Texas Pastor Thanks Ivanka Trump for Her Generosity to Help Church's Ministry to Detained Border Kids

At Prestonwood Baptist Church's Sunday service, Pastor Jack Graham thanked Ivanka Trump for her generosity and kindness in donating $50,000 for the Dallas, Texas church's efforts to care for migrants.

Trump learned about the church's efforts in a tweet Graham posted last week.  She reached out to Graham, who's been Prestonwood's pastor for more than 30 years, and donated the money to help the church's work with migrant children.

"I've had the opportunity to meet with Ivanka Trump a number of times over the last year, and I've been struck by her kindness and concern for those in need," Graham said, "so, it wasn't that surprising to know she would want to help these families. But I certainly never expected to hear from her after a simple tweet."  

"What if more Americans, whatever their politics, decided to take to heart the needs of others and do what they can to help? Countless lives would be transformed. Hopefully, Ivanka's generosity will inspire many other Americans to get off the sidelines and actually provide tangible help to those in need."  he said.

CBN News reported the story just days before President Trump signed an executive order directing that migrant families be detained together.

On Sunday, Graham explained the first step in the church's response to the immigration crisis will be an assessment trip to determine the need and how other churches can also respond.

Graham, alongside several of the informal evangelical advisers to the administration, plans to have a video conference with a contact in Brownsville, Texas, this week to check on detention centers near the border. According to Graham, they will then plan an event during the first week of July for children in the detention centers.

"HHS officials have told us that the basic needs of the children are being taken care of," Graham said in a press release. "What the kids really need most is someone to brighten their day. They need someone to give them hope. Our plan is to create an event for the children that will encourage them and make them smile. Of course, we will also focus on how we can provide financial aid to families to assist them in their situation.

Since Graham's announcement on social media, the Prestonwood church has been receiving calls from congregations and Christians across America who want to participate in the church's response. Graham believes Ivanka's donation, the largest contribution so far, will encourage more people to help.

"The beauty of America and the people in our church is that we don't have to wait for our politicians to sort out their disagreements in order to do what is right," Graham said in the release. "Our country is facing complex issues that will take time to fix, but this shouldn't delay or stop our response to the needs of others.