LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A local church is opening its arms and doors to some of Louisville's most vulnerable people.
The doors of the church are obviously open on Sundays at Greater Galilee Baptist Church on West Broadway but now the church is also inviting seniors and kids on weekdays.
Greater Galilee Baptist Church on West Broadway is opening its doors on weekdays to connect local youth with seniors in the community. (WDRB photo)
Clemmie Hopkins enjoys living at the Stephen Foster Senior Living Apartments on Garland Avenue in West Louisville but there are not a lot of amenities.
"They're supposed to be getting it together... they haven't yet," Hopkins said.
But Hopkins and other senior citizens are able to have outings for exercise, lunch and socializing at a nearby church.
"We believe our mission is to serve our community 24/7," Rev. Dr. Eric Johnson, a senior pastor at Greater Galilee Church, said. "As long as our mission is our commission and our command and our concern."
Johnson recently opened the doors of the church and community development corporation to seniors like Hopkins.
"We want to do wraparound services in our Wellness Center and that's critical to the church and the greater Galilee community Corporation," Johnson said. "We want to do wraparound services for our seniors as well as our youth. So, we're working on intergenerational connectivity."
That intergenerational connectivity happens by connecting the seniors and local youth.
"We've discovered that kids that are nurtured by older persons do better," Johnson said. "We're going to employ that application immediately in our programming."
Johnson said the church still needs to renovate part of the basement but so far, Hopkins loves having an outing and making lots of new friends.
"I think it's going to be a very good thing for our seniors to be able to get out, especially those that don't have transportation because they can just walk down here," Johnson said.
Johnson said the church is still looking for corporate partners to help cover the cost of renovations.
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