Serving Those Who Serve

Ebenezer AME Church Distributes 600 Gift Cards to Veterans, Current Military Members, and Their Families for Memorial Day

Nothing says “honor” more than being in the service of others.  

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the community at Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church in Fort Washington, Md., has been giving back to their community, and over the Memorial Day weekend, they rolled up their sleeves again.

This time, Pastor Grainger Browning and church members donated 600 gift cards, worth $50 each, to veterans, current military members, and their families, to thank them for their service.

With churches closed due to the coronavirus, Senior Pastor Grainger Browning wanted to ensure that they continue to honor those who serve with their annual Memorial Day program, even if this meant taking the event outdoors to the community.

Keeping social distancing in mind, co-pastor Jo Ann Browning shared with WTOP News, “We are 6 feet apart. We even have grabber sticks about 6 feet long and handle cards that way. Everybody has on masks, everybody has on gloves.”

The drive-through event took all of 30 minutes to complete, according to WTOP News.

Memorial Day has “always been kind of a special day for me,” Pastor Grainger said. His grandfather served in World War I and he remembers marching alongside him in parades through the years.

Ebenezer AME, which has distributed $100,000 in gift cards at Easter and $50,000 in gift cards on Mother’s Day, has been offering food assistance each Thursday since the coronavirus pandemic started, in partnership with Jose Andres, World Central Kitchen, and the Prince George’s government.

They hope to continue their efforts through June, focusing on their next event: Distributing gift cards for Father’s Day.