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NILES — A local business and a local church teamed up to help clothe those in need of winter gear.

Mount Calvary Baptist Church, 601 Ferry St., hosted a winter clothing giveaway Saturday at In The Cut Barbershop, 507 Sycamore St. Community members of all ages and backgrounds made their way inside to look through a table of free hats, coats, socks, boots and more to find something that fit. 

“It’s to help people who honestly can’t get it,” said Mount Calvary Outreach Specialist Michael Goodlow. “Kids lose gloves and parents sometimes don’t have the money to keep going out and buying them. If we can give it away for free that helps the parents as well.”

Mount Calvary Pastor Bryant Bacon said the idea to host a clothing giveaway was born out of a 2025 planning session for the church’s men’s ministry.

The men decided they wanted to do this and collected hats, coats and gloves,” he said. “Hopefully this won’t be the last time we’ll do it this winter. There has been a pretty good response.”

Barber William Hobbs was more than happy to offer the shop as a space to host the giveaway.

“It’s a beautiful thing to be able to contribute to something positive,” Hobbs said. “Seeing them come in  and walk out with a smile… it’s a beautiful thing to be able to contribute like that, especially in a world where so many people don’t have anything and can come get something. It’s a beautiful thing.”

For Bacon, the giveaway was about making a difference in their community.

“That’s who we are,” Bacon said. “That’s kind of what we built our ministry about giving and being helpful to the community. We’re just doing what we’ve been doing for years so that makes me feel good to have people that just want to contribute and do good and make sure they make an impact in people’s lives.”