Community Renewal honors a life of caring at the Maggie Lee Henson Celebration of Caring

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For release: April 19, 2010

A Shreveport girl who lost her life in a tragic bus accident left behind a legacy of caring that was honored this month at the Maggie Lee Henson Celebration of Caring.

More than 500 area residents joined Community Renewal and sponsor Red Ball Oxygen on the Shreveport riverfront April 17 for the fun event. The Celebration brings persons and organizations together from many neighborhoods to celebrate our common bond of caring. Activities included a free picnic lunch, live music, games for children and much more.

The annual event is now named in honor of Maggie Lee Henson, one of two young people who died last year after a bus taking youth from First Baptist Church Shreveport to a summer camp crashed. Only 12 when she died, Maggie Lee had a profound impact on those around her with her caring and generous spirit. For her 12^th birthday party, for example, she asked her friends to bring books that could be donated to children in need.

“Maggie Lee from a young age was very demonstrative with her faith. She heard Jesus' words about loving other people and did it. Even last spring, a parent called us to let us know how touched they were that Maggie Lee invited their child, who was eating alone, to sit with her group at lunch time,” said her mother, Jinny Henson.

“Caring is contagious and there are opportunities everywhere for us to practice loving others as we love ourselves. The Celebration of Caring Event will hopefully spawn even more good deeds, because once you give sacrificially, expecting nothing in return, you are never the same. And that change can't help but change our city, country and world."

One purpose of the Celebration of Caring is to reinforce our common bond of caring for one another.

“When caring persons get connected with one another, we raise our own perception of our community as a good place to live. The more we become connected, the better our community becomes,” said Tom Watts, director of the Renewal Team for Community Renewal.

Sponsor Red Ball Oxygen plans, funds, and provides the personnel annually to make the Celebration of Caring the best event it can be.

“Community Renewal does such important work in our city. From revitalizing neglected neighborhoods, to building parks, to helping those in need with a hand up, all of us at Red Ball Oxygen want to help them to succeed. Sponsoring the annual Celebration of Caring is but one small way we can help Community Renewal spread their philosophy of caring throughout our community,” said Monica Rogers, marketing and events manager for Red Ball.

Community Renewal International is a nonprofit effort to restore safe and healthy communities through caring relationships. Founded in 1994, Community Renewal reaches at-risk youth through Friendship Houses built in impoverished neighborhoods, strengthens education through the Adult Renewal Academy, partners with The Fuller Center for Housing and connects caring partners who turn their neighborhoods into safe havens of friendship and support.

Contact: David Westerfield, director of communications
(318) 425-3222
davidwesterfield@communityrenewal.us