March 28, 2024

Discover Hope, The Least of Saints Ministry filling community needs

To help fill a need within the community, Discover Hope ministries has opened the God’s Hands Clothing Ministry.

Located on the first floor of the Discover Hope building, 219 N. Second Ave. W., the clothing pantry is available for anyone in need, from babies through adults.

“It is like a clothing pantry for people that are in need,” organizer Jenifer Widner said. “They can come in, depending on how much clothing we have at the time, and take about five to 10 clothing items per family member per visit.”

Widner said the idea came from her work with the group People in Need in Jasper County and blossomed into a doorway for the ministry to make contact with those in need. Open from 9 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday, Widner will be available to help any interested people or take donations for the pantry.

“It’s just to help people in need and also to get people to come through the ministry and see what we have. A lot of times I try to give them a tour,” Widner said. “The goal is to have a safe place, especially if they are struggling with addition, where they can have support.”

Currently, the pantry is accepting freewill donations for any clothing given out. Clothing donations are also accepted for all ages and sexes.

“It is just starting out but I feel like it is really going to grow,” Widner said. “I think it will be a good resource for people in town.”

For more information about the pantry, contact Discover Hope at 641-841-0598.

Next door, The Least of Saints Ministry has started a food pantry as another way to help the community. Located in the church’s entry way, the pantry is available to anyone who may be in need in Newton.

The Rev. Scott Greene said the idea for the pantry came from his wife. Several shelves were built in the entry way at the church and she thought it would be great to use them to collect food to help others.

It is a give and take shelf with no rules or requirements for its use. Those who are in need, whether they attend the church or not, are allowed to take any items they may need. Most of the products are canned goods or food that does not need any special storage requirements.

The pantry has been open for about three weeks Greene said, and he has already seen the good work of the people in the community keeping it stocked.

“I’ll go in and it will be very down, with not very many items left, and then I’ll come back the next day and it will be full,” Green said. “The hope is that people that are getting in and getting the food that they need for themselves or their family.”

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534
or jpierson@newtondailynews.com