Paula White Ministries recently partnered with Joy Ministries of Virginia Beach to honor 1500 single mothers and widows from low-income areas, assisted living facilities, homeless and battered women shelters, and military wives whose husbands are deployed, with a special Mother’s Day Celebration.

"It’s our 7th year doing the event," shared Joy Ministries founder, Evangelist Danette Crawford. "There are so many widows who don’t have anyone to honor them – either their children have died, moved elsewhere, or they just don’t see them anymore." Single mothers who are heads of families bring their children – childcare is supplied for children under 5, a special program is offered for children 5-8, and youngsters and teens ages nine and up get to write a special Mother’s Day message to their moms during the event.

Because of the size of the event, the program is held at the beautiful Virginia Beach Convention Center. The women are bused to the Center, whether alone or with accompanying family members. "These moms get the red-carpet treatment – they get flowers, a 5-star, full-service dinner," shares Crawford excitedly. "We so appreciate Pastor Paula and Paula White Ministries for sowing into this event, because it’s such a huge financial expenditure, we could never do it without that kind of support." This year, for the first time, a mini-van will be given away to a single mom in need.

Danette recalled how she came to sponsor this annual event: "I had a widow who’d lost her husband; she only had one son, who wouldn’t have anything to do with her. After she’d left me one evening, I thought, that woman is all alone, she has no one! But that night the Lord spoke to me and said, "I want you to honor my mothers and gather them on Mother’s Day." We started with 150 woman seven years ago, and now it’s become a huge annual event for the community – it takes over 175 volunteers to make it happen!"

"James 1:27 says true religion is to defend the cause of the fatherless and plead the cause of the widow," Danette continues. "During the program we preach the gospel and the women are so touched by the whole event that every year a lot of women get saved."

Thank you partners and friends, for your support of Paula White Ministries, as you enable us to share God’s love and the Gospel through initiatives like these!