Church plans community barbecue, men’s clothing giveaway
Church’s pastor plans to talk to local gang members
By Jada Haynes
BACONTON — St. James Baptist Church here plans to host a community barbecue and new clothing giveaway in Albany on April 26. The event will be the third hosted by the church this year.
“We plan on feeding at least 800 people,” Lawrence Knighton, the church’s senior pastor, said. “We will have ribs, brisket, steaks, chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers and sides. We’re going to have all kinds of brand-new men’s clothes to give away, such as jeans, T-shirts, shorts and sneakers.”
Knighton said that the event’s goals are to establish more relationships with community members and to try and get young men who may be considering gang activities involved in church instead. He said that he is also waiting on confirmation that Albany Police Department Chief (Michael Persley) and other community leaders will be present to “show a different side of law enforcement and that they’re out there hanging out with us.”
As for how he plans to talk to gang members, Knighton said that he grew up in New York and has volunteered at prisons for the last five years.
“One thing I know about gang members is they’re looking for love,” he said. “That camaraderie that they have with each other, it’s because they feel like they have each other. ‘We have each other’ until somebody goes to prison and then they realize that these guys weren’t really as close to them as they thought. They don’t put any money on their books. They don’t send letters. They just forget about you.”
The barbecue and clothing giveaway will be held on the corner of Oakridge Drive and Jackson Street in Albany. It will last from noon-4 p.m.
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