Photo by Scott McCloskey The Rev. Darrell Cummings, senior pastor at the Bethlehem Apostolic Temple, assists people dropping off items for the church’s “Stuff the Bus” event held Saturday in the church parking lot. The items will be handed out April 3 at the North Wheeling Dream Center as part of the church’s annual Easter Basket Food Giveaway.

WHEELING — The Bethlehem Apostolic Temple hosted its annual drive Saturday to help feed the many residents in the Ohio Valley in need during the Easter holiday.

The church welcomed donations for its “Stuff the Bus” event in the church parking lot, collecting food and other household items that they will deliver starting at 11 a.m. April 3 in their annual Easter Food Basket Giveaway. That drive-thru event will be held at the North Wheeling Dream Center, 407 Main St. in Wheeling.

Saturday’s event had a different look than it had in past years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, the church would collect food and household item donations in store parking lots. Virus concerns led the Rev. Darrell Cummings, senior pastor at Bethlehem Apostolic Temple, to consolidate the donation sites to the church parking lot.

The church’s Easter Food Basket Giveaway has been a staple in the Ohio Valley community for decades, first held in 1990. Even last year, at the height of the pandemic, the church kept the event going, albeit postponed to May in an attempt to allow for a safer environment to hand out the baskets. That May 2020 giveaway led to 586 baskets being placed in the hands of families in need.

Since its inception 31 years ago, the giveaway normally provides food assistance to more than 1,000 people representing 300 families in the Ohio Valley. For more information, call the church at 304-233-8899.