‘Hope Dealers’ Provide Food, Clothing and Toiletries to Community

Written by: Tyisha Blade

Shirley Fitzparick, 72, is the oldest of 10 siblings and lost her mother at the age of 10. After her mother’s passing, Fitzpatrick resided in girl’s group homes. She and her siblings were separated. Fitzpatrick moved to a group home in East Cleveland in 1966. After she graduated from Shaw High School in 1969, she left the group home and moved into her first apartment in the city. She said being in a group home sparked the start of her ministry work. “God prepares you and then at His chosen time, everything that you’ve learned is useful,” she said. Fitzpatrick said that she has worked across several industries including, but not limited to, supervisor at Ohio Bell, home care, alternative schools, travel and real estate. She said she appreciates every experience she has encountered and is having the best time of her life.

Fitzpatrick works diligently with the Empowerment Church located at the intersection of Euclid and Allendale avenues and said the main focus of her ministry is to serve the East Cleveland community. She said Pastor Anthony Mattox Jr. showed her his passion for the city and they continue to work together to unify and empower East Cleveland. Pastor Mattox said their goals include bringing everything that happens in the church out into the community. “Anyone in this community, we consider ourselves connected to,” he said. “We call ourselves ‘Hope Dealers’ and we can’t deal hope from the inside of the building. You have to be where the people are on the block.” Pastor Mattox said they also work to connect the city with the resources it needs. “We do it in a way that is compassionate, transparent and welcoming to everyone.”

The church does a variety of outreach work in the city. For instance, every Sunday before service, Fitzpatrick and her team provide meals to the community. Fitzpatrick said she cooks and delivers to several seniors, sick and shut-ins before service begins.

Cooking starts on Saturday. On Sunday, she and her team go to the church at noon to begin meal distribution at 12:30. An organization that consistently works with the church to feed the community is the apartment complex Mildred L. Brewer which is located at the intersection of Euclid and Belmore avenues. Teddy Demmons delivers meals from the church to the apartments getting meals to residents in need. “Some guests are happy to receive these meals, they might not have anyone to cook for them,” Demmons said as he loaded his van. “It is a blessing for them to have a nice Sunday meal.” Melinda Fitzpatrick (not related to Shirley) is the leader and director of the clothing ministry at Empowerment Church. She also assists with volunteering and groundskeeping. “[The work] is a stewardship for me and it is very rewarding,” she said. “I also want to show the glory of God through me to help others.”

Residents can receive donations of clothing and personal protective equipment (PPE) items as well.

Fitzpatrick replenishes PPE supplies that she hangs on a tree outside the church.

She and her team have also started The Empowerment Church for East Cleveland (E.C. for E.C.) Storage House with generous help from MedWish International, a nonprofit organization that “saves lives and the environment by repurposing surplus medical supplies and equipment to provide humanitarian aid to people in need.”

Other items at the storage house include detergent, toothpaste, shampoo and deodorant. Fitzpatrick also said she wants to resume providing breakfast at the church to the community every other Saturday.

She also partners with businesses throughout the city of East Cleveland to better serve the community. For instance, every third Sunday, Papa John’s provides pizzas to Empowerment Church; Fitzpatrick provides a salad.

“Papa Johns (located in the shopping center on Euclid and Superior Ave.) is our corporate partner, [they have] been such a blessing,” she said. “They also help other organizations throughout the community.” She said she would like to see more corporate partners give back to the city.

Fitzpatrick said she continues to do the work that she does because there are great people in the city that are overlooked. “There are people who seem to be lost in the mix…they need consistency,” she said. “They need to know that, at least on Sunday, someone can serve them a meal or allow them to shop.”

She said that she has a heart for the people. “That’s one of my gifts,” she added. “Encouragement, caring [and] service.” Fitzpatrick recently started a Facebook page titled “We the Proud Citizens of E.C.” The page is a platform to showcase the businesses, dynamics and positive work being done in the city. “Individuals can let people know that we are here. We are going through some things but we are proud to be in East Cleveland.” She wants citizens to reach out to their neighbors. She also wants to see more businesses supporting the community. “There is such a spirit [in East Cleveland] and I want to recapture that.”