This story originally appeared in the February 9th issue of Sapulpa Times. We were informed on Thursday, March 19th that the lime green PB&Jesus van will be making its usual rounds on Saturday, March 21st.
NOTE: PB & JESUS is collecting non-perishable food items and toiletries. If you’d like to donate, please drop them off at Better Built Structures (301 N. Main St.) from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The items will be delivered on Saturday’s route.
For the past forty-nine Saturdays, a group of volunteers has made with love and delivered peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to children who may be food insecure. But, that’s not all. The kids also receive a smile, drink, snack, crayons, and a tract made by a local volunteer telling them about Jesus.
The Christian Church-based Social Program is made up of churches, families, and business owners who want to make a difference in the lives of little ones. Their goal is to “combat hunger in our county’s youth as well as present the Gospel to them in simple ways that they can understand.”
There are roughly twenty other Peanut Butter & Jesus programs across the United States and the key to this ministry is consistency. The ministry is under the umbrella of Holiness Missions to America (HMA) whose national office is in Sapulpa. Missionary Evangelist Todd Sloggett who is over HMA about this program said, “Do it and do it forever,” speaking of instilling a foundation of faith and love in the children’s hearts.
The group of volunteers rotate Saturdays and work like a well-oiled machine making sandwiches, filling the brown paper lunch bags, and carefully folding the tops down. The sacks are labeled nicely in case a child has a peanut allergy.
This team of volunteers can be called upon during cold weather for coat and sock distribution or to help in disasters such as the tornado last year. They currently assemble the bags at a local church but are getting their own permanent facility soon, located on Dewey Street in Sapulpa.
The neighborhood kids look for the lime green Peanut Butter & Jesus van every Saturday morning. One mom said, “My kiddos look forward to y’all coming every weekend. It’s such a wonderful thing. We feel so blessed.”
If you would like to help them “spread” the love of Jesus on Saturday mornings to three local neighborhoods, please visit their Facebook page for contact information. They always welcome bulk food donations, funds, and volunteers if you would like to help them in “making a difference one sandwich at a time.” https://www.facebook.com/pbjcreekcounty/
Left to right: Marty, Stephanie and Reagan Cummins assembling bags for Peanut Butter & Jesus
Photo: Brooke DeLong
Contents of a Peanut Butter & Jesus bag.
Photo: Trae Toliver
