctor and don’t have any way of getting help. I’ve had problems with my eyes, but I haven’t had a way of getting a test done. This is a great opportunity to get it for free.”

Perhaps the biggest highlight on the site was the free family portraits. Most guests had lost everything they had to the hurricane, including any pictures. Their true thankfulness was a blessing to all who volunteered.