Tyler Perry Replaces Georgia Church's Stolen Van
01-26-2018
Lighthouse Community Church in Stockbridge, Georgia had its 15-seat van stolen last Sunday.
Local news station WSB-TV reported when church members showed up for Sunday services, they found a pile of glass in the parking lot and the van gone.
The church says it used the van to transport members and kids to take part in various activities around the city. They said whoever stole the van was not hurting the church, but hurting the community.
"Look into your heart and if you can return it, return it," church member Jimmy Moore said. "We're not looking to arrest anybody... we just want the van back."
Just a few days later, Atlanta-based actor and filmmaker Tyler Perry called a church administrator and said that he had bought the church a new van.
She said, "Just his generosity, his willingness to help us here. He didn't have to do this, but he took the time to call us and to offer this to us and we're completely in awe and overwhelmed and excited and we know that the Lord touched his heart to do this."
Church members picked up the van up from a nearby dealership Friday morning.
This isn't the first time the actor, comedian, filmmaker and writer stepped in to help a Georgia community. Perry has performed several acts of kindness from buying a mother with a sick child a new car, paying funeral expenses for a family, and donating $100,000 to an Atlanta high school.