Warning: This listing is no longer actively maintained. The information below is likely to be out of date.

Our mission is to "spur on" human outreach efforts by providing a common ground where churches and the community can unite in meeting the food, clothing, household, spiritual, and emotional needs of the families and individuals that we serve.

Description:
Our OUTREACH CENTER, THE TRADING POST COMMUNITY CARE CENTER is located at 38 Franklin St. in Springville, NY 14141 and is in the heart of the WNY Southern Tier area. We are centrally located to 3 counties: Erie, Cattaraugus, & Wyoming and are a hub of community service to over 10 rural communities in our area.

Our HOURS OF OPERATION are:
Monday through Friday 10am- 4pm
1st & 3rd Saturdays 10am- 2pm
Our primary objectives are to instill hope, dignity, & value into the lives of every person that we serve, to meet basis needs, and to improve their quality of life. Our goal is to provide them not just a hand out, but to offer them tools that will help to teach and encourage a way out of seemingly hopeless situations. Our core values address integrity, self –esteem, respect, and support of the traditional family structure and values. We hope that through our services and support families and individuals will see themselves as people of worth and value, which will in time change every aspect of their lives.
In our target area of Southern Erie County, Northern Cattaraugus County, & Western Wyoming County, the average per capita income is only $17,000 per year. Our area has also been identified as the highest percentage of Domestic Violence in New York State due to the alarming factors of poverty, isolation, and crisis pregnancy. Many of the people we serve are the working poor. These are low wage working families who (due to a variety of extenuating circumstances such as: medical bills, child care, gasoline/car repairs, limited employment opportunities, disability etc…) are the people who traditionally have fallen through the public benefits cracks.
For the last 4 years we have been running a very successful Southern-tier Food Pantry at our Trading Post Community Care Center. Our program is unique because we address other basic needs as well as food distribution. At our outreach center, clients are able to “TRADE or EXCHANGE” clothing, infant items, and household necessities. They are given vouchers (Trading Post Bucks) that can be used to obtain other needed items. Clients do not need to be in extreme poverty situations to access help from our program. In fact, over 50% of our clients are the “working poor” just trying to make ends meet.
~We are an Emergency Resource to churches, school nurses, and other agencies as we provide free emergency clothing, infant supplies, furniture and food to families that are referred to us. When someone has a clothing emergency need, these individuals are empowered to keep their self esteem because the referring agency will give them a certain amount of “Trading Dollars”* (dependent on the need) that they can use to “shop” for things they need and are to their liking. We keep tract of this by asking the referring agency to fill out a benevolent form and return to us.
~We work alongside other agencies such as county and local municipalities by offering our center as a place where mandated individuals can complete their Community Service Hours. We are in partnership with CATHOLIC CHARITIES by providing referrals and meeting space if needed, as well as with YOUNG LIFE- a youth outreach organization by providing office space, meeting space, as well as helping to coordinate transportation of kids to youth major events.
~We are also in the process of expanding our Life Skills Resources as we apply for grants that will enable us to offer more education to the general public on Grocery Budgeting, Meal Planning, Recipe Preparation Classes, Computer Skills, GED Preparation, Parenting Classes, and more! Coupled with our food, and clothing distribution this aspect of our outreach is a very valuable asset to the overall benefit to our clients.

History:
The FELLOWSHIP HILL MISSION simply put, is to encourage those who Love God, to work together to see His will established, and to provide a place and opportunities for outreach to the hurting and needy.
The TRADING POST represents the Love of our Lord in name and purpose.
Jesus became the Ultimate TRADING POST, when He gave His life, in exchange for us to be reunited with His Father. This also is a place where people can not only exchange their wears, but their worries as well. We encourage those who are downtrodden, to cast their care on our Lord, who loves them with a deep, unconditional love. The focus of the TRADING POST is to encourage dignity, value, and God given worth to struggling hearts while helping them obtain everyday needs.
In 1995, founders Todd & Linette Crelly envisioned helping people who were in need of clothing and household necessities. So from their home in Hamburg, NY they began collecting gently used items and held annual “Clothing Swaps” at community centers and churches. This mission continued to grow in their hearts as God lead them to move to Springville in 1997. They continued to hold Clothing Swaps throughout the next few years, working alongside Love Inc. of Springville. In the fall of 2001, they were asked to take over the existing Community Clothing Closet. This was where the “SWAP” concept developed into a store atmosphere, hence the TRADING POST was born. It was housed in a small 300 sq. ft. space donated by St. Al’s Parish. By February 2003, the tiny room was filled to overflowing and the 1st big step of faith was taken. The center relocated across the street and rented a 900 sq. ft. retail space at 74 West Main St. It was open 2 days per week, staffed by volunteers from the community and area churches. At that time “clients” began asking if the Trading Postcould help with emergency food as well as clothing. That very day provisions of food miraculously “just happened” to come in & provided for that family!
In August of 2004, the TRADING POST was on the move again. Once again they needed a much larger facility for outreach. That is when they found a home here at 38 Franklin St. in the heart of Springville. This again was a huge step of faith as their current rent was only $300 per month and the new 4,200 sq. ft. building would rent for $600 + utilities. From August 7th– October 15th volunteers came to clean, paint, carpet, and bring the vacant building up to code. God came through again and provided much of the needed supplies by way of area businesses and individuals. In May of 2005, more blessings graced the Trading Post when, CIA– Churches in Action came to build and provide needed improvements of office space, heating, roofing, shelving to the building. In February of 2006, through the faithfulness of God & His people the purchase of the 38 Franklin St. location was finalized and it is now the permanent home for HIS TRADING POST OUTREACH!
The heartbeat of Fellowship Hill Ministries is to encourage others in their work for the Lord. They have a vision to use this location as a model to help other churches and ministries to establish their own “Trading Post Outreaches!”

Contact people:

Linette Crelly, Ex. Director, (phone), (email) Karen King, Trading Post Coordinator, (phone) Vera Langhans, Food Pantry Coordinator, (phone)

Address:

38 Franklin St. P.O. Box 96 Springville, NY 14141 (See a map)

Directions:

TRADING POST Community Care Center is located in the heart of the village of Springville at 38 Franklin Street. From Buffalo:. . . (more)