WHEELING — Bethlehem Apostolic Temple in North Wheeling has been distributing food items and providing Thanksgiving dinners to families for 35 years — but never before have they done so in the aftermath of a government shutdown and patrons faced with losing their regular SNAP benefits.

The church’s annual Thanksgiving giveaway starts at 11 a.m. Saturday in the rear of the North Wheeling Dream Center, 334 Main St., Wheeling.

“We’re grateful the government has re-opened — but we are not sure yet whether people have got their SNAP (benefits),” Bishop Darrell Cummings said. “We want to help as many as we can.

“We have increased our order of hams and turkeys, fruits and vegetables. We want to provide as much help as we can.”

Cummings said the cost of the giveaway most years has been in the

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