Thanks to a group of seven community-minded employees at BB&T’s Peachtree City branch, Christian City Children’s Village recently received five new desktop computers through the bank’s “Lighthouse Project.” The group also volunteered their time and effort at Christian City, helping with several different projects across the 500-acre campus.
 
Connie Hall, volunteer coordinator at Christian City, commented, “We were thrilled to get the call from BB&T’s volunteer team about their desire to help our children and seniors.” Even when rainy weather hampered the planned community garden project, the BB&T volunteers gladly moved indoors and assisted with other projects on the “needs” list. “From organizing a storage closet to visiting with senior residents, we greatly appreciated each and every contribution from the BB&T volunteer team,” Hall said.
 
BB&T employee and volunteer project captain, Gail Belliston, recently moved to Georgia from Utah. “I heard about Christian City Children’s Village through Peachtree City Christian Church,” said Belliston. “Until we volunteered on the campus, I had no idea there were so many different ministries at Christian City. Now I want to do more,” she said.
 
Belliston’s co-worker and member of the volunteer team, Carol Wilcox, especially enjoyed interacting with the residents of the Christian City Skilled Nursing & Rehab Center. “The senior residents really appreciated our visit. We played bingo, told stories and jokes,” Wilcox said. “It feels good to bring a smile to someone’s face.”
 
BB&T’s “Lighthouse Project” encourages employees to give back to their communities by volunteering. In conjunction with their volunteer efforts, the team can apply for financial assistance to support the needs of the organization. “Part of our bank’s mission is to help communities achieve financial security and economic success,” Belliston said. “In addition to our volunteer projects, we were pleased to support Christian City Children’s Village by providing needed computer equipment to help the children continue their success in school and maintain a 100% graduation rate,” she said.