First Baptist Church of Jericho shares 3-Step plan to Transform its Community

A once-thriving African American Jericho firehouse in Deptford, New Jersey, is now at the heart of a new mission-fighting food insecurity in the community it once served.

- by Asiya Robinson

Under the leadership of Pastor Gatling, who has served at First Baptist Church of Jericho since 2016, the historic firehouse is being transformed into a fully operational food pantry. The project is part of a broader effort to revitalize the Jericho community and address critical community needs, including food access, youth programming, and affordable housing.

The church acquired the Jericho firehouse in June 2010 for just $1 after the fire company dissolved and relocated its services to Woodbury. For years, the firehouse stood as the only African American fire station in the area, a landmark of resilience and service. Now, under the church's ownership, it is poised to serve the community in a new way. "We started our food pantry in November 2019," Pastor Gatling shared.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the pantry served about 45 to 50 families weekly. However, as food insecurity surged during the crisis, that number doubled to nearly 100 families. The increased demand made it clear that the church's fellowship hall, located in the basement of the church, where the pantry was initially housed, was no longer sufficient. In response, the church hopes to expand its operations, planning to utilize the firehouse as its new hub for the pantry, which is open to the community every Wednesday from 1 to 3 pm.