Coat Giveaway

New Hope Community Church
2190 Peralta Blvd.

Fremont, California 94536

Coat Giveaway

New Hope Community Church started collecting coats in the summer of 2009, to help people in need of a warm coat for the winter of 2009/2010. We collected over 700 coats from schools, the Fremont community, Elk’s Lodge, and our church family came through with their coats as well.

We had our first coat give away on November 7 of last year and a second give away on January 16. We gave away over 500 coats and passed the remaining 200 to CityServe’s Compassion Network for their upcoming coat giveaway.

We not only provided warmth with a coat, we also provided refreshments, and more importantly, we also provided spiritual food …Prayer. We prayed for those who requested prayer, and almost all requested prayer! We provided a place for them to just sit, a place to have someone listen, a place for someone to get information for help, a contact for a job, and a ray of Hope.

Short Story

There was one young mother that came in with her twin girls, they found coats, and came in for cookies and a drink. She was asked if she would like prayer. “Yes”, she said. She told her story while her children played outside with children from Stillwaters Christian Church. It was a time for her to cry, a time for us to minister to her, and a time for prayer. At the end of our prayer, she said, “You know, I didn’t even need coats; something just told me to come here.” I looked at her and thought of God. If only this one person came here for a coat (which she didn’t really need), then this is why we were having this coat event. For this one person and her children, in need of a listening ear and to be prayed for.

I can’t begin to tell you how this event affected those of us who came to help with the coat giveaway. We were blessed in so many different ways. We loved talking with the people, helping them pick out coats, and seeing those who needed and asked for pray. Seeing how blessed we are to have all that we have. Seeing the people come in without coats and leaving with coats, smiles, a little something sweet to eat, and prayers.

As for me, I was looking at numbers. How many coats we could collect and how many coats we could giveaway. I thought it was about coats. When God showed me it wasn’t the coats, it was about obeying God, the need and the belief in the power of prayer, and our church family coming together to work in God’s house. A house that God built for all to come to in time of need.

Thank you to:

Judy Andrews, Cindy Buttles, Dianne Chapman, Marina Chapman, Bev Chitwood, Cathy Day, June Day, Joyce Gose, Mary Hoey, Corrie Klein, Tammy Koning, Fran Krell, Debra Lax, Evelyn Lax, Pat McLean, Cari Murray, Jim Olsen, Laurieann Olsen, Tabatha Olsen, Joyce Springsteen, Bob Swartz, Mary Volheim, and the children from Stillwater’s and their parents.

Thank you, Barbara Oliveira

Outreach

Abode Services

Compassion Network

African Wells Project

Coat Giveaway