National Prescription Drug Take Back Day April 27

April 17, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb County residents are urged to take part in National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The DeKalb Prevention Coalition and the Drug Enforcement Administration will host DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day at two locations in DeKalb County. DEA and its partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs. Take Back locations locally are Smithville City Hall, 104 East Main Street and the Alexandria City Hall, 102 High Street.

For more than a decade, the event has helped Americans easily rid their homes of unneeded medications—those that are old, unwanted, or expired—that too often become a gateway to addiction. Take Back Day offers free and anonymous disposal of unneeded medications at more than 4,000 local drop-off locations nationwide. In partnership with local law enforcement, Take Back Day has removed more than 8,300 tons of medication from circulation since its inception.

Collection sites will not accept syringes, sharps, and illicit drugs. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container. The cap must be tightly sealed to prevent leakage. For more information visit www.DEATakeBack.com.

April 17, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

This year, the National Day of Prayer celebrates 73 years of prayer for America! This observance acknowledges the blessings of living in a country where, by law, every year on the first Thursday of May, the President proclaims a day of prayer for the nation.

The National Day of Prayer observance was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of Congress and signed into law by President Harry Truman. Each year since then the president has called upon the citizens of the nation to pray, and in 1988 President Ronald Reagan established this day of prayer to be the First Thursday of May. The significance is that it enables everyone nationwide to recall and to teach the way in which the founders sought the wisdom of God when faced with critical challenges and decisions. It stands as a call for everyone to humbly come before God, seeking His guidance for the nation’s leaders and His grace upon us as a people.

Local pastors and churches would like to invite you to join with them, others from your community, and people from across our nation, as they plead for God’s mercy and guidance in our country. Smithville will have a gathering on May 2, 6:00pm at Northside Elementary School gymnasium. They hope to see you there as we seek God together!

April 17, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

Anabel Rosario Fermin grew up in a Christ-centered, pastor’s family in the Dominican Republic. Though her family never had material abundance, she was taught that God is faithful. When Anabel was around 8 – 10 years old, she received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox. Inside she found stuffed animals, school supplies, and other needed items. The shoebox showed her that God is faithful even when it doesn’t feel that way.

Ten years after Anabel received her shoebox gift, she lost her father, mother, and older sister in a tragic accident. Even amidst her grief, she felt the Lord reminding her again that He was still faithful. Today, Anabel lives in Flower Mound, Texas, and works as a radio personality.

To hear more about God’s faithfulness in her life, join them for a special time of Anabel sharing her testimony on Thursday, April 25 at 3 p.m. at the Allen’s Chapel Church, 1037 Coconut Ridge Road, Smithville

The community is invited to hear her first-hand account.

Operation Christmas Child’s National Collection Week is in November.

For more information visit samaritanspurse.org/occ. Participants can donate $10 per shoebox gift online through “Follow Your Box” and receive a tracking label to discover its destination. Those who prefer the convenience of online shopping can browse samaritanspurse.org/buildonline to select gifts matched to a child’s specific age and gender, then finish packing the virtual shoebox by adding a photo and personal note of encouragement. Boxes built online go to hard-to-reach countries.

Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse, seeks to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world and, together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 198 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories.