Members of a local church gave away much-needed coats and other winter clothes Saturday morning to help area residents stay warm during the current cold snap and other wintry days that lie ahead.

The Disciples Class at Corinth Baptist Church gave away the warm clothes and served hot dogs to people who turned out between 10 a.m. and noon.

Kenneth Wallace, a member of the class, said the clothing giveaway and the free cookout were ways to show love to people in the community.

“We just wanted to share the love of Christ without any strings attached,” Wallace said.

One of those who came out on the frigid morning to pick up some clothes was Virginia Burbage.

Burbage explained she was looking for clothes for her daughter, who has lupus. Burbage said the disease causes her daughter’s body to swell, which means she frequently has to buy new clothes.

Burbage said there is no cure for lupus. So it gets very expensive keeping her daughter in clothes, she said.

Burbage said she was very grateful for the church’s generosity.

Donald Nanney, the lead teacher and facilitator of the Disciples Class, said the class really didn’t know how many people to expect.

“We just got a whole bunch of stuff and whoever shows up gets it,” Nanney said as he turned hot dogs on a grill in the church’s parking lot.

Nanney said class members enjoyed meeting people who turned out for the event and praying with them.

Wallace said the class planned the event as a winter clothes and coats giveaway, plus a cookout. It would have seemed strange to be giving away coats in 60-degree weather, and people might not have turned out to get coats if the weather had been warmer, he said.

For that reason, Wallace believes the snow and the cold weather Saturday were providential.

“God sent the snow,” he said.

The class is planning to do some kind of community outreach event once a month.

Wallace said the specific project will differ from one month to another depending on the needs in the community.

“There’s always a need,” Wallace said.

Nanney said the class is glad to be able to help people.

“That’s what churches are supposed to do,” Nanney said. “We need to be doing more of that.”

Contact Reggie Ponder at rponder@dailyadvance.com