by Amanda Froelich at trueactivist.com
When temperatures plunged below freezing, this church took to the streets in a mobile clothing pantry to provide warm gloves, hats, and other winter gear to individuals in need.
When you’re homeless and living on the streets, having enough insulation against the cold can be a matter of life and death. While a number of shelters offer folks temporary residence to escape the winter elements at night (when temperatures at their lowest), daytime can also be difficult to endure.
To combat this tragedy, a church in Buffalo, New York converted a bus into a mobile clothing pantry and is traveling the streets handing out items to those in need.
While True Bethel Baptist Church already has a warehouse where people in need can come to pick up warm clothing, too often, those in the most need have no transportation to get to the establishment for help. So, the group is bringing gloves, hats, and other cold weather gear to people on the streets.
Reports WIVB News, the church was in the process of converting the bus into a mobile pantry when temperatures plunged below freezing. Faced with a decision, Pastor Darius Pridgen decided to put it into use early.
Parishioners worked together to stock it, then the pastor and his crew began cruising streets in Buffalo. They stopped and offered anyone who looked like they could use some assistance warm, wooly gloves and hats.
Reportedly, the church plans to hand out $200,000 in clothes over the winter. Of course, the parishioners are also reminded that they can offer items to neighbors in need, too.
Said Pridgen:
“I challenge people and encourage them, because that’s what I’m going to do… keep some extra gloves, some extra hats (for) when you see seniors and you see children out. God would just have us to be the angel and not wait on an organization.”
Inspiration to start a mobile clothing pantry came after the success of the church’s mobile food pantry. During the summer months, more than 5,000 people were served with the community’s mobile unit.
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