Need at church's free monthly giveaway grows
For help or to donate
Call Rock Assembly of God Church, 2232 Hermitage Lane, Janesville, at (608) 756-2232 or Pat Schwab-Markley at (608) 754-0272 or (608) 931-6720.
The free monthly giveaways are 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. the fourth Wednesday of the month except for November and December, when the giveaway is the third Wednesday of the month.
Donations can be dropped off at the church. There is always a need for clothing, especially for children, infants and men, plus shoes, handbags and now winter outerwear.
Those in need of a tax receipt can call Schwab-Markley.
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Dozens of people wait in line moments before the doors open at the monthly clothing distribution at the Rock Assembly of God Church on Hermitage Lane.
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A group made up of mostly women crowd into the entrance of the Rock Assembly of God Church in an attempt to locate needed clothing and other goods during the church's monthly giveaway.
JANESVILLE — The monthly scene was familiar: A line of people stretching from the church entrance across the driveway and into the parking lot.
Vehicles spilling out of the lot and parking onto the side street of Hermitage Lane.
People leaving with their new and gently used treasures stuffed into plastic bags and cardboard boxes so full they could barely carry them.
All had come for the free giveaway at Rock Assembly of God Church.
After prayer among the group of volunteers, doors to the narthex were unlocked and the crowd rushed in.
Children raced to bins and grabbed stuffed animals before clutching them to their chest for safekeeping. Two young sisters, 7 and 3, sat on the floor. While the older girl laced up her new pair of rollerblades, the younger pulled on a pair of rain boots. She gushed with pride even though she had put them on the wrong feet.
"They fit," she shouted with excitement to her mom, smiling up to those stepping around her.
Nearby, women rushed to the personal care items' table, shoes and handbags bins, throwing hairspray, toiletries, shoes and purses inside their bags.
Crowded lines formed alongside both sides and ends of long rows of folding tables stacked with clothes while others dug through donations on shelves, the floor, rods and racks.
More donations, just inside the nave of the church, were boxed and ready for restocking.
The first rush of Wednesday's crowd had come and gone within a half hour. Another rush was expected later, before the end of the two-hour giveaway.
Although many faces were familiar in the crowd, more new ones have been showing up in recent months, said Pat Schwab-Markley, a member of the church who started the giveaway 13 years ago with the help of her right-hand volunteer Everly Miller.
In the beginning, just a handful of people needed help. But over time, that number grew to 100 and now has doubled since last November, Schwab-Markley said.
"The needs have really increased, and they will not go away," she said.
Schwab-Markley also is seeing more families, especially those who are homeless—five in the last two weeks—plus more Hispanics, she said.
The need is so great; people wait in line in all kinds of weather and for up to 3 1/2 hours before the giveaway starts, Schwab-Markley said.
It's due to the local General Motors plant and other local businesses closing in addition to layoffs, church volunteers said.
"People are calling more often because of the economy," Miller said.
Schwab-Markley isn't confident the church giveaway is filling all the needs in the community and was worried when donations weren't coming in for a while earlier this year. But that has changed now.
"They're coming in pretty good," she said.
Continuation of the charitable program, which doesn't require any identification or income verification, is possible because of the generosity in this community, Schwab-Markley said.
She said she and her crew of volunteers continue the giveaway because of their love of the Lord.
"It's the idea of helping and God telling us what to do."
Sep 3, 2009 at 9:51 a.m.
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Poverty is not hereditary, it is not taught, it is a reality that some people just cannot grasp unless they, themselves are experiencing it. If you stay in Janesville, you will see it coming all around you. And yes, runoft you will see it too.
Aug 31, 2009 at 4:34 a.m.
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Runnoft: Stay at Mendota as long as they allow; you definitely need the help. And as far as you talking yourself up here: What do you want? A medal or a chest to pin it on? Give these folks a break. Nobody stands in line that long unless they really need the help. By the way, I really doubt that Kwik Trip pays $7.50 an hour, much less $10 an hour. Get real.
Aug 31, 2009 at 3:54 a.m.
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Runnoft-mooches? Nice. I have not personally gone to a give away however it may not be long before I have to. I have been out of a job for a year, resumes all over. Applying for jobs that would barely cover the gas to get there. If you are such a good citizen do something positive dont run down those you know nothing about. Circumstances in the city have changed drastically. I love Janesville but since all these jobs have been lost people are becoming jerks. We need to work together to get through this. That church is doing a great thing. We dont have a pot to pee in right now and could still find blankets to donate to an area cause, what have you done?
Aug 30, 2009 at 6:51 p.m.
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Our family and friends have given boxes and boxes of clothing to this wonderful organization!! I grew up not having much. I feel it is important for children( and adults) to have nice clean clothes as my kids do.. I was hugged the one time I dropped some things off, because it was just the sizes they were looking for. It teaches our kids compassion towards one another!!
Aug 30, 2009 at 4:14 p.m.
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runnoft or whatever your name is, I want to see you comment on the poverty article in todays paper. You need a wake up call. Life in Janesville is not all roses. Maybe you should be in Mendota, you might see how your relatives are doing!
Aug 30, 2009 at 4 p.m.
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I never said they live off of handouts!! You read more into my post than you should have. I just meant that the church helped and I thank them. It is hard for me and my spouse to help all the time. It was very nice of them to help in their time of need. My daughter did not even take her kids with her, she doesn't want them to feel that they need help.
Aug 30, 2009 at 3:47 p.m.
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LOL Yeah, sorry, I had to respond to the first comment even though it was off topic!
On topic though--we all need some help sometimes whether we all admit it or not. I think it's great the church is there to help. But, yes, help should be a temporary thing as people do need to find a way support themselves. But,either way, it's an awesome thing to see others helping others. Hopefully those who take the help now can be the ones to give back in the future to others who will need it.
Aug 30, 2009 at 3:02 p.m.
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And another thing, who are you to say people should do this and do that, when you don't know them personally? I would hate to have you for a parent. I wish the Gazette would make people take a psycological test before they could post on here, you would fail miserably!!
Aug 30, 2009 at 2:53 p.m.
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He is taking care of his kids. The mother is still getting child support too, which is crap because illinois has a screwed up court system. He works at the Humane Society. My daughter receives disability. You ever try to live off about a grand a month with 3 kids? This is not a bad thing, what the church is doing. It helps people who are in a rough spot. A lady off of craigslist also helped with school supplies. You need to find a heart somewhere and maybe donate some of the things you have, it makes you feel good!
Aug 30, 2009 at 1:53 p.m.
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What the he-double hockey sticks are you two talking about? I think you read the wrong article and then hit your back button! This was a clothing give away which benefitted many! My daughter went because her fiance's kids were abandoned by their biological mother in Ohio. Ages 5 and 7 and my daughter needed the help. This is wonderful. Me and her step dad have been trying to help as much as we can, but it gets hard. God Bless this church and the women who organize this. It benefitted my daughter greatly. Thank you.
Aug 30, 2009 at 10:45 a.m.
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Not one run by our goverment we don't!! They can't even run the post office, the cash for clunkers progrem etc. You want to them to be responsible for you health care?!?!? No thanks!
Aug 30, 2009 at 10:29 a.m.
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But we don't need a national health care program?
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