Wheeling, WV — The Bethlehem Apostolic Temple’s annual Christmas food and toy basket giveaway drew nearly 552 people to the North Wheeling Community Dream Center on Saturday. Attendees received food, clothing, and toys, all donated by the local community. Pastor Darrell Cummings highlighted the challenges faced this year due to the government shutdown and reduced benefits, saying, “This is the only one that’s so close to each other, it’s less than 30 days apart, we completed everything 30 days ago and then we had to restock.” Despite these hurdles, with the help of 30 to 40 volunteers, the event was a success, taking over two hours to serve everyone.
Local law enforcement and fire department personnel, including Eric Cianelli, Asst. Fire Chief of the Wheeling Fire Dept., were present to assist. Cianelli noted, “This is our opportunity to interact with the community. A lot of the people that come to these are residents in the district we serve, so we enjoy interacting with the kids and helping out the people that are less fortunate than most of us.” He added, “The more we interact with the children, the more they know who to go to for help and who their community leaders are.”
Now in its 35th year, Pastor Cummings emphasized the importance of the event, stating, “We want people to know that they’re not in it by themselves.” He expressed hope for the future, saying, “I think we are saving lives by showing people that God loves you, your community loves you, and there is help available.” The next major giveaway is planned for Easter, with details to be announced.