A former Cook County deputy sheriff, who now oversees a west suburban community organization, hopes the annual fundraiser that his organization is hosting Saturday is a great success. Bishop Claude Porter wants struggling families to continue to receive free social services from his Proviso-Leyden Council for Community Action Inc. organization.
“PLCCA sees about 30,000 people annually, and we want to continue to help families who need our help,” Porter told the Defender. “This is not only an organization but an extension of my church, and a church should be able to operate outside (its) four walls to be effective.”
Porter, 72, is pastor of Proviso Missionary Baptist Church in Maywood. The 38-year-old church, previously named Proviso Baptist Church, had an almost all-white congregation at one point. That all changed once all of the white members left, as Maywood’s demographics changed, leaving just five members. Today its membership boasts around 1,500.
PLCCA offers a myriad of social services that complement Porter’s belief in the church extending itself into the community and having functionality beyond Sunday worship services.
“After all, the church is supposed to help the community,” Porter, a husband of fifty years, and a father, said.
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