A former NFL star is planning a massive outreach on Palm Sunday aimed at helping the poor in the Orlando, Florida, area.
Tim Johnson, a former Redskins player who is now the lead pastor of Orlando World Outreach Center, is planning to host “He Got Up 2017,” an annual event that will take place at the Camping World Stadium this upcoming Sunday.
It’s an effort to come alongside people in need from across three local counties, offering food, showers, legal advice, job opportunities, clothing, hair cuts and plenty more.
“He Got Up” — an event named after Jesus’ resurrection — is a collaborative effort, with government leaders, non-profits, businesses, educational institutions, and community volunteers working together “to provide a cohesive aide for those in need.”
The massive job fair on steroids is an opportunity for Johnson and the faith and secular communities to come together to give back to those in need. Last year’s event attracted 10,000 people who, with a total of 300 barbers on site, were given 4,000 haircuts and were served 20,000 hot dogs and hamburgers free of charge.
Additionally, eight pallets of toys were doled out, with practical job and life advice also in abundance — elements that are much needed yet are generally not as accessible to people living under the poverty line.
Watch the below video to see the full impact of the 2016 “He Got Up” event:
“What happened and what’s happening literally is a miracle,” Johnson said during last year’s event, noting that the sun came out despite forecasts of rain. “People’s lives are being changed.”
The former NFL star-turned-pastor also said he was “overwhelmed” to see the effort come to fruition in 2016, the first year the event unfolded.
“I’m a little overwhelmed to see something that started in my heart with the Lord speaking to me about reaching out to those who are on the fringes of our society … bringing them together to see them get lifted up,” Johnson said in a video promoting the 2017 event. “Because Christ rose from the dead — he got up to lift us up, so that we can lift others up.”
Sunday’s event will begin with a Palm Sunday service that features celebrity speakers, a message of hope and music, The Christian Post reported.
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