Vanetia Baptist Church has surpassed its fundraising goal to purchase a bulletproof windshield for a local sheriff's deputy following a dangerous situation.
"It's not about who's got the money. This is about a helping hand and teaching children how to give and how to serve and how to love others so that's what's behind it," pastor at Vanetia Baptist Church, Louis Neyland, said.
Every year, neighbors at Vanetia Baptist Church raise money for a good cause during Vacation Bible School. This year, the cause hits particularly close to home.
"With an incident that happened here at the Leon County this year with Jeremy, and they're part of our church, I just felt led to help here in the county," Neyland said.
The church organized the fundraiser to purchase a bulletproof windshield for Leon County Sheriff's Deputy Jeremy Rangel's patrol car after he was nearly caught in crossfire during an incident in May.
"It was my call and my sergeant said, I'm a little closer than you are, I'll just meet you there and so I got about two minutes out and on the radio all you hear is distress and he's saying he's taking fire," Rangel said.
Rangel's sergeant's patrol car has a bulletproof windshield, so he was unharmed. However, Rangel's personal patrol car doesn't have this protection.
"It would have been a different outcome if I would have been just a little, you know, two minutes faster than what he was," Rangel said.
Neyland tells 15 ABC this fundraiser wasn't just for Jeremy—it was to spread a message of hope and unity throughout the entire community.
"The world tries to tear us down and Satan tries to tear us down," Neyland said. "I think as Christians we need to love others and lift each other up and just be there in a time of crisis."
The church set a goal of $3,000 for the bulletproof windshield, which they surpassed, raising $3,060.12.
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