The InterChurch Council, an often overlooked partner in Mount Gilead community outreach, is again giving back the town it calls home by handing out donated food to the Morrow County Services for Older Citizens.

The Council comprised of members and pastors of Trinity Methodist Church, First Baptist Church, First Presbyterian Church, New Life Assembly of God and Bryn Zion Baptist Church made it a priority this winter to help the area’s senior citizens in need.

“The elderly sometimes falls through the cracks,” InterChurch Council member Vickie Countz said. “We want to make sure they get what they need. A lot of them are embarrassed to ask for help.”

The council through work with the staff at Seniors on Center, made bags of non-perishable snacks and treats to be distributed to seniors in need throughout the community.

“I love to shop, so this was a lot of fun,” InterChurch member and senior center donation organizer Mary Kay Myers. “The donation is a is kind of a winter pick me up for seniors.”

Myers, along with her mother Joanne, took charge of the donation effort to Seniors on Center. The program looks to bridge the gap for seniors between the holiday season and the beginning of spring.

In addition to InterChurch’s donation to Seniors on Center, the group aims to make the most of its funding and staff to help the Mount Gilead community through other outreach programs. The group is entirely self-sustaining and functions on donations collected once a month from each of the five churches that comprise the group.

“The people in our churches are some of the most giving people I have ever met,” InterChurch president Gary Countz said. “All the money that went into this (senior donation) was from our churches.”

The group takes on various service projects throughout the year such as a crockpot cooking class for those in need and the annual “Christmas in the Village” just to name a few.

InterChurch is committed to helping those in need in Mount Gilead and aims to keep their service efforts local.

To contact the InterChurch Council about any of their outreach efforts, contact any of the five churches that participate in the group.

Zach Jones | The Sentinel Gary and Vickie Countz stand in front of the non-parishable items the InterChurch Council donated to Seniors on Center.
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2016/02/web1_IMG_6532.jpgZach Jones | The Sentinel Gary and Vickie Countz stand in front of the non-parishable items the InterChurch Council donated to Seniors on Center.

Zach Jones | The Sentinel Vickie Countz puts the finishing touches on a bag of non-parishable items to be given out to seniors throughout the community.
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2016/02/web1_IMG_6528.jpgZach Jones | The Sentinel Vickie Countz puts the finishing touches on a bag of non-parishable items to be given out to seniors throughout the community.

Zach Jones | The Sentinel
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2016/02/web1_IMG_6531.jpgZach Jones | The Sentinel

By Zach Jones

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Reach Jones at 419-946-3010 ext. 1803 or on Twitter @zJones_1239