INDIANAPOLIS — An Eastside church sponsored a gas giveaway for 300 lucky community members on Saturday.
Kingdom Apostolic Ministries, at 4900 E. 38th St., sits two doors down from the Marathon Station at 38th Street and North Emerson Avenue.
“We wanted to give gas to the community because we know gas prices are high right now. We want them to know that we care about them,” says Kingdom Apostolic’s outreach pastor, Denise Moore.
The giveaway didn’t start until 10 a.m., but Juanita Wallace got there at 5 a.m. and was third in line.
“I got here at about 5. I went in and got a cup of coffee. I already had a couple of donuts in the car, then I laid down and went back to sleep,” Wallace said.
Pastor Moore arrived a little later.
“I was pleasantly surprised to see the people lining up at 7 in the morning,” Moore said.
People continued to line up, eventually leading to Emerson being closed down. IMPD had to step in to direct traffic and keep an eye out for those trying to jump the line. WRTV found the end of the line a mile down the road, past 46th Street.
“We know we live in a part of town where the needs are greater than in other parts of the city. Giving back is very important — especially for the church because that is the message of Jesus Christ," said Moore.
Each person got $20 worth of gas, and volunteers worked the pumps until 11:30 a.m. with a plan to fill up to 300 tanks. With gas prices hovering around $4 a gallon, the help is welcome.
Tameeka Ratliff waited three hours for her gas and was grateful to the church for helping the community.
“I'm very grateful that they're doing something like this. The community needs something like empowerment in the community to lift their spirits. There's a lot going on in the world. This is a good thing,” Ratliff said.
The church plans to sponsor another gas giveaway as early as May or June. The owner of the Marathon says he would be happy to host again.
-
Republican lawmakers call for greater Secret Service protection for Trump
U.S. Sen Rick Scott of Florida and other Republican senators on Tuesday called for increased U.S. Secret Service protection for former President Donald Trump.What you need to know if you plan on voting by mail or are a new Indiana voter
According to the Marion County Clerk's office, more than 10,000 voters have requested vote by mail ballots. However, those voters need to include some extra information this election cycle.AG Todd Rokita sues Indy car dealer accused of odometer fraud
Rokita's lawsuit alleges that KBB Auto Sales rolled back odometers by a combined total of more than 14 million miles on 216 known vehicles.How UIndy is helping its grads stay in the Hoosier state post-graduation
Ascend helps UIndy students connect with future employers, with the idea they’d stay, live and work here in Indiana.