Reaching out to the community: Mansfield's Oasis of Love hosting eighth annual block party

Everything is free at the Oasis of Love Church's block party.

"A lot of people are shocked," Pastor Raymond Cochran Jr. said.

The eighth event will take place Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. at the church, 190 Chester Ave. Last year's block party drew 1,000 people.

"It brings different races together. It brings different cultures together," Cochran said. "That's why we had to expand. It's a good problem."

The block party will include free food, school supplies and backpacks. Kids also can receive free haircuts, while their parents can register them to get free clothing from the New Store.

In addition, Matthew 25 Outreach Center will bring 1,000 pounds of produce, and the Cleveland Clinic will offer free cancer screenings.

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But the Oasis of Love block party is about more than free stuff.

"It's a day of ministry also," Cochran said. "Sunday is not the only day for ministry. It should be every day."

A 2002 graduate of Mansfield Senior High School, Cochran is a Mansfield native. He grew up at Oasis of Love Church under the guidance of the late Walter E. Jordan.

This is the fifth year Cochran has helped with the block party.

"It's just an honor to carry it on," he said. "I think he (Jordan) would be very proud to see where it's at now."

The Oasis of Love Church was founded by Harrison F. and Elvina E. Miller in 1953. Its original name, Deliverance Temple, was changed in the 1990s to better reflect the outreach and ministry of the church.

Cochran graduated from the Ohio State University in 2008 with a degree in family resources and financial management. He became an assistant pastor at Oasis of Love in 2017 and took over as senior pastor in 2019.

"It's about unity in the community," Cochran said.

So is the block party, which attracts many people from outside of Mansfield.

"It's too good to miss," Cochran said. "Come on out."

mcaudill@gannett.com

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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Reaching out to the community: Mansfield's Oasis of Love hosting eighth annual block party