Pay It Forward- Gina Towson -

(Beautiful Gina and husband Terry)
Continuing my series on the responsibility of the church…..

I’d like to introduce you to another lovely Saint- Gina Towson. She runs the organization Pay It Forward. This ministry has helped hundreds of families in the area supplying them with household goods, Thanksgiving turkeys, clothing, Christmas, etc… Her idea was birthed out of a need. I asked her about the ministry’s origins and she said,

”I had already helped five families before I realized it. When we went to Alabama, two hours outside of Tuscaloosa, I get a phone call that my daughter’s house had burnt down and I was looking at the back of that big yellow Penske box truck, thinking about all the donations inside if it, enough for ten families, and I thought, I have drained my town and I will never be able to help my daughter. Long story short, I came back to Fairmont, put something out on my facebook wall and had her back up and running within just a few days…it was then I realized it wasn’t my resources, it wasn’t Fairmont’s resources, It was God’s resources and so birthed Pay It Forward.”

I met Gina years ago in Wednesday night women’s Bible study. I immediately had the sense that She cares about people in need and she is not afraid to get down in the trenches to meet those needs. She has a no nonsense, practical approach. She sends out a plea on her facebook page and God sets people into action. She credits Him with meeting the needs.

Gina reminds me of my mother. It is not a physical resemblance, it is a spiritual and character photocopy. She has the attributes of Christ- love, mercy, unconditional love, faithfulness, compassion just as my mother did. Gina walks in those attributes without even thinking about it. It’s as if she has her hand on the pulse of the community. She knows when it is weak, sick or suffering and like a nurse, she leaps into action medicating with compassion and loaves and fishes.

Gina is doing the work of the church on earth, but she is not the only one. She is the einstein and the passion behind the ministry. Others lend strong arms, backs and the trappings essential to provide the needs. It’s a family ministry for the Towsons, including Terry, her husband, Katy, her granddaughter along with aunts, uncles, cousins and some church family thrown in the mix.

Jesus said the poor would always be with us and they are. In fact it could be anyone of us at anytime. Each of us should Pay It Forward to ensure the ministry is there when we need it. Those who walk in compassion will reap compassion.