Church to give away food, clothes
Published 9:16 pm Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Deacon Joseph Chunn, Clerk of the Circuit Court Randy Carter, Minister Tina Chunn, Mayor Linda Johnson, Pastor Troy Ruffin Sr. and Lady Karen Ruffin prepare to cut the ribbon opening the food bank and clothes closet at Faith Temple Ministries on Monday.
By Henry Luzzatto
Correspondent
Faith Temple Ministries opened its new food bank and clothes closet with a Monday ceremony featuring Mayor Linda Johnson and Randy Carter, the clerk of the circuit court.
The food bank and clothes closet will be open on Mondays from noon to 4 p.m. and on Wednesdays from 4 to 8 p.m.
According to Deacon Joseph Chunn, the church’s program coordinator, it hopes to serve more than 100 people this week. Pastor Troy Ruffin Sr. said the church prepared 58 bags of clothing to give away on the opening day.
“There has been a lot of growth in Suffolk,” Johnson said about the importance of charitable organizations. “But it doesn’t mean we don’t have those that still need help.”
She went on to thank the church and Ruffin for opening the food bank and clothes closet.
“We all have responsibilities to one another,” she said.
The clerk of the circuit court also emphasized that charitable organizations are necessary.
“Government can’t do it all,” Carter said. “It takes people like you and churches and organizations like this.”
Each of the speakers cited the words of Bishop Obadiah Colander, the church’s late founder, who created the church to be a ministry, Ruffin said. He added that the church decided to open a food bank because it wanted to serve God.
“We wanted to open up the food bank because it’s what God told us to do,” Ruffin said.
Ruffin, who has served as the pastor of Faith Temple Ministries for a little more than a year, said that the goal of the church is to “serve God and the city of Suffolk.”
The food bank is currently open to the public twice a week, but the church will make exceptions if someone demonstrates need, Ruffin said.
“We have to be available all of the time,” he said.
The schedule is based on availability and need and is subject to change if the operation grows, Chunn said.
Both individuals and businesses can make donations to the food bank and clothes closet, Ruffin said.
Faith Temple Ministries is located at 476 Wellons St. To donate food or clothing, call Chunn at 410-458-7840 or call Faith Temple Ministries at 934-2735.
