Church reopens its produce distribution

Changes made to Miracle Revival Ministry’s produce day

With the help of 13 volunteers, Bishop Gerard Mirbel and Lady Bishop Jacqueline Mirbel reopened produce day at Miracle Revival Ministry to give fresh produce to those in need for the first time since the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The church, located at 182 W. Jackson St. in Painesville, began distributing produce to community members in need one-by-one on Aug. 27.

“It’s the greatest joy you can experience, to feel it in your heart to know you’re able to help somebody,” Jacqueline Mirbel said.

She said the church used to hold produce day twice a month before the pandemic, but now they restricted it to once a month.

“We used to give out 6,000 pounds of produce twice a month,” Jacqueline Mirbel said. “We can only do it once a month now.”

Mirbel said that they follow proper CDC guidelines and have installed a new system at the church.

“Everybody must wear masks and use sanitizer, and we wear gloves when we serve,” she said. “We used to sign them in. Now we fill them out on a sheet and give them a number. We sign you up and give you a number and then we start calling numbers. We don’t want anybody piling up.”

Gerard Mirbel, who was also the 2020 Humanitarian Award winner by the Ohio Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Commission, said that produce day not only gives fresh food to community members, but it also acts as a teaching experience.

“We can teach them how to stay safe, wash their hands, wear a mask, and use hand sanitizer,” he said. “When people come, they can stay in their car.”

Gerard Mirbel said that his was one of the first churches in the area to begin a produce day and since then, he has encouraged other churches to do the same.

“I found a way so that people can get served and people can get help,” he said.

Jacqueline Mirbel said the church will continue with produce on the fourth Thursday of every month except in November when they will hold it on the second Thursday because of Thanksgiving. She also said after Thanksgiving they will be closed for the winter until March.

The church begins calling numbers after 2 p.m., she said.

JUSTIN RANSOM — THE NEWS-HERALD Cars begin to fill the Miracle Revival Church parking lot as the church reopens its produce day for the first time since the pandemic began. On the fourth Thursday of each month, the church gives away fresh produce.