WHEELING, W.Va. — The 35th annual Bethlehem Apostolic Temple Thanksgiving giveaway is set to return Saturday, potentially drawing the largest crowd in recent years.
The longest government shutdown in history has increased the church’s grocery list, prompting officials to order more food than usual, including turkeys, potatoes, and pies.
“It’s not just the unemployed, it’s also the underemployed,” said Bishop Darrell Cummings. “And what I mean by that is people who do go to work every day and still don’t have enough. We had someone tell us in prior years that it was going to be Thanksgiving whether they had a turkey or not, but this helped it to be a special Thanksgiving — the help that we gave.”
The event, held at the North Wheeling Community Dream Center, has become a tradition, providing meals, clothes, and hope.
There are no income or residency requirements, a policy that has remained unchanged and continues to support generations.
“I have some people who tell me, they remember coming as a child and now they have children,” Cummings said. “Hopefully we have made a positive influence.”
The giveaway begins at 11 a.m. and operates on a first-come, first-served basis.