WIMAUMA, Fla — A Riverview church gave away $20,000 worth of free gas Saturday, handing out $20 vouchers to 1,000 cars as part of a back-to-school community event in Wimauma.
Love First Christian Center organized the giveaway to help families facing one of the biggest financial struggles across the country — gas prices.
Julia Howard, a Wimauma resident and retiree, was among those who received a voucher.
"It means a lot. I mean, you see my gas needle, I'm retired, so, you know, it's a blessing," Howard said.
Howard said the $20 goes a long way for her.
"I'm grateful. It's nice to see a church put into the community. You don't see that a lot, and it's, well, from me and mine, it's very appreciative," Howard said.
Jomo Cousins, pastor and founder of Love First Christian Center, said the event was designed to give families a break during the back-to-school season.
"In this time of back to school, we have back to school backpacks, we have back to school giveaways, and I thought about what is the main pain point, gas. And so what can we do differently that separates us from other people and ultimately how can we make Jesus' name great?" Cousins said.
Cousins said the church's mission extends beyond its own congregation.
"So many times in life, people feel that all the church does is take, take, take, take, take. All they want is my money. We want to reverse that culture that the church really wants to be a blessing to people," Cousins said.
The event would not have been possible without dozens of volunteers who spent the day working in the heat. Volunteer June Robinson said the turnout of helpers reflected the community's spirit.
"People want to do it, so it's not a hard ask when people love doing what they do. So it's nothing difficult about it because I love serving," Robinson said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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