Allegheny Valley Association of Churches hosts free Christmas store for clients

In the social hall at Trinity United Methodist Church in Brackenridge, single father Samajai Williams loaded up a shopping bag with toys, clothes and other goodies to supplement Christmas wish lists from his three children.

“I’m so thankful,” the Harrison resident said. “In these post-covid times, a lot of people still aren’t able to do like they normally would for the holidays.”

Williams was among 330 people who shopped for free Tuesday at a makeshift store in the church basement.

Sponsored by the Allegheny Valley Association of Churches (AVAC), the shop was brimming with gifts big and small, from bikes to body lotion. There were thousands of gifts to pick from, including items that anyone would be happy to unwrap.

“We haven’t been able to do this for a couple years, so people just kept saving and saving their donations,” volunteer Jody Shumaker said. “We had three years worth of items brought in.”

AVAC is a Harrison-based group comprising 54 churches. It provides outreach, such as food pantries, utility assistance and temporary housing.

Food bank coordinator Jayne Bakos said the Christmas bazaar is an annual tradition dating back decades.

More people than ever are leaning on AVAC for help, she said.

“We want people to take what they need,” Bakos said. “They can do their Christmas shopping and get a little bit for everyone on their list.”

On the dozen or so tables were men’s dress shirts and tennis shoes, toiletries, women’s jackets, scarves and tops, and rows of Barbies, LOL dolls, science kits, bikes and board games.

About 30 AVAC volunteers staffed the booths while students from Summit Academy in Butler helped shoppers carry bags to their vehicles.

Summit teacher Shamus Fatzinger said six teens were on-hand to help unload hundreds of boxes full of donations. It has been a school tradition for at least a decade, Fatzinger said.

“They are definitely here to help, but they also reap some benefits,” he said. “It’s nice to get them into a positive environment. Listening to them talk on the way back to school, you can tell they feel good about it.”

Shumaker, a retired Highlands teacher, said AVAC clients received a hefty bag of produce to take home.

“We were all working towards the same goal of trying to make Christmas a little more special for the clients and their families,” she said. “I am just blown away by the generosity of others. This is something that makes everyone feel good.”