Church plans variety of services for event
Providing help with energy assistance and food stamps as well as free haircuts, coats and groceries, Faith Assembly of God in Uniontown will offer its fourth annual Feed the Need this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The church, located at 690 Morgantown Road, traditionally held its program in August at Marshall Park, but has moved the time this year to coincide with Thanksgiving. The program, which traditionally has attracted about 1,000 participants, has also changed locations, being offered in the church’s new Family Life Center to protect people from the cold.
“This is open to anyone who desires to come and benefit from the services we are providing,’ said the Rev. Donald Immel, senior pastor.
Feed the Need is offering coats, provided by Faith Assembly and by Bread of Life Tabernacle in Uniontown. There will be free haircuts and health screenings. Representatives will be on site to provide help with energy assistance and food stamps.
Salvation Army will be present to talk about its services. Calvary United Methodist Church and Central Christian Church, both in Uniontown, will talk about their after-school programs.
Faith Assembly will also share information on its own services, including Grief Share and Divorce Care.
Teen Challenge International from central Pennsylvania will provide inspirational testimonies and music and drama during the ministry program.
A special area for children is also being established that will include face painting, a puppet show, balloons and games.
Immel also noted, “The first 300 families will be offered a certificate that they can redeem at Giant Eagle for free groceries for a Thanksgiving dinner.’
Cathy Kilgore, a member of the Feed the Need steering committee, coordinated the menu with Rege Dursa of Giant Eagle. She said it will include turkey, gravy, potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, corn, stuffing, cranberry sauce, bread and butter and pumpkin pie.
The dinners are being paid for with donations provided by the Faith Assembly congregation.
Immel said the church collected more than $9,000 in September to pay for Feed the Need.
“Things are tight for everyone and that includes our congregation,’ said Immel. “But again there is the generosity of knowing there are those less fortunate than themselves. They are willing to make the sacrifice to meet the need.’
Kilgore said, “You never know when you will be in this situation, like Anchor Glass.’
The program will run in one-hour rotations with 125 to 150 people coming into Feed the Need at a time. The church will feed those waiting in line, offering beverages, hot dogs and pizza.
“They are welcome to eat as much as they want and when they leave the services, they can come back to get more,’ said Immel.
Once inside Feed the Need, the participants will first visit the ministry presentation and then go downstairs to make use of the services offered, including coats, haircuts, ministries and resources and then receive certificates for Thanksgiving dinners.
In order to reach as many people as possible, the church is offering transportation. Vehicles marked Faith Assembly will pick up participants every two hours.
The stops include Marshall Manor on Church Street, White Swan Apartments, Beeson Apartments, Mount Vernon high rise, Woodview Terrace, Pershing Court, Coolspring/Evans Street, Harris Garden Apartments, Tuskegee/Howard Court and Gallatin School apartments.
About 150 members of the church are volunteering their time for this program. Members of the steering committee recently offered their reasons for participating.
Frank Barbage of Uniontown, who has volunteered for four years, said, “I love the fact the people can come and get ministered to. A lot of people don’t know the Lord and have nowhere to turn – no hope. This gives them hope and lets them know they’re loved.’
Sue Hanuschock, also of Uniontown, is participating for the first time: “This church reaches out to people, no matter their need, there is something going on. I have 8-year-old twin boys and I know when I take them downstairs, they are being fed at their level and I’m being fed at my level. That’s what I like.’
Kilgore, of Fairchance, has also been involved in every Feed the Need.
“It’s reaching out to the people, feeding them physically and spiritually. You’re trying to make a difference for Jesus because it’s all about him,’ she said.
Barb Outrich of the Smithfield area, who has also been involved four years, said, “I like the opportunity to be able to take our talents and to help those less fortunate and help them see there is another way – Jesus.’
In four years of doing Feed the Need, Immel said he has noticed no change in the number of people being served.
He commented, “I think the biggest challenge we face with compassion outreach is getting past people’s natural skepticism and convince them that we love them on the same basis that God loves them. This is what Christians do. We can give them food for a couple of days and if we can connect them to God, God can take care of them from here on out. We’re here to offer help but we want to connect them to the source. We are not seeking to increase our membership. Our desire is to love like God loves.’
Immel said another challenge the church faces is “so many people who could benefit say there are so many more less fortunate than me and they’re reluctant to take somebody else’s Thanksgiving dinner. That’s a hurdle we face.’
For more information on transportation for Feed the Need, call Faith Assembly at 724-437-8101.