It’s not very often that somebody wants to go out of his or her way to celebrate you as a person – unless that somebody happens to be Rev. Alan Warren of the Truth and Deliverance Baptist Church. This year marks the second year that Warren and the church will hold the "Just for You" event, which invites the developmentally disabled population to an evening consisting of a church service, dinner and gifts.

When Warren was growing up, his mother worked with the disabled so he spent a lot of time with them noticing that they needed someone to care about them and that they really appreciated everything done for them. Because of his experience as a child, Warren has been working overnight with the developmentally disabled for four years at the National Institute for People with Disabilities (NIPD) in Northvale.

One morning, he was driving home from work, as he normally does, when he had a vision. "I just heard God say, ‘just for you,’" he said. "‘I want you to do something and call it ‘just for you.’" He shared this vision with others, including his supervisor and so came the "Just for You" event aimed at celebrating the lives of these individuals. "My whole thing is touching lives and making a difference, that’s what we’re here for," said Warren.

Warren explained that each of us has a disability if you get to the root of the word. "Dis- means to be absent of," he said. "And ability is a strength so when you put it together, it’s an absence of strength. We lack strength and that’s why we need the Lord because he is our strength."

For Warren and the Truth and Deliverance Baptist Church, strength comes in numbers. When he talks to people who are interested in working with him, he only looks for those who are serious about providing people with love and serving them. "It’s just a great opportunity to serve and that’s really what it’s all about," he said. "We’re called to serve, it’s not how people treat you, it’s about how you treat people."

Based on the success of last year’s event, Warren hopes to see a full house this year. In the near future, he hopes the event will expand so that it’s too large to be held at the church.

With the contributions he hopes to receive, he knows the church will be able to make the evening really special for everyone involved. "We want to celebrate you as a person," he said. "You are somebody, you are special, you are loved and we just want to reiterate that."

"Just for You" will be held April 27 at Truth and Deliverance Baptist Church located at 175 William St. in Englewood.