Quinte Bible Chapel - Open Door Christian Fellowship

"Quinte Bible Chapel in Belleville, ON

For the past three years, Pastor Ken Wiles of Quinte Bible Chapel in Belleville, Ont., together with Outreach Coordinator Joan Burton, has organized a bi-annual clothing giveaway for those living in the government funded housing of East Hill in Belleville. “The vision we have is to be a community-building church from the inside of our lives and our church, outwards,” says Wiles.  The ministry was birthed after Burton, who became the Out reach Coordinator in 2005, realized that due to government cutbacks, families and individuals in their community  were struggling to pay for enough clothing. A local consignment store already donated clothes to the church each November for Samaritan’s Purse shoeboxes. For this reason Burton felt a clothing ministry  would be a natural fit .

 “I went to the store and asked for clothes on a regular basis,” says Burton, who keeps the donations in her garage to give as needs arise. The first major giveaway occurred in October of 2006.  Burton admits it’s difficult to find space in her garage for all of the clothing and to collect seasonal out fits. “The store takes summer clothing off [the racks] and I need winter [clothing],” she says. “This is a big challenge.” Members of the 55-person congregation have assisted bread donations, thanks to church members who own those kind of businesses.

“The congregation itself is very supportive and encouraging,” says Wiles. “Some are able to give more than others, but a big core is 100 per cent behind it .”