Mount Olive giveaway event slated for Saturday
By Steve Herring
Published in News on October 31, 2016 9:59 AM
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News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
Ashley Long sorts clothes for First Baptist Church's Warm the World event to be held Nov. 5.
MOUNT OLIVE -- Donations of clothing, especially for children, are needed for the First Baptist Church's fourth annual Warm the World clothing giveaway.
Coats, blankets, hats, gloves and scarves will given to community residents from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, at the church's Christian Life Center at the corner of North Chestnut and West John streets.
Juice, coffee and power bars will be served.
The church's missional engagement team organizes the event, said Ashley Long, a member of team.
"We are still taking donations, and we are particularly in need of children's coats," she said. "It is a churchwide event. We always invite anyone in the community who want to help so that they can, too -- other churches and organizations, but it is mainly First Baptist Church."
Several hundred items were given away last year, she said.
The clothes are collected year-round, but the pace steps up in the fall as organizers actively request donations of winter clothing.
The church stores items not given away.
Donations of cash or clothing can be made at the church office or by calling 919-658-2062. People interested in volunteering can go by the church or call the same number.
Volunteers have been sorting clothes and preparing for the event for about two weeks, Mrs. Long said.
Clothing racks are provided by the Brooks Brothers warehouse near Clinton.
"They are really great about donating coats and donating the use of the racks which helps us stay organized and transport them," Mrs. Long said. "The week before the event the University of Mount Olive men's basketball team is going to help us move the coats to the CLC.
"If they (residents) know of somebody near Goldsboro, First Baptist Goldsboro is doing the same event on the same morning at their church. So if Goldsboro is more convenient to someone, they can go there."
The Rev. Dr. Dennis Atwood, Mount Olive First Baptist Church pastor, said he does not recall who came up with the idea for the giveaway.
"Some of us in our church felt like this would be a good opportunity to do something specific to help keep people warm during the winter," Atwood said. "We called it Warm Mount Olive the first couple of years. We wanted to be very targeted to our neighbors, our community. We just started collecting coats and blankets and hats and set aside a day and distributed to whoever came. I think we had maybe a hundred people come the first year.
"The next year we had around 200. Last year it was more like 250 altogether. We also work through the local schools to find out if there are any particular needs that they have. Then we purchase new items and take then directly to their social workers."