Cars were jacked up and the oil being changed. People were walking away with armloads of groceries. Inside, there were haircuts, health screenings and legal advice, as well as clothing being picked up. It was the annual Single Parents Fair at Christ’s Community Church.

“We’ve already done about 125 oil changes for the people that were pre-registered,” Pastor Scott Rawlings said about 10 a.m. Saturday. “I don’t know how many of these school packs they’ve given away, but from looking, I would say probably 400. People have come — they get free haircuts back here, bicycles worked on out there, 10,000 pounds of groceries from the Food Bank.”

Rawlings said that while the church paid for the food, delivered from Cincinnati, there was no charge to those receiving it. The other things given away were all donated.

Why does the church provide the services to the single parents in the community and their children.

“Because they need it,” Rawlings said. “And because it is a biblical mandate for Christians to share their wealth. Jesus made it very clear. In the Old Testament and the New Testament, such as in the Book of Ruth, it is very clear that you take care of the poor, even though Jesus said we will have them (the poor) with us always, but this goofy government of ours, they want to make us all poor. But Red Cross is here. Community Action is here, Shawnee State has their health bus here and it’s all free.”

Pastor Rick Clark said about 150 people volunteer for the annual event.

“Anything that we do, we try to get the details done two to three months out. And then they get their teams together; we get the volunteers from the church to sign up. And once they’re signed up the teams meet. They get trained, and off they go,” Clark said. “We’ve done it so many years that a lot of people just sign up and show up on Saturday morning, and they know what they are to do.”

Anthony Sheets was covered in oil and sporting a wide smile.

“I’m changing oil,” Sheets said. “I love doing this. I look forward to doing this every year.”

As people picked up packaged meat and other items, Ted Adams was taking a much-deserved break.

“I believe they have allotted about 50 pounds of food per family, and we have about 225 families,” Adams said. “I just feel like it’s a blessing for us to be able to be here and be able to serve. That’s the purpose in what we’re doing. They’re all very grateful and we’re grateful for them.”

FRANK LEWIS may be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 232, or flewis@heartlandpublications.com.