GTHCC’s Clothes Closet and Food Pantry Ministries: Giving Back to the Community
Gateway to Heaven Christian Church, located at 7700 N Pearl St, Jacksonville, FL 32208, hosts a Clothes Closet and a Food Pantry every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month from 9:00AM until noon (or before, if supplies run out).
Here’s How We Got Started:
From 2020-2021, Gateway to Heaven Christian Church partnered with the Early Learning Coalition of Duval to provide children, ages birth to five years, with “giveaways” like clothing, learning tools, and infant accessories. People throughout Duval County and in Jacksonville, received free services and “giveaways” every 1st Friday of each month. Unfortunately, our partnership with the Early Learning Coalition has come to an end. However, as a result of our success with this, in 2022, we have geared our efforts towards a GTHCC Clothes Closet which includes clothing for women and children. We have more recently partnered with “Kid-to-Kid” and will continue our efforts to give back to the community in a mighty way!
In addition to our partnership with the Early Learning Coalition of Jacksonville in 2020-2021, as a response to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19, we are also a partner with the University of Florida and the Humana Foundation. The program is called the Health-Smart Holistic Program for Seniors. This is for residents of Health Zone 1 in Jacksonville. The aim of the program is to address the problems of social isolation, food insecurity, and financial insecurity that negatively impact the health and health-related quality of life of many seniors in Health Zone 1. This is one of six health zones in Jacksonville, and has the highest poverty rates, highest rates of the most common chronic diseases, and the highest death rate from heart disease. The program targets seniors who are underserved. This is a great opportunity for GTHCC to connect with more people in our community. Moving forward, we have provided families with the opportunity to get food from our GTHCC Food Pantry, as previously mentionedon each 1st and 3rd Saturday of every month.
Our Senior Pastors Carlton Jones and Walter Johnson, continue to give their time, attention, and support to each of our ministries. Their spiritual guidance has especially fueled these two ministries and has empowered others to take ownership of the work needed to ensure the success of them. Pastor Johnson, working side-by-side with a strong team, has identified 15-20 consistent volunteers who give of their time and talents. The Clothes Closet Ministry is led by Beatrice Connor and her husband, Associate Pastor Charles Connor. The Food Pantry Ministry is led by our illustrious duo Larry Stirl and his wife Ligia Stirl.
During the first 6 months of 2022, GTHCC served an estimated 900 families in our Food Pantry which translates into an estimated 2,500 individuals served. The Children’s Clothes Closet has served an estimated 400 families which translates into an estimated 1,200 individuals served. Our numbers are growing as we are experiencing a greater need in our community.
