Loving Hands Ministry makes Valentine’s Day special for
local senior citizens
Published 3:12 pm Monday, February 17, 2025
The Loving Hands Ministry team that visited local nursing homes. Front, from the left are, Ellie Burton and Paisley Hudgins. Second row, from the left, are Karis Dean, Christy Johnson, Kylee Burton, Rachael Downing, Emma Edmondson and Faith Spriggs. Back row, from the left are, Kimberly Burton and Elijah Burton.
The Dollar Tree partnered with Loving Hands Ministry to get balloons donated to hand-out at local nursing homes. From the left are Skyler Hasty, Molly Cooley, Chasity Cribbs, Margo Perez and Shante Keel.
Loving Hands Ministry Founder Rachael Downing hands-out roses to residents of The Golden Apple on Valentine's Day.
MOULTRIE – Loving Hands Ministry spread the love to four Moultrie nursing homes on Valentine’s Day.
At the beginning of last year, Rachael Downing started Loving Hands Ministry. The mission was to let senior citizens know that they were not forgotten. She started the ministry out with going to nursing homes and treating the residents to hands-on, mini spa days.
On Valentine’s Day this year, the ministry brought gifts to the residents of Legacy Village, The Golden Apple, Colquitt Senior Care and Magnolia Manor South.
“What a wonderful Valentine’s Day!” Downing said. “We were blessed to be able to serve four nursing home facilities in Moultrie, Georgia.”
She and her volunteers took the residents chocolates, Valentine’s Day cards and roses. Also, socks made up to look like cupcakes, bananas and balloons.
A partnership with Downing and the Dollar Tree, located in the Walmart shopping center, sponsored the balloons delivered to the residents. The store put a flyer up in the window asking people to buy a balloon for Loving Hands Ministry’s Valentine’s Day mission.
Downing said that one of the employees told her that so many people wanted to help purchase balloons that they had to finally take the flyer off of the store’s entrance.
She said they had more balloons to hand out than they ever thought they would. She was so grateful for the community’s generosity and the generosity of the Dollar Tree for partnering with them.
“Thank you, Moultrie,” Downing said.
She said the experience was worth all of the time that she and her volunteers put into doing it — especially when trying to get more than 160 balloons into and out of her vehicle during a very windy Valentine’s Day.
“I told one of the residents (at the Golden Apple) as we were leaving, I said ‘I hope you have a good day.’ and he said ‘Y’all already made it a good day.’ That was worth it all!” Downing said.
The Loving Hands Ministry has a Facebook page, www.facebook.com/loving.hands.ministry.2024. Contact Downing on the Facebook page to either donate or volunteer.
