Dick Clark, right, shared his vision and donated the bus to launch the ministry.
Harvest teens Nichole Kreitler and Justin Worth led Bessie through Golden.
Senior citizens delighted in Christmas blessings that arrived via Bessie.
Inside Bessie are racks of items ready to be "shopped" by needy families.
By God's grace, racks of empty totes were all overflowing within one month!
Bessie arrived at Harvest in rough shape... but filled with hope and promise.
The families of Jim & Susan Kreitler and Bob & Tina Ellis caught the
vision and took leadership in quickly getting Bessie in shape for ministry.
The entire COW ministry was up and running in less than six months.
Harvest did not have a parking lot at the time, but thanks to a partnership
with Mountain View Community Church, a sister RCA church nearby,
space and utilities for the project came together, and Bessie was born.
Meet Bessie the COW:
Compassion On Wheels is the brainchild of Dick Clark, seen pictured left with “Bessie.” This old school bus has been transformed into a smiling cow, complete with long eyelashes, big ears, a tail, bright eyes and a toothy grin.
More importantly, Bessie is constantly being emptied and restocked in a life-giving flow of the essentials for everyday living. The COW ministry operates much like a mobile help center. Depending upon the time of year and the donations received --as well as the needs of the specific community being served-- Bessie can be found rolling down Denver area streets with clothing, cleaning supplies, paper goods, toiletries, boxed and canned foods, school supplies, diapers, or almost any sort of resource imaginable.
The COW serves the needs of people with financial and transportation limitations. We believe that just as Jesus went out into the streets and villages to minister to people where they lived, so, too, we are called to meet and serve people where they are found in cities today.
Christmas for Needy Seniors
On December 18, 2004, the Harvest COW team partnered with Faith Lutheran Church of Golden (as well as an energetic local Girl Scout troop!) to collect and distribute items in a special holiday event for residents of a nearby subsidized senior center.
The day began at the Christmas parade through downtown Golden. A "mooing" Bessie drew cheers and cash donations as young people with concern for those in need walked beside the bus and passed out candy canes taped to informational flyers. The teens also carried collection pails wrapped in black and white fabric, and many spectators seemed eager to toss in a few coins to help keep Bessie fueled for future outings.
After the parade, Bessie and volunteers made their way to the senior center for a heart-warming time of fellowship and the distribution of items like slippers, Christmas candy, and gifts that could be wrapped and passed along to grandchildren who otherwise would find nothing under their trees from their grandparents.
The Colorado Rockies baseball organization even got into the spirit of the day by donating a case of Rockies promotional umbrellas and tee-shirts, plus many cases of other personal items like shampoo and toothpaste.
Compassion for Young and Old...
and Anyone in Between in Need
Of course, Compassion On Wheels does not limit its ministries to only senior citizens!
COW regularly provides distributions for needy young families, especially those with infants still in diapers who are connected to Harvest Christian Community through Haven's Hope. (For more about the remarkable Haven's Hope family ministry, click on the button to the left: "Haven's Hope Diapers.")
Many of the people who most appreciate the
COW ministry are looking for jobs, and many others are even employed. They simply need a little help to make it through a tough stretch. The passenger seats have all been removed from Bessie and have been replaced by racks filled with plastic totes. The bus also has a clothing bar with hangers, and best of all, a small area in back with chairs for mentoring and prayer. Through prayer, encouragement, and a little bit of help, people regain hope, lives are transformed, and the Kingdom of God expands in Colorado!
COW Goals: Past and Future
For now, Bessie is a cow all alone.
A second bus has been donated by a local Baptist church, and all that is needed is for the right church to come along with the vision and commitment to refurbish her and get her rolling in compassionate ministy!
Our first bus, Bessie, was donated to Harvest Christian Community by Dick Clark. Harvest did most of the work to fix her up, and by the grace of God, Harvest is keeping her in action. She came into our fellowship in mighty dirty and rough condition, but she's now looking mighty fine and is doing mighty deeds!
Our goal for the Compassion On Wheels program is to see what began with Besssie eventually grow and multiply. We imagine a whole "herd" of COW busses, not only in the Denver area, but across the state and beyond.
Each COW bus will have its own name and volunteers to staff and manage its ministry through local "affiliate" churches or charities.
Harvest will gladly share our "blueprints" and vision with all who are interested. Might you, or your church, be interested in learning more about how you could launch a COW of your own?
The need for COW donations, volunteers, partnerships, new affiliate churches, and the kinds of goods and services that this ministry can provide is endless.
If God is calling you to reflect more about this fun and meaningful ministry, please contact Harvest using the "Contact Us" button to the left, or write:
Harvest Christian Community -- COW
7125 W. 44th
Wheat Ridge, CO 80110
Text for this web page has been adapted from the Harvest COW flyer, as designed by writer and graphic artist Dian Bradshaw, of Harvest Christian Community.
Photos by Bob Ellis and others.