First Methodist Church of Gladewater lay leader Dean Hanssen opens a box from East Texas Food Bank containing eight bags of supplies for the community’s Backpack Program, serving about 138 students every week. (Photos by James Draper)
More food. More help. More guidance.
For years, Dean Hanssen has focused on more – not for himself but for the children and families who rely on the Gladewater Backpack Program, for the men and women who rely on the support of Celebrate Recovery.
A conversation with the First Methodist Church lay leader turns quickly to the needs of the people of Gladewater and how others are at work to help them. He’s content to do his share, to put in his hours, to play his part in the system he helped build – spearheading the logistics of the weekly food giveaway to Gladewater ISD students and ensuring struggling adults have a safe space to and someone to lean on.
“It’s not what I do. It’s what God allows me to do — how He uses me,” the 72-year-old says. “I know what my salvation is and where it is from. My works are what I do because of my salvation. They don’t determine where I’ll end up, but they give me a podium to speak for others in need.
“A lot of times, I haven’t had the same problems others face. Without being involved in these programs, I wouldn’t have the understanding I need — especially with kids, who don’t have control over their circumstances.”
It’s the second time Hanssen and his wife, Jeannie, have attended First Methodist Church. In the early 2000s, they turned to the church-plant Living Hope Fellowship. After the ministry ended, four years later, its backpack program and Celebrate Recovery, a Christ-centered 12-step recovery program, also found a home at First Methodist.
Taking inventory of the stock at the church becomes an opportunity for Hanssen to talk about the people who benefit from them. Maybe they’re hungry. Maybe they need some essential toiletries. Maybe they just need someone to listen.
“There are so many hardship stories out there,” he says. At Celebrate Recovery, “It’s not just for drugs and alcohol but for any kind of hurt, habit, or hang-up. It could be anger issues, self-worth issues, grieving, or something like a divorce or a dysfunctional family,” Hanssen says. “It could be just about anything — anger, trust, control issues, pornography — we cover the basics.”