Grace Christian Fellowship’s annual Warm Coats from Warm Hearts winter clothing drive is keeping families warm this winter.
Pastor Brian Sharp said the coat drive, which began almost 20 years ago with a handful of church members, passed out 375-400 coats to over 100 families Wednesday evening at the Farmer’s Market.
Coats are collected throughout the year and sometimes bought at low prices from garage sales or stores who want to turn over their stock.
“We usually have a pretty good supply by the time November rolls around,” Sharp said.
The growth of the drive has mirrored the growth in the population the church serves. People continued to respond well to promotions of the event even though the church took a different approach this year, eschewing paper flyers in favor of social media publicity on the Grace Christian Fellowship, Bread Shed and Neighbors Helping Neighbors Facebook pages.
“The social media has really been a big help,” he noted.
The church is grateful for the community’s ongoings support of Warm Coats from Warm Hearts, which enables them in turn to support Poplar Bluff in the name of Jesus.
“The one reason we do it is because of the love of Jesus. He’s changed our lives and we’re passing on that love in a practical way to our community,” said Sharp.
Grace Christian Fellowship is located at 3200 Warrior Lane in Poplar Bluff. More information about them can be found on the church’s Facebook page, online at gcfministricsinc.com or by calling 573-778-3633.