The Gethsemene Methodist Church on Syracuse’s Northside continues to appreciate and welcome the assistance we have been providing them this year. Many of you have been providing items for them to sell in their Thrift Store which sells household items and clothing at very low cost to the low income residents in their neighborhood. The “profits” from the thrift store are used to buy items for their personal items program. Every week 50 people in the 13208 zip code receive a bag of personal items such as toilet paper, shampoo, laundry detergent, dish detergent, deodorant, toothpaste and feminine hygiene products, all items that cannot be bought with their SNAP or Food Stamp programs. People are eligible to receive these bags once a month. Others of you have been donating these personal hygiene and cleaning supplies or foods they have requested for their food pantry. And some of you have been donating children’s picture books which are especially appreciated by the families who are picking up diapers from the Diaper Bank or shopping at the food pantry. And still others are volunteering to unload food from Food Bank trucks and then shelve the food in the food pantry.

We encourage you to visit Gethsemene which is located at 1700 Butternut Street in Syracuse. The Thrift Store is open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10-12, and is staffed by volunteers. You can drop off items you would like to donate directly to them at these times. The Food Pantry, Personal Items Program and Diaper Bank is open only on Fridays from 10-12. 

Please feel free to talk to Julie, Kevin or Mardie if you’d like more information about Gethsemene or have questions about other items you might like to donate.