Through a summer Bible school camp, children in South Point learned what it means to serve their neighbors and the community.

Monday, Ohio Baptist Church donated 23 pillowcases, decorated by Vacation Bible School attendees, to the Department of Job and Family Services. The church also donated Bibles and some goodie bags.

“The kids were so excited when I explained what they were going to do,” Danelle Ober, VBS leader, said. “They had fun decorating them.”

The theme of the VBS program was “serving” and the pillowcase project will help children who are placed in foster care have something of their very own when they go to their temporary home.

The pillowcases have written on them, “Jesus is with you day and night,” along with some personal decorations by the children.

“This (the pillowcases) can be something they can put their own articles of clothing in,” said Gene Myers, director of DJVS. “The meaning of this is a lot more than just a pillowcase.”

Randy Thompson, supervisor with the county agency, said when children are placed in foster care or with other family members, the DJFS investigator will try to get a familiar item from the home for the child to take, but that it is not always possible.

“We always try to bring with them (the child) a favorite toy or blanket that comforts them,” Thompson said.

Thompson said the donation of pillowcases means children can have a sense of comfort during a difficult time.

“It gives them a sense of security, a sense of having something that is theirs,” Thompson said.

Through June of this year, the DJFS had fielded more than 700 child welfare calls. More than 160 of those were categorized as abuse or neglect calls.

The rest run the gambit from calls of families needing referrals to families who needed other services of the DJFS. Another number of calls were screened out as they were not family services related.