Shiloh Church donates 50 blankets for local homeless population

Growing congregation on Crandall Road eyes expansion

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Trellis Pore, pastor of Shiloh Church on Crandall Road, Albion, and his wife Caleia are shown with some of the more than 50 blankets they recently collected and donated for the homeless.

ALBION – When Trellis Pore started to lead the Shiloh Church, only a few people showed up for his first sermons. That was Nov. 17, 2021, and last Sunday Pastor Pore celebrated his third anniversary with guest speaker the Rev. Wayne Lewis and a full congregation.

Pore has a full-time job as weapons trainer with the New York State Department of Corrections, but his passion is preaching. He first became licensed to speak at the age of 19 at Shiloh Church and was ordained at 21.

Since that time, he and his wife Caleia have seen Shiloh grow, along with their desire to make a difference in their community.

They are aware of rising number of homeless in Orleans County.

“Growing up here, I didn’t see that as a kid,” the Rev. Pore said. “We saw that was where we could make a difference.”

They put the word out for donations of blankets for the homeless, and the support was absolutely amazing, the pastor said. Just recently, they delivered more than 50 blankets to warming shelters at Hoag Library in Albion, Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina and Community Action’s Eastern Orleans Community Center in Holley.

They plan to continue collecting blankets for the homeless, and then branch out to see what else they can do to help out in their community.

Going forward, the Rev. Pore knows they are going to have to expand at the church on Crandall Road. Their congregation averages 130 people and continues to grow. The building is outgrowing their needs and they need more space to accommodate the things they want to do, such as mentoring, tutoring and youth activities.

They have formed Shiloh Angels, which is compiling a prayer book filled with prayers from youth. Artist Pat Standish is doing the illustrations and the book will be handed out to anyone in need, especially kids who are facing tough times.

“We want them to know their prayers will be answered,” the Rev. Pore said. “When we come together in unity, all things are possible.”

Shiloh Church is also planning a Shiloh family Christmas giveaway at 3 p.m. Dec. 21 at Albion Elks Lodge.

A Christmas Eve service is scheduled at 6:30 p.m., with a New Year’s Eve service, also at 6:30 p.m.

The Pores welcome anyone to join them in Bible study at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays and worship at 11 a.m. Sundays.