By Cory L. Higgs
Give us this day our daily bread.
We all need a helping hand from time to time, and Patrick County is no stranger to hardships. That’s why one local church is helping people get back on their feet.
At the Patrick Springs Pentecostal Holiness Church, a small shack situated behind the chapel doors and the bell tower is “where the real church is,” according to Van Rowe, a member who also secures food for the Food Bank that is housed in the small shack. He noted the Food Bank there feeds an estimated 2,000 people each month.
The Food Bank is part of the church’s food ministry. It is operated solely by volunteers, most of whom are seniors. These people volunteer three or more days a week to bring food to those in the county that may go hungry if not for their goodwill.
“We have people that come in and say they aren’t sure how’d they make it without us,” Rowe said,” I could tell you thousands of stories of how it’s blessed us.”
The Food Bank started with a single loaf of bread and a smile, Rowe recalled.
Now, a sign that reads “Give us our daily bread,” hangs above the door to the Food Bank – a description of the food ministry.
The Food Bank ministry is a shame- and hassle-free way for those who need assistance to get some food and get back on their feet, Rowe said.
Much of the food distributed by the ministry is donated from local retailers such as Walmart, Little Caesars, Lowes Foods, and others. The food is blemished or the packaging is damaged; however, it is still good and beautiful, said Danny Hundley, manager of the food ministry.
Many volunteers noted that local residents often stop in to drop off their surplus of veggies and fruit for the Food Bank to distribute.
Because of donations and a partnership with Feed-America, the ministry runs at little to no cost. Every week local business, community members and Feed-America delivers mountains of food to the ministry, “you’d be amazed at what comes out of this county,” said Rowe about the copious amount of food that moves through the ministry.
“When we got here today, that table was full,” Ivalien Reynolds said as she motioned to a 10-foot long table of produce that had been nearly emptied in the short time they were open. Reynolds, 85, is a volunteer.
When people show up seeking help, they are only asked to sign their name and note the number of people they are feeding, Rowe said. “Nothing more, nothing less.”
The largest need generally is at the end of the month, when food stamps and other assistance ends, but Hundley said people flock the doors of the little shack every day it’s open.
Rowe says the food ministry and other programs are in need of young volunteers. Most of the current volunteers are well into their golden years.
The food ministry is one of three programs that are operated in unison to help the people of Patrick County. The Jesus House offers free clothing, and a Soup Kitchen is open two days a week to provide a hot meal to anyone in need.
The food bank is open from 3 to 5p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; the Jesus House is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; the soup kitchen is open on Tuesdays, and delivery can be arranged.
