As the newly elected President of the Baptist Ministers Conference of Gary and Vicinity, Christian Valley Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Dewan M. Bynum has hit the ground running with an inaugural community coat drive.
Registration and collections of coats and donations have officially begun for the “Doing Something Good in the Neighborhood” Coat Drive, which is being held in conjunction with organization’s 12-night revival from January 1 -12, 2022.
Coat distribution will take place Sunday, January 9, 2022 at New Friendship Baptist Church, 1545 Waite St. in Gary at 3:00 p.m.
Bynum identified the need for coats for Gary residents after reviewing some of the statistics from the 2020 Census.
“It saddened me to read that more than 17,000 residents in our community live below the poverty level,” said Bynum. “They are clearly in need of various resources, but we wanted to start with the gifting of coats as the cold weather approaches.”
The organization has set a goal to distribute 300 coats but believes the support from the community will yield a larger amount. Those who attend the 12-night revival, which will be held nightly at various Gary churches, will also be reminded about participation in the coat drive.
Registration to receive a coat
Gary residents in need of a coat can register by calling one of the numbers listed below. Please leave the name of the person to receive the coat, contact phone number, coat size (adult/youth) and gender.
219-883-5762 – Christian Valley MBC
219-944-9136 – Tree of Life MBC
219-765-1854
Donate to Coat Drive
Donations of funds and new coats of all sizes are being accepted. To arrange a monetary donation, call 312-975-2114. Coats may be dropped off at the locations listed below. Donors are asked to call ahead.
Tree of Life MBC
2323 W. 11th Avenue
Gary, Indiana
219-944-9136
Evening Star Baptist Church
1340 Clark Road
Gary, Indiana
(219) 949-4047
“I want to thank our community in advance for their generosity,” said Bynum. “The Gary Baptist Ministers Conference of Gary and Vicinity have a busy year ahead of us and we look forward to the partnerships we’ll forge for an even greater impact.”
For more information about the coat drive and 12-night revival, call 219-883-5762.
