WEST COLUMBIA, SC -- Lexington Two got an unexpected post-holiday gift, thanks to Radius Church.
Each of the district’s elementary, middle and high schools received a donation ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 -- a total of roughly $26,000 -- to help fill student needs. Lexington Two was among five school districts to receive a donation from more than $204,000 raised by five Radius Church area locations, according to Derrick Liferidge, a pastor at the White Knoll location. The other school districts include Lexington 1, Lexington-Richland 5, Saluda and Edgefield.
“I can’t say enough about the incredible things the churches in this community do to support Lexington Two students, teachers, and schools,” said Superintendent Dr. William B. James Jr. “This generous gift from Radius Church will go a long way in helping schools address some of the needs of their students.”
Liferidge said the idea for the project was prompted by community requests they receive to help children in need. Giving to the schools was the best way to go, he added, because schools have the most regular and consistent contact with these children, making them familiar with their needs.
“Whether the need was clothes for a child wearing the same thing every day, food for a child who was only eating meals at school or help with a child needing basic school supplies, the requests kept coming our way,” Liferidge said. “This led to us wanting to be proactive in meeting those needs. Instead of waiting for the need to arise and distributing to the school afterwards, we thought, why not give money to the schools so that they are already equipped to do so themselves.”
The church’s five campuses set a goal of raising $150,000 and quickly exceeded it, Liferidge said.
“This project means the world to our five churches,” Liferidge said, “and with God’s blessings, we’ll continue to do this annually.”