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Warehouse Church brings food, fellowship to Quincy Park

Larry Balser, a volunteer with Warehouse Church, grills hamburgers Friday at Quincy Park in Parkersburg. The church has been organizing a community picnic at the park every two weeks since August and plans to continue in the future. (Photo by Wayne Towner)

PARKERSBURG — Church and community members came together Friday evening at Quincy Park in Parkersburg to enjoy food and fellowship in a new outreach program from the Warehouse Church.

Several hundred people from the church at 3417 Murdoch Ave. and from the neighborhood around the park enjoyed food, music and conversations with each other. Organizers also had a clothing station, haircuts, a nail salon station, free hygiene packets and games.

Tyler Fouss, creative director at Warehouse Church, said Friday night’s outreach event began in August under the name “Friday Feed” but is continuing under the “Block Party” name at Quincy Park under the theme “We love our city.”

“There are lots of parts to our city but we want to come here (to Quincy Park) to show people the most love and people that think they’ve been forgotten, we want to show them God’s love, God’s unconditional love for people,” he said.

The program started because the congregation saw a need for it, Fouss said.

Tay Day, a member of Warehouse Church, folds items at the clothing station during the Friday evening “Block Party” organized by the Warehouse Church at Quincy Park in Parkersburg. (Photo by Wayne Towner)

“It was seeing a need where we wanted to bring the church to the people, we didn’t want to just ask people to come to the church. We wanted to come and show people where they live that God loves them,” he said.

From the beginning the Block Party program featured food and clothing giveaways. Fouss said Friday’s event was the first to include stations for nails, hair cuts and hygiene supply bags. While future events will continue their focus on food, clothing and fellowship, the other stations and new things organizers hope will be helpful will be incorporated when possible.

Jennifer Wright, outreach director for Warehouse Church, said the church will be providing more information in the future through social media like FaceBook and more traditional avenues, like signs and newspaper announcements.

The events will be held every two weeks, primarily at Quincy Park but potentially at other locations in the future, Wright said. One more October event and two in November are already scheduled along with a Christmas Party in December. Wright said she expects the series to resume in January, although that is still in the planning stages.

“We love it here at Quincy Park so I figure we will stay for a while,” she said, adding they would also like to find a location in south Parkersburg for future events.

The Warehouse Church in Parkersburg wants to make positive changes in the city through outreach events like the “Block Party” every two weeks at Quincy Park. (Photo by Wayne Towner)

Wright described the response and turnout, from both the church and the community, as “amazing” for the Quincy Park event.

“We’ve met really sweet people at each of them so we’re excited to continue to do it. We have pastors who believe that you love God, love people and change a city. We feel this is the way you change the city: we befriend the people in the city; we figure out who is out here; and you love your neighbor as yourself,” she said.

A schedule posted at Friday’s event said the next Block Party will be 5:30 p.m. Oct. 25, followed by a shift in November to Saturdays from noon-2 p.m. on Nov. 9 and Nov. 23. The Christmas Party will be noon-2 p.m. Dec. 14. All of the events will be held at Quincy Park.

Wayne Towner can be reached at wtowner@newsandsentinel.com.

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