Indiana—Kathy Currier, Elkhart (Ind.) Church community services leader, is known as the hat lady. When she comes before the congregation on Sabbath morning wearing the wide-brimmed red hat, everyone knows the community services box in the foyer is full and overflowing! But if she steps up to the podium in the black pill-box hat, the message is loud and clear that the bin is only half full.

Currier hesitates to wear her garden bonnet, which she refers to as her "poor hat," since it is a sign the box is nearly empty or depleted. At those times, she pleads her case to try to encourage the members to bring food and/or cash to replenish the box.

Currier is just one of many leaders in Elkhart County who works hard to keep an ample supply of both food and cash available, not only in the local box in the church foyer, but she also makes certain the Church Community Services' (CCS) shelves are kept full as well. Currier explains that the Elkhart Adventist Church is not big enough to support a community services center of their own so they have joined with about 50 area churches and together they formed CCS. They are involved in providing assistance to low income families, whether it's for food, rent, or utilities. They have counselors at CCS who evaluate the people's needs and then they assist according to the need. They even help with prescriptions or money for gas when needed.

There are several volunteer opportunities for church members at CCS and they often come together on specified evenings to help in a variety of ways. CCS has a project called, "Soup of Success," which helps low-income ladies get back into the workforce by teaching them job skills and/or computer skills.

So, no matter which hat Currier is wearing on any given Sabbath, the church can be sure she is doing her very best as the church community services leader and as a representative of their church at CCS.

Clareen Colclesser, Elkhart Church communication leader