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In October 2002, Doyle Klinger, Jr., Pastor of Faith United Methodist Church, and David Dimmick, the Church’s Director of Community Relations, sat in a local restaurant considering outreach ministry for the Church. They watched as a young woman bought two cartons of cigarettes and left with her scantily clad daughter who was munching on a Twinkie® for breakfast. They knew of poverty and substance-abuse statistics and of homelessness. And they agreed: “we’ve got to do something about this.“ At that moment, FAITHCENTRE, a faith-based community outreach center for the Bellefonte area, was born!
After individual meetings with a host of community leaders, a gathering was held at which representatives of community groups and churches met to dream. Just seven months later, in June 2003 FAITHCENTRE’s thrift shop opened in a small storefront in downtown Bellefonte. The next day several members of the Board of Directors agreed that it was simply too small. Immediately they began looking for another location. God answered.
In January 2004 FAITHCENTRE moved to a new, 11,000+ square-foot facility on the square in Bellefonte. With the additional space, FAITHCENTRE was poised to help. God answered.
In July, 2004, the Bellefonte Academy, a 19th century prep school that housed 23 families in apartments, was destroyed by fire. FAITHCENTRE was asked to help. The Centre’s servants stepped up: they received, sorted and distributed approximately two tons of clothing, food and household items; they received and distributed over $36,000 in assistance and, working with the local Red Cross, re-located the 23 families. Centre volunteers maintain an on-going relationship with the victims, continuing to help meet needs with such things as rent assistance, electricity and heat subsidies, insurance premiums, food, furniture and clothing vouchers and others.
Since that time, we have developed programs that serve virtually all of the community. In 2008 alone, the FaithCentre:
- Provided over $5,000 worth of free clothing to families in need
- Provided over $7,000 in emergency financial relief for area residents
- Offered victims of local fires food and clothing
- Added fresh eggs, milk, diabetic supplies, and pet food to the Food Bank shelves
- Served an average of 527 people each month at our Food Bank
- Helped distribute toys to 445 area boys and girls through our partnership with Toys for Tots
- Held a Women's Praise and Prayer Group each Thursday morning
- Offered baked goods and food to area shut-ins and soup kitchens
- Held Bible studies every Wednesday at 10:30am
- Provided community service opportunities for juvenile offenders through Probation and Parole
- Held an Open House Christmas Dinner for the community
- Served an average of 14 people a day at the Bill Thomas Coffee Corner
- Provided 985 people with the items for a full Christmas Dinner through the Food Bank
- Housed Working Wardrobe - a Community Action program that provides appropriate clothing for men and women transitioning from welfare to work
- Hosted individual literacy tutoring through Mid-State Literacy
FaithCentre has just 6 paid staff, only 2 of whom are full-time. The staff is supported by over 80 volunteers. Volunteers come from area community and service organizations as well as most all area churches. Food drives are conducted by scout troops, local postal workers and school groups. Even local businesses help with donations of linens from motels, display cases from a jewelry store, fresh vegetables and bakery items from grocery stores, among others.
