Pocono News Section

"Warm Up Scranton" Helps Families for Winter

"Warm Up Scranton" Helps Families for Winter - Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 10:32PM EST

Reported by: Mark Hiller
Saturday, Dec 12, 2009 @ 10:32pm EST
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY - A multi-cultural church in Scranton's Green Ridge section is reaching out to the community this winter season.
Hemisphere Church helped hundreds of people, Saturday, by helping them warm-up.

Rack upon rack of coats filled the church on Green Ridge Street.
It was set up like a store with new or gently used clothing available for free.
It's clothing that church members wanted struggling families and individuals to have during tough financial times.
"We're giving away coats, clothes, hats, gloves, warm soup, cookies, hot chocolate just to bless other people with the love of God," said Hemisphere Church member Sunny Sunseri.

That love led members of this Baptist church to sponsor A Christmas outreach program called "Warm Up Scranton".
Joblessness can turn what should be the most wonderful time of the year to the most difficult.
Proof of that was seeing the people helped during the day.
"All kinds of people have been coming through," said Hemisphere Church member Jossie Lowe. "And a lot of homeless people have been coming through and so we are happy to help them and to show them the love of God."

Hemisphere Church spread word about "Warm Up Scranton" by sending out flyers throughout the community and schools.
That's what brought Erycabeth Oballe of Scranton and her family to the clothing giveaway.
She can relate to other struggling families.
"A lot of people around are not working or stay home," said Oballe. "They need clothes or something for the kids, you know."

Members of the congregation and the community weren't alone in meeting the need.
The church recruited several businesses to collect hundreds and hundreds of clothing donations and make "Warm Up Scranton" a success.
"It's just so nice to be able to say just take it and leave and take it and you don't need to give us anything," said Hemisphere Church member Marichelle Sunseri
"We're not asking for anything. We just want you to be able to use it and be blessed by it."

"Warm Up Scranton" also provided free gift wrapping for families who needed a little help in that department.