Free essentials available for Hillsdale County residents at Loaves and Fishes event

Elyse Apel
·2 min read

From 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, the Loaves and Fishes event will be held at the Hillsdale County Fairgrounds in the New Merchant Building, providing Hillsdale County families with many essentials like car seats, food, hygiene products and back-to-school supplies.

The event is free and all Hillsdale County residents are encouraged to attend.

Organized by many local churches and the Hillsdale Area Ministerial Association, each church comes together to provide an item or service for the event.

Items available include everything from first aid supplies, soaps, and clothes, to food, free lunch and haircuts.

Backpacks and school supplies are also available, but require the child to be registered.

There will be car seats available, but both the child and the car must be there to receive a car seat.

Each attendee must prove they are a Hillsdale County resident, either with a valid driver’s license or birth certificate.

David Turner is the lead pastor at Hillsdale Free Methodist Church and said it is an important way his church gives back to the community.

“Our church is just one very small slice of the event because of how many churches are involved,” Turner said, “Each church that is a part of Loaves and Fishes takes on an item or a task or service that we give out to people in the community.”

Each church also supports the event financially, giving at least $125.

First started in 2011, Pastor Jack Mosley, director of Life Challenge, helps organize the event and said community turnout has been consistently 400 to 900 people each year.

Mosley said the event wouldn’t be possible without all the different churches and organizations coming together to give back to the community.

“One does socks, another does underwear, and so on. This year we even have backpacks for kids.”

Hillsdale County Fairgrounds is located at 115 S Broad St, Hillsdale.

This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Hillsdale County residents invited to Loaves and Fishes distribution