Mills River Presbyterian Church — Mills River, North Carolina
When COVID-19 restrictions closed down Mills River Presbyterian Church, church leadership looked for ways to reach out to the community. Knowing their yearly Puzzlefest to be a popular community event, they created an ongoing Puzzle Swap.
Since April, the church has offered free jigsaw puzzles to the public. Large bins of donated and “swapped” puzzles are available outside the church doors several days a week.
Local press coverage has been strong and consistent, bringing many non-members to the church for the free Puzzle Swap. People from up to an hour away make regular trips to trade used puzzles and take new ones. Some return weekly. Everyone wears face masks while picking up or dropping off puzzles.
The church team has attached a sticker to each puzzle. Full church information and virtual Sunday service details are on the stickers. The hope is, once the church opens again, that puzzlers will return to participate in church services.
— Kathy Ziprik, ruling elder
Share your 150-word story of “what’s right” with the Outlook by emailing it to submissions@pres-outlook.org.
