Mothers Against Crime (MAC) held its annual banquet Saturday night at Eatonton’s First United Methodist Church, where approximately 50 people shared a meal and fellowship while listening to local pastors and law enforcement leaders offer encouraging words to and about the 31-year-old organization.
Pastor Matt Brown gave the welcoming prayer, followed by “Come Along My Friend,” sung by Pamela Young and Sherita Rayford of the Putnam County Gospel choir. MAC founder and organizer Georgia Benjamin-Smith gave a brief presentation on the history of the organization just before a blessing of the food by Gary Andrews signified dinner was being served.
A second song, “How Great is Our God,” came after the meal and led into the main presentation of the night by Reverend Wayne Griffin Sr.
“We cannot afford to wait.” That was the overarching message for Rev. Griffin as he described the need to teach and mentor Putnam County’s youth, whether by parents, teachers, clergy, and even law enforcement, represented by the attendance of Eatonton Police Chief Howell Cardwell and Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills.
“We can’t afford to wait,” Griffin repeated several times. “We have people and it’s not about color, it’s not about national origin, it’s not about gender, it’s not about our educative status nor financial stability. It’s all about coming together and as Sister Smith says, unity. Unity. It means something.”
Pastor Brown then took a turn at the podium and opened by praising the work of Mothers Against Crime to help Eatonton’s and Putnam County’s youth to remain on a straight-and-narrow path.
“I’ll tell you right away, if you want to have a good harvest, you’ve got to plant seed in good soil. And I believe Mothers Against Crime is good soil,” Brown declared. “I believe the seeds that get planted here are going to reap a harvest. And so, we are honored to be able to join together.”
Chief Cardwell and Sheriff Sills also took their turns on stage, each acknowledging Mothers Against Crime's work.
“This organization helped me more than any other when I first took office 25 years ago,” Sills said. “She (Benjamin-Smith) always had my back and it’s about a community. I can have a thousand deputies; we can have 500 assistant district attorneys; we can have the biggest prison in the world; but it’s the community and people who decide how that community will behave.
"And while we have problems, you can look around in our neighboring counties and tell that this community still has the right frame of mind. I appreciate that. Being the chief law enforcement officer for a community like that is good. I appreciate all of you.”
The speeches were followed by the awarding of a door prize, a large, ornamental vase donated for the occasion by Sammy Blackwell of Blackwell’s Furniture, a closing prayer from Griffin and the presentation of a service award to Mothers Against Crime member Brenda Bonner, who has been volunteering with the organization since its 1992 inception.
“Brenda has been so hard working and reliable for 31 years now and she’s still going strong,” Benjamin Smith said as she presented Bonner with a commemorative plaque for the occasion. “We can’t thank her enough.”
The event ended with a third and final song, “Reach Out and Touch Someone,” before all in attendance joined hands in a circle of unity and prayed together for Putnam County’s youth and helping them to go forward.