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Abundant Love Outreach church marks Day of Service
By Sean Barron
YOUNGSTOWN
Mike DeOerio has fond childhood memories of having seen his mother distribute clothing to those less fortunate.
“People used to come to our house and drop off clothing to those in need when I was a teenager and before I was a teenager,” the Boardman man recalled.
About six decades later, DeOerio did the same when he donated five bags of men’s clothing and other material Saturday to Abundant Love Outreach, 93 E. Myrtle Ave., on the South Side.
The seven-hour clothing drive was part of Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative geared toward solving the problem of childhood obesity within a generation, noted Stephanie McRae, who hosted the gathering.
People brought sweat shirts, sweat pants and other clothes conducive to exercise to encourage recipients to stay physically active and fit, explained McRae, of Hubbard, a wellness coach who also served eight years in the Army.
The first lady’s Let’s Move! program also aims to provide parents with more helpful information about combating obesity in their children and foster environments that encourage healthful choices such as more- nutritious foods in schools, according to its website.
Organizing Saturday’s clothing giveaway was the Yes Lord! Faith Movement, which has assembled a series of community-based efforts through Monday in keeping with President Barack Obama’s call for Americans to organize and take part in
community-service projects to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy.
Saturday was recognized nationwide as National Martin Luther King Service Day 2013, and Monday is Obama’s second Inauguration Day.
DeOerio said he collected clothing and other items from his Aquadale Drive neighborhood for the drive. “I think it’s a good thing to help the people in need,” he added.
The effort was made easier thanks to volunteers such as Diann Barns of Poland, a former engineer with the Ohio Department of Transportation.
“I prefer that someone who could use it will have it,” said Barns as she sorted and arranged mainly socks and shoes for men, women and children.
“[Michelle Obama] has such a good initiative. Eating right, changing your lifestyle and moving a little bit helps,” Barns added.
Performing a similar task with donated undergarments, T-shirts, sweatshirts and pants for people of all ages was her husband, Mitch Barns.
McRae, who also spent time Saturday at Abundant Love with her 6-year-old son, Isaiah Jones, started a local chapter of JumpStart-7, which is a community- circuit project that tries to get people more into fitness and “inspire a well-fit America,” she said. In addition, JumpStart-7 is under the umbrella of the President’s Challenge, a program that seeks to help people of all ages and abilities increase their physical activity and improve fitness through research-based information, simple tools and motivation, its website says.
Isaiah is a recent President’s Challenge award-winner and, as a result, took home a medal and a T-shirt, McRae said with pride.
Even though she wishes more children had come to the seven-hour clothing giveaway, McRae said she was impressed with the amount of donated merchandise and thankful to the volunteers who assisted.
“The people who have helped, I’m really thankful for. For that much, I’m really happy,” McRae said, estimating that enough clothing was brought for at least 30 families of four.