Growth in Essentials
We Will Feed is continuing to focus on meeting the needs of those in our community. We have been working to consolidate our donation space so that donors can easily bring by items and we can easily distribute those donations to neighbors. This has led to the repurposing of space in our facilities and growing our shelves and racks so that we can give even more in 2021. Olivia Hamilton, Director of Volunteers and Essentials has been working tirelessly to grow this program even in the midst of crises in 2020. “In the last quarter of 2020, we saw an increase in families needing food and Essentials by 30% which means that we saw an additional 100 families within the last 4 months,” she states.
One of our greatest needs continues to be volunteers to organize the donations that continuously come through. Mondays and Wednesdays from 9-11AM, you’ll find our staff unpacking food, hanging much needed coats for winter, and setting out sturdy brown bags for our neighbors to come and receive in the following days. “That is our largest volunteer need at the moment,” says Olivia about the need for more help sorting. Even though it might not be as exciting as giving the donations away directly, this volunteer opportunity is vital in the continuation of the program as many in our community rely on the stocked shelves for their next meal.
Our goal for 2021 is not just ‘how can we meet one need’ but how can we invest in our community long term. In speaking about the numerous neighbors that come through our doors, Olivia struggled with the question of, “How can we be a long term solution for our families? Our Essentials program seeks to go past just a bag of food. We want to help people join with our Employment program, families to bring their kids to join in with our Education program, and for each person coming through our doors to receive prayer.” Our goal is not to just be a food pantry. We want to help with our neighbors in other areas of their lives and impact them with the love of Christ.
To make an impact in the lives of those who need it, volunteers in Jackson from churches, youth groups, other teams, or individuals who want to come are invited to join us. We never want to limit or turn away a family who is in need. So far even with Covid and procedures in place, we have still been able to give. We’ve actually seen one of our biggest years of giving in 2020! We are praying for more sponsorships for families, more volunteers who want to invest in the people of Jackson, and for more lives to be impacted with the love of Christ.