Fredie Carmichael

Here it is, the third annual "Feel Good" edition of The Meridian Star — a day where we open our pages for all-positive news.

We take a break from war, crime, government corruption and the like for all things warm-and-fuzzy ... news that just makes you feel good. In these pages you'll find stories from our readers about things they're thankful for. Simply flip through the pages and look for the "Reader Written" logo.

This year is extra meaningful to me because I'm able to use this space to write about a story that makes me feel good. I usually use this Thanksgiving column to write about food, southern nostalgia, food, pine trees, food and ... well, food.

But this time, I have something with more substance (and less calories).

To me, it's one of the most compelling local story lines of the year:

One simple e-mail requesting readers for $10 turned into more than $40,000 raised in a matter of weeks with one goal: providing a safe haven, and a playground, for some neighborhood children in Meridian.

The story began with Trey Long, a lifelong Meridian resident. His family owns Long Wholesale of Meridian and some adjoining property near the Highway Village housing projects.

That property, next to Wesley House Community Center, is a place Long had driven past countless times ... for years. He rarely looked at the area, except for passing glances. It never crossed his mind what went on in the thinly wooded, grassy lot.

But one day this summer, as a teacher of a Sunday School class at First Baptist Church, Long stopped by Wesley House looking for a community project for his class. At the most, he thought the class could clean up, paint a room, and volunteer some time — something simple. What he found, however, was an alarming problem. Young girls were being pimped out by their fathers. Mattresses were being used for stashing drug paraphernalia and for late-night prostitution. Children were spray-painting toy guns for protection.

All of this was happening a few feet away from a place where children were playing. He learned that children in Highway Village didn't

feel safe enough to even play in that area.

As he stood there, he thought about his own kids.

Instead of leaving Wesley House that day and simply looking the other way, Long acted. He decided he would raise $45,000 to build a safe playground for the children, complete with a fenced-in basketball court. He told his friends and members of the class, including Neil Henry of The Citizens Bank, of his plan.

Sounded simple to them, but most people thought they were a bit overambitious, Long said. It was a down economy. How could they raise that much money?

He drafted an e-mail about the problem and sent it to his friends. They sent it to their friends. Within weeks, he was getting checks in the mail from other countries.

"That's what happens when God gets involved," Long said.

Long, Henry, Jeremy Hill and others quickly put the class to work. In a matter of days the lot was filled with 20 or so volunteers using personal lawn equipment to clean the property.

As the work began, the money continued to flow in. Today, the project — known as Playground for Jesus — continues. The class visits the site and mentors to the children on a weekly basis. They didn't just work a community project and leave.

"This is our community," Long said. "If you don't put your foot in the river to stop the flood who will? Who will be the role models for these kids? The guys selling drugs and pimping out their daughters on mattresses in a vacant lot ... or us? We want it to be us."

To me, you can't find a more perfect application of Jesus' love than this. You see it's easy to sit in clean church pews every Sunday and write checks to some charity that helps those in another part of the country or world. I’m not knocking that. But you don't have to get your hands dirty that way. And you don’t have to acknowledge the need down the street. Money to charity is great, but God expects more from us than that.

In Matthew 25:40 Jesus says we are to be judged by how we treat those with the most need in our society.

Long's story is both moving and humbling. I feel convicted and motivated every time I hear it. The best part about it: this isn't something he did to win favor from others. He wasn't looking for praise. To hear him tell it, he did very little.

I say he did. He didn't do what most would: look the other way. He didn't compartmentalize, drive home and get in his cozy bed on the other side of town and forget. He looked at those kids and saw his own.

He acted. He made up his mind that he couldn't rest until the problem was solved. He didn't care what the obstacles were. He motivated those around him to do the same.

That is love. That is the type of example that will truly make waves in this community. And nothing makes me feel better than to know that I share community with people like Trey Long.

If you are interested in donating to or volunteering for Playground for Jesus, e-mail trey@longwholesale.com or call 601-934-9427.

Fredie Carmichael is executive editor of The Meridian Star. E-mail him at fcarmichael@themeridianstar.com.