Liberty University Reaches Out to Sandy Hook Community with Children's Books and Relief Fund

Related: Liberty University, Sandy Hook, Children's Books

Liberty University has extended its support to the community of Newtown, Conn., contributing to a relief fund and sending children's books to the library at Sandy Hook Elementary School in the wake of the massacre that claimed the lives of 20 children and six adults on Dec. 14.

Freshman Josh Anderson, who lives three minutes from Sandy Hook, returned home for Christmas break the night before the shooting. He contacted Liberty's leadership shortly after the tragedy asking for prayer support for the community.

"It was hard ... the whole community had gone into shock," said Anderson, who was a Vacation Bible School leader for one of the victims. "It's great to be at a college where I can Facebook someone on leadership and they are able to pray, even from a distance, it just helps."

In addition to prayer support, Liberty's leadership asked if there were other ways the university could help in the community, and Anderson told them about a fund set up at his church, Walnut Hill Community Church, in nearby Bethel, Conn., to provide seven years of counseling to those affected by the tragedy. Liberty is sending a donation to the fund.

"That gave me a sense of pride," Anderson said. "To find out that Liberty would be giving financially was something I wasn't expecting and I was very grateful that (Liberty), which is not even remotely close to Connecticut, would give time and money to pray and help sow into the community."

Liberty's library staff also purchased 50 books for Sandy Hook's library, contributing to a combined effort of several local churches in the Newtown area, including Second Chance Baptist Church in Bethel, which is home to a number of Liberty alumni. Alumna Ashley Kelly, a native of Bethel and member of the church, helped organize the book drive. She is a teacher in a nearby district and knows teachers at Sandy Hook.

Page 2 >>