Jesus’ followers in Covington County hear and heed His words to clothe the naked and feed the hungry in a prolific way through Covington Association-owned Christian Service Centers (CSC).
Covington director of missions (DOM) Larry Cummings said the three CSCs came from the Lord’s leadership through the love that retiring DOM Neal Wyatt has for social ministries. Wyatt retired Oct. 1.
Cummings commended Wyatt’s innovative dedication to establishing the first center in Andalusia, then centers in Opp and Florala to better serve many of the 37,587 inhabitants of Covington County.
“We hope to maintain and even expand Christian social ministries, which the centers are part of,” Cummings said.
The ministry through the centers is much more than selling donated clothing at cheap prices and allowing folk to fill bags with free food: It’s giving a juvenile offender the chance for change through Jesus; it’s renewing self-worth for the unemployed; it’s talking in a nonchurch setting about bread for the stomach and God’s Bread for the soul; it’s giving the retired a way to be useful in society.
Wyatt said social ministries are needed among the people of Covington County due in part to unemployment, especially with textile mills closing. “We’re facing an economic situation … unemployment is here, but the county economic development is looking for new industry and trying to attract that, so we’re working with that,” he said.
Unemployment remains about twice the state’s unemployment rate of 4.5 percent.
A February 1999 report from the U.S. Census Bureau, based on 1996 data, shows that 20.9 percent of the county’s population was impoverished, with 28.5 percent of all children ages 5-17 coming from impoverished families.
Some of the county’s unemployed people volunteer at the centers, while other volunteers are retirees or are employed and volunteering part time.
One retiree volunteer is Vannie Fuller, 81, a member of West Highland Baptist Church in Andalusiawho participates in the daily devotions for store volunteers.
“We’ve had volunteers to come to know the Lord because of our devotions,” Mrs. Fuller said
The Andalusia store is at its third location; about three years ago it burned, but was restored.
Wyatt said they currently have 50–60 volunteers among the three centers, but have had as many as 100.
The Covington County Court system finds the centers positive places for a few of their nonviolent juvenile offenders, who work community service requirements under the supervision of volunteers/coordinators at the stores.
“The judges put them here because they want them in a Christian atmosphere and want them to do meaningful work; it has to be a means to help people,” Wyatt said.
Selling donated clothing, knickknacks, toys and other items at very low prices gives poverty level families, the unemployed and the temporarily displaced a way to have what they couldn’t have otherwise and hope to dream of better days.
The stores also give bargains to those who can afford to spend, often buying to donate to someone who is in dire straits.
Housed within the three centers are Food Distribution Centers. “Last year we gave away 44,000 pounds of food through the food centers,” Wyatt said. The centers purchase food from food banks, and they receive food from drives held by churches, Boy Scouts and a citizens’ group called Acorn.
Cathy Gresham, one of the food center coordinators in Andalusia, said the store gives out around 1,000 pounds of food every week.
Recipients qualify for food and clothing are based on based on poverty level income and family size, as established by the government. The clothing may be purchased by anyone at its already low prices.
The Baptist association’s thrift stores are self-supporting and locally owned and operated, but they voluntarily participate in a national organization known as the Association of Christian Thrift Stores.
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