Grace Bible Church in Springville wants to share with those in need

Everybody has a neglected sweater, perhaps one that was a long-ago gift from Aunt Marge. Maybe you've got a pair of jeans that don't fit anymore, or a windbreaker that turned out to be too large, or even just the wrong color. And, honestly, who ever goes deeper into the T-shirt drawer than whatever two or three shirts happen to be on top of the stackfi

The members of Grace Bible Church in Springville have a solution to the problem of unwanted slacks, shirts, overalls, or whatever it is. They give them away to people who need clothing but, for whatever reason, don't have the means to purchase it. The program, which also distributes free food, is called Saturday Grace, and the church opens its doors to anyone with a need on the third Saturday of every month.

Before there was Saturday Grace, the Grace Bible congregation used to trade its old clothing between church members. "We would set up tables once a month and you come and drop your old things off and pick other things up," said Joy Snyder, a Spanish Fork resident and stay-at-home mother of two who works one day a week at Weight Watchers.

That arrangement helped out members of the congregation, which the Rev. Derrick Smothers said is a "couple of hundred" strong. (Grace Bible is a non-denominational, Bible-based Christian church affiliated with Colorado-based Tentmakers Bible Mission. Smothers said that Grace Bible, which he founded 10 years ago, is preparing to become a fully independent, self-supporting church next year.)

After a year or so, however, the clothing swap ministry had become spiritually stagnant. Snyder, 33, wanted to have it be more meaningful, but couldn't figure out how. She presented the problem to Smothers, who suggested that the excess clothing, along with a large amount of food that was available from a member of the congregation, be given away free to needy persons in the community.

"We're at a place where we're functioning just fine in and of ourselves," said Smothers. The next logical step, he said, was to become a source of help for people in the community.

That was the beginning of Saturday Grace, which kicked off in October. The first Saturday was a slow one: a woman showed up and took a coat, a few other clothing items and a box of food. That was it.

"I was very discouraged," Snyder said, "because we had put all of this work in and then nothing happened."

The church posted fliers around Springville, placed an ad on KEYY, the local Christian radio station that can be heard at AM 1450, and encouraged members to spread the word. The extra effort had a noticeable effect. In November, Saturday Grace got swarmed.

"We ran out of food at noon," Snyder said. "We were able to help out more than 100 people."

And the congregation still intends to help people who didn't get food in November. Lola Khan, a retiree who moved with her husband to Utah Valley from Chicago a couple of years ago, manages the food collection and distribution and said that people who didn't get food in November were given a voucher to redeem in December.

Khan, 53, said that anyone who has a voucher will be sure to get food: "We already have those boxes set aside for them."

Between third Saturdays, clothing is stored in bins at Grace Bible Church, which inhabits the space formerly occupied by the Little Brown Theatre in the old J.C. Penney building on Main Street in Springville. (Smothers said that the church has carried major renovations to the building and plans to purchase it in 2008.)

Donna Fisher, a 41-year-old mother of three who's been working to publicize Saturday Grace, said that the congregation keeps the clothing sorted into items for men, women, girls, boys and infants. "On Saturday, we open the doors," she said. "Whoever shows up is welcome."

It's important to Grace Bible that Saturday Grace be completely open-handed, with no strings attached. "We want a ministry that's no-questions-asked," said Smothers. "Here's some food, here's some clothing."

Smothers said that the church mostly wants to act as the "hands and feet" of Jesus. There's another motivation, however, that he thinks is important.

"You treat other people as you want to be treated," he said. "If I'm down and out, how awesome would it be to go get free food and clothingfi"

Everyone involved is aware that there might not be enough donations of clothing or food to keep pace with demand. Much of the food needed to get the program off the ground was contributed by church members.

"We have been fortunate enough to have a lot of people donate from their own cupboards," Khan said.

Khan said that local retail stores, including Ream's and Wal-Mart, have already pitched in. She's hoping to get other food stores on board, and said that Saturday Grace has also made arrangements to distribute food for the Utah Food Bank. For the rest, the congregation is relying on donations from people in Utah Valley or surrounding communities who have excess food or clothing.

And also on assistance from a higher source.

Springville resident Genia Bertelsen, 34, is a mother of three who helps distribute food at Saturday Grace.

If Saturday Grace were "up to people," she said, "then obviously things would go wrong and people would be disappointed. When it's something that God is doing, then as long as we continue to seek him, and listen to him, then he will do whatever he wants to do through this ministry."