Seashore Community Church Addition Boosts Food Pantry, Thrift Shop

ERMA – Seashore Community Church of the Nazarene plans a March 30 service of dedication at 10:30 a.m. for its 3,000-square-feet addition. A portion of the structure, attached to the church, houses a food pantry and thrift shop, both of which assist a growing number of local families.
Termed the Ministry Center by Rev. Dr. I. Charles Gates, senior pastor, the 50 by 60-feet structure is used by Girl Scouts and other community organizations, as well as church activities.
The public is invited to the service, and a light luncheon will follow, Gates said. Among those invited to that ceremony are Mayor Michael Beck of Lower Township and District Superintendent Rev. Newell Smith. The church has about 300 families on its rolls.
Gates said the facility “replaced a couple of old trailers that needed to go.”
At the food pantry, approximately 400 families per week are served, he said. “There is a lot of food coming in and going out,” he added.
On Feb. 28, Almond Weech, Compassionate Care coordinator, who oversees the food pantry and thrift shop, swept the porch by the pantry’s door. As he showed the various parts of the building to a reporter, members of Lower Township Rescue Squad were unloading fresh fruit and produce, donated by Acme Markets to the pantry.
They were assisted by some volunteers from the church, including Fred Hofstetter, who was busy shifting cardboard boxes with vegetables and fruit for families who were already starting to line up before the pantry’s 10 a.m. opening.
Weech said the pantry distributes produce and fruit Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Non-perishable food, sufficient for a family, is distributed once every 30 days on Wednesday, he added. To Weech’s knowledge the church’s is the only pantry that gives out fresh fruit and vegetables.
The food pantry is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9 a.m. until noon.
While no one in need is turned away, he said the pantry is mainly for Lower Township-area families in need. Other pantries service those in need in the greater Wildwoods area, he noted.
The thrift shop is open in concert with the food pantry, and its donated clothing is either sold at minimal prices or given away, said Gates. He underscored the shop is “Not a money-making thing.” Profits are used to assist those who require help paying a utility or home fuel bill.
Seashore Church of the Nazarene conducts Sunday worship at 7:45 a.m., Sunday school at 10 a.m. and regular worship at 11 a.m. David Macomber is worship leader. Music is ‘blended” with some traditional hymns and contemporary worship songs. There are guitars and drums in addition to organ music to accompany songs.
A day care center operates at the church from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.