Church mission is to feed the hungry

By Annie Rigby

Mitchell Sea Baptist Church in Green Sea provided food to the community at the Kingston Lake building on Church Street in Loris on Friday, April 10, beginning at 1 p.m. until all of the food boxes were distributed.

Every Friday the Reverend Hattie Graham and volunteers work meticulously to provide food for residents in Loris. This past Friday they provided food to 520 people in the Loris area. Cars were lined up on Church Street swinging back to Spring Street. They were able to provide a box of food including cans of green beans, corn and ravioli, a box of cereal, chopped walnuts, tomatoes, zucchini, squash, a bag of apples and two to three oranges. Once the boxes were distributed they provided bags filled with canned vegetables, cereal, fresh fruit mix, apples and oranges.

The drive-thru pick-up was in compliance with the social distancing rule. Drivers remained in their cars as the volunteers loaded the food into the trunk. Drivers met Graham when she asked how many family members are in their household; she blessed them as they thanked her for the benefits to assist them by providing the much needed food items.

LeKisha Alford, Douglas Rowell, Leatrice Graham, Alfred Alford (Bo), and Douglas Gause are all from Green Sea and are a part of the Kingston Lake Missionary Baptist Association. They are ready and eager to assist struggling families afford food for their families; their Christian values to help people comes with a smile and a grateful heart. Graham stated that the additional volunteers are Glenn Thompson who picks up the food donations and Wilbur Graham who drives the truck and Mike Harris helps.

Reverend Graham said, “So many people are struggling during this coronavirus and anyone who needs food is welcome to come, no questions asked.” She continued, “The only question we ask is how many people everyone is planning to feed with the food provided simply to keep a record of how many people who receive help.” Volunteers said they have not seen a line of cars as they did on Friday; they provide food boxes to families every Friday afternoon and have never seen this many vehicles waiting. Graham said helping people should not just be something people do only during a pandemic. “I just think it is an important period, and during this time I guess we are troubled,” she said, “I wouldn’t want to call it trouble but we’ve got this virus and it is troublesome, but it’s just something we need to do as a country, as a community, as a world.”

Just as every Friday, Graham and the volunteers will be filling boxes with donated foods and distributing them to the many who are suffering financially to put food on the table for their families.

Graham quotes Psalms 91, “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare of the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I am trusting Him. For He will rescue you from every trap and protect you from the fatal plague.”

Graham wants to continue to help others with food donations. She stated they have volunteers but desperately need food and money to help purchase the food. All donations are tax deductible gifts; donations can be made through their website www.thekingstonlakecenter.org.

Graham and the volunteers will be ready for a larger crowd this Friday, April 17, at 1 p.m.