Photos by Eric Ayres Individuals and families from the Wheeling area gather outside the North Wheeling Dream Center on Saturday morning for the Bethlehem Apostolic Temple’s 35th annual Christmas Food and Toy Giveaway.

WHEELING — The Christmas spirit was shining bright in North Wheeling on Saturday when people from all walks of life in the community came together for the 35th annual Christmas Food and Toy Giveaway.

Coordinated by the Bethlehem Apostolic Temple and held at the church’s North Wheeling Dream Center, this year’s event drew dozens of community leaders and volunteers who wanted to step up and help those who could use a little help in making the season brighter.

And plenty of area residents came to the Dream Center to take part in the event.

“There was a line that was over a city block by 9 a.m., and we didn’t start until 10 a.m.,” Bishop Darrell Cummings, pastor of the Bethlehem Apostolic Temple, said. “We’re grateful for those who have helped us be able to help others, and we’re grateful for those who needed help and trusted us to help them.”

Similar to the church’s successful annual Thanksgiving giveaway, the Christmas event was even bigger and offered a wide array of items. Visitors who made their way through the labyrinth of tables inside the center were encouraged to shop for whatever they needed — and there were no cashiers at the end of the line, just firemen, police officers and other volunteers waiting to help them carry boxes out the door and to their vehicles.

Giveaway items included everything from hams, turkeys, chicken, green beans, corn, macaroni and cheese, cereal, different fresh fruits and other vegetables and pies, as well as winter coats, clothes and various items and necessities.

“Most of all, what a lot of the kids are here for, are the toys,” Cummings said. “We’ve been giving away bicycles and toys for the younger kids — for boys and girls, and for the first time, we have some gifts for parents — some hygiene items like shower gels, soaps and different things.”

The giveaway had no income or residency requirements, and items were offered on a first-come, first served basis. Cummings said all guests had to do was say that they were in need. Those on hand were also asked where they lived and how many members there were in their family to give an idea of how they could be helped.

Sponsors and volunteers help make the annual giveaway a success, Cummings noted.

“We’ve been blessed — we can always do more,” he said, adding that volunteers are always welcome. “We’re thankful to them for taking time out of their holidays to come — the majority of them are not members of our church — our church is very small, but they believe in what we’re doing, and we appreciate them coming to help.”

Barbara LaRue of Wheeling, a member of the Ohio County Democratic Woman’s Club, was one of the many volunteers on hand helping with the distribution. LaRue said she has been helping with the giveaways at the North Wheeling Dream Center for at least seven years.

“It’s a large crowd. I worked the Thanksgiving giveaway, it was fairly large, but this is larger,” she said, explaining that events like this truly help brighten the holidays for people in the community who need it the most. “It’s very important. We need more people to help out and do things for people. I myself don’t need anything, but so many people need so much.”

Among the hundreds of thankful residents who came to take part in the event was Kat Daniels, a recent transplant to the Ohio Valley who expressed appreciation for the overwhelming spirit of giving on display Saturday.

“I actually just moved here this year,” Daniels said. “I moved out here from Arizona, and with the move, it’s been a little harder than usual.”

Daniels said her children read about community events like Saturday’s giveaway taking place locally, noting that the offering of help can truly make a difference not only for her children but also for many other families in the area.

“It warms my heart, because I was afraid it was going to be a very rough Christmas for them. It brightens their spirits and gives them hope that there are still good out there,” she said, giving a shout-out to the many volunteers on hand. “So many people — the fact that they don’t mind coming in on a Saturday in the cold just willing to give their heart and their love and their time. It’s so wonderful.”

Immediately following the giveaway on Saturday morning, Cummings noted that a total of 522 people came through the line. The process typically takes about an hour for those in line to come through, but this weekend, the giveaway continued for two hours.

“We want them to have a happy Christmas. I think that if we bless these kids, especially, and they know that this community cares about them, they’re more likely to succeed in life and they know that ‘somebody believes in me — I’m not in it by myself,'” Cummings said. “Our hope is that they know that God loves them and that their community is interested in their success. Hopefully, we’re showing the love of God and the love of community, and hopefully we’ll send somebody home with a smile.”