A woman's ministry of helping others

By VERONICA GORLEY
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Racks of clothing are crammed along three walls inside Thelma Fitzgerald's garage. Little children's desk chairs hang from the ceiling. Boxes of apples are stacked along the sides.
And Fitzgerald said it's pretty cleared out.
Amazing Grace Ministries donates food, clothing, toys -- you name it -- to families in need right from the home of its president and founder, Thelma Fitzgerald.
"A lot of folk come in here, and whatever it takes me to feed them, I'm going to do it," Fitzgerald said.
In fact, 16 or more local agencies make use of Fitzgerald's ministry.
"We send a lot of referrals to her," said LaVerne Brown, director of the Kinship Care Program at Family Service Agency in Youngstown. "Any time there was a referral for food, housing, clothing or money for utilities, she would see that these things are taken care of."
Kinship Care Program is a referral agency for caregivers raising their relatives' children. Brown said she refers clients to human services, Social Security, legal offices, churches and people like Fitzgerald.
"She's a great resource for us," Brown said. "We call Thelma, and she's there -- no questions asked."
Started in 1966: Fitzgerald's ministry began in 1966 when she started Amazing Grace Bible Study with only two people, a shopping bag full of clothes and a desire to help the needy.
Now her garage, basement, office, three freezers and five refrigerators on Norwood Avenue on Youngstown's North Side continually are stocked with clothes, food, toys and other items, and her list of people in need has grown to more than 2,000 names.
The organization gained nonprofit status in 1994, and the name changed to Amazing Grace Ministries.
"It's amazing to watch two kids who wanted to study the Bible change and grow to 50, to 100, to 2,000," Fitzgerald mused.
She is co-pastor of Amazing Grace Tabernacle in Youngstown, but her ministry is not affiliated with her church or with any organization.
"The Lord called me to preach and he called me to help the poor and the needy," Fitzgerald said. "This is too hard. I would not have chosen it, but since the Lord has called me to it, it's a piece of cake."
Widespread influence: Fitzgerald said she takes care of 300 or more families each month "from all walks of life, every race and religion." Over the years, she has served the community in a number of ways -- from giving lessons on life at Forum Health Northside Medical Center and holding tent meetings in McGuffey Plaza to helping out in prisons and ministering to children at the Canfield Fair.
"She's helped a lot of people in the community," said Veronica McCullough of Youngstown, someone who has benefited from Fitzgerald's ministry. McCullough found out about Fitzgerald through Brown and the Kinship Care Program. She began volunteering with Fitzgerald in September after attending the first community picnic Fitzgerald had ever held.
"She's a very caring person," McCullough said. "She doesn't think of herself. Even when she runs out of food, she takes things from her own shelves.
"She'll give the shirt off her back," McCullough continued. "I've seen her do it. Someone came who needed a winter coat, and she gave the coat she was wearing."
An estimated 38 volunteers are involved in the ministry, and after being hospitalized in August for anemia, Fitzgerald has needed all the help she can get.
"I've been sick, but my volunteers have been my arms and my legs," Fitzgerald said.
Even though her husband, John, passed away in March, her work continues.
Needs more space: She is trying to acquire another building because she's running out of room at her residence.
"We want to do it all, from shoestrings on up," Fitzgerald said. "I've got everything set -- uniforms for each department -- I'm just waiting for the Lord to move."
She already knows what will go in the building: a soup kitchen, sanctuary, prayer rooms, a laundry room and offices. She would like to have cooking, sewing, craft and exercise classes as well as classes for grandparents raising their grandchildren.
"Grandparents -- their money is limited," Fitzgerald said. "This should be their day in the sun. Instead, it's raining and it's storming."
Fitzgerald has a large family -- six surviving children, 43 grandchildren, 42 great-grandchildren and 14 great-great-grandchildren, and she said the maternal part of her contributes to her desire to help children.
Always willing: "No matter what you go through, she's there to give you some encouragement," said Youngstown resident Debra Belton, Fitzgerald's financial secretary. "She's there to mother you, and it rolls over onto the next person and the next person. It goes on and on."
The 72-year-old is devoid of wrinkles but full of energy, compassion and miracle stories.
"It's been a long journey for me," Fitzgerald reflected.
She continues to hold a Bible study Friday nights, and she also conducts a "Homes in Crisis" session Tuesdays for parents of suicidal kids.
Fitzgerald is always looking for donations for her ministry, McCullough said. Fitzgerald leaves her front porch open for people to leave donations, and some area organizations collect items for Amazing Grace Ministries.
"If you know someone who needs help, we're swamped -- but tell them to give me a call," Fitzgerald said with a smile.