Photo By Michael Alexander

ALPHARETTA—Zach Hodskins’ first love is basketball. From a young age, he dreamed of playing basketball for a Division I college and eventually in the NBA. Today, through hard work, fierce determination and a lot of faith, Zach is seeing those dreams come true and inspiring people along the way—despite being born with only one hand.

Zach was one of four teens from several community churches who spoke at the fifth annual Alpharetta community Thanksgiving service, hosted by St. Thomas Aquinas Church Nov. 17. In addition to St. Thomas Aquinas, participating churches included Alpharetta Presbyterian Church, Alpharetta First United Methodist Church and St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church.

The churches were represented by their musicians, speakers and clergy, including Father Austin Fogarty, pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas. The evening was full of song, Scripture and several speakers.

Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle welcomed the congregation and spoke about the importance of faith to the city.

“Faith is a huge component to who we are. We have had no shortage of blessings in the Alpharetta community, but if we don’t have that spiritual component in our lives, everything else is just immaterial,” he said.

Henry Smith, a high school sophomore who attends St. Aidan’s, was the first of the four teens to speak about what Thanksgiving meant to him.

When people are asked about the things for which they are grateful, they might respond with a list of gadgets or their friends and family. Some might even have a story about a hardship they’ve overcome, Henry said. But he has another reason for expressing his gratitude.

(L-r) Dr. Don Martin, senior pastor, Alpharetta First United Methodist Church, Rev. Cynthia Park, assistant rector, St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, St. Thomas Aquinas deacon Ed LaHouse, Rev. Robert Wood, rector, St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, Dr. Ollie Wagner, senior pastor, Alpharetta Presbyterian Church, and Father Austin Fogarty, pastor, St. Thomas Aquinas Church, gather in front of the altar during a litany of thanksgiving. The six clergy from four Alpharetta community churches came together for the fifth annual ecumenical Thanksgiving service, Nov. 17.

“I am grateful for my Christian religion and the community that comes with it. The one that gives me so much but asks for so little in return.”

Henry talked about a debate he had with a friend who asked him why he believed in God. After pondering the answer, Henry found his voice.

“The reason I believe is because I have prayed and had prayers answered. I have had close calls and have been saved. I have felt Christ flow through me,” he said. “I am thankful to God and Jesus because they made me who I am today.”

Basketball star Zach, a parishioner of St. Peter Chanel Church, Roswell, was the second to share his story. Born without a left hand, Zach didn’t let his disability stop him. He played sports, including baseball, soccer and surfing. But basketball was his true love. He said he was determined to stop the naysayers who tried to hold him back.

“I knew I had to find good people in my life who would instead tell me I could do great things. I knew God brought me here to be more than just the kid with one hand,” he said. “I truly believe God put me on this earth to inspire others.”

Zach’s parents were always supportive of their son pursuing his dreams, and they moved to Alpharetta so he could play basketball at Milton High School—home of one of the top-ranked teams in the country. Zach has excelled and recently committed to the University of Florida as a preferred walk-on.

“Everyone has a cross to bear, whether it’s internal or physical,” he said. “Never give up. With hard work, focus, determination and faith in God, you can accomplish anything.”

Audy Mulia, a senior who attends Alpharetta Presbyterian Church, spoke about the pressures of college applications and finding greater faith through the process.

“All this pressure on a 17-year-old is enough to make her crack. And believe me, I did. But God works in unexpected ways, and in this case, he worked through my church community. I was amazed by the ways people offered me support and advice,” she said. “Just to hear someone is praying for you is incredible when you’re feeling hopeless.”

The final speaker was Conor Meitin, a high school junior from St. Thomas Aquinas. He turned the question about thankfulness around and said people should think more about the things for which they aren’t grateful.

“Everything that happens is part of God’s plan for us. To be the people we are and make the mistakes we do and still be loved by an awesome, unbelievable God—we can never be thankful enough for that,” he said. “So we should be thankful for every single thing that happens in our lives because God planned it that way.”

In addition to bringing members of community churches together, the ecumenical service was a fundraiser for North Fulton Community Charities, which thrives on support from the community and 70 local churches. In 2012, the charity assisted 48,000 families and gave away $1.3 million in financial aid. Barbara Duffy, executive director, thanked the attendees for their support.

“We are so grateful that these churches have made us part of their ministry. You help us reach out locally to assist families. We see 100 families a day, people who need food, financial assistance, clothing, hand-holding or advice. We are keeping people going when something happens to them,” she said.

The event concluded with a reception in the church hall. Many St. Thomas Aquinas teens attended the event and were happy for the chance to meet their peers from other area churches.

Lindsey Hanna, a senior, said she was happy that her parish hosted the event.
“I thought it was really cool to see the other churches. I liked the idea of all the denominations coming together,” she said. “It shows that we really do have a lot in common.”

Briana Sobel, also a senior from St. Thomas Aquinas, agreed.

“It used to be that everyone had some sort of religion—it was just kind of expected. But not that many people make religion a priority these days,” she said. “It was really neat to see so many young people from different denominations. It kind of showed that we’re all in this together and that we’re not really that different after all.”