When Pastor William McCarty Sr. and eight other congregants converted the old Carrollton post office on Smiths Neck Road into Healing Waters Worship Center in 1999, it was their shared philosophy, he said, that churches meet the needs of the community in which they are planted.

In late June, the church celebrated a series of facility improvements designed to do exactly that.

The church now includes five half-court basketball areas and free high-speed WiFi internet spanning the entire property.

“We have found that WiFi, basketball courts, childcare, food help, life care and more is needed,” McCarty said. “So, we decided to put our money where our mouth is and engage the community for this creation.”

Church members and 10 local businesses and franchises spanning from northern Isle of Wight County to the city of Suffolk and the village of Walters in the county’s southern end partnered to raise roughly $125,000 for the improvements, which in addition to the basketball courts and WiFi, include free child care three hours a day for two Saturdays each month.

“We are also offering life care services, which is similar to counseling for grief, addiction, family, etc., all at no cost to anyone,” McCarty said.

A church brochure states the cleared fields at the back of the property and across the pond are also suitable for flag football, cheerleading and other community recreation needs. The free WiFi can be accessed by joining the HWWC Community Access network.