A line stretching down the wall and around the corner was not uncommon for the monthly grocery giveaway at The Way Church (911 E Dewey).
But a line wrapped around the building and through the halls was something else entirely.
The long lines made sense: a semi-truck load of food was brought to the church by Convoy of Hope—more than 30 pallets were unloaded and strategically placed in the church’s halls.
In addition to that, Paula George, “The Chip Lady,” was using a portion of her winnings from Lay’s “Do Us a Flavor” potato chip contest to furnish full Thanksgiving baskets for twenty families.
Combined with the record-breaking government shutdown, it was enough to bring crowds, and boy, did they come.
“We’re not used to this kind of turnout,” one of the volunteers said as they loaded groceries into the car of one of the families who showed up and were waiting in line.
Still, everyone was all smiles as the recipients were brought into the building in groups, where volunteers helped them gather their groceries and load them into their cars. A video from Pastor Johnny Merrell showed how many people were working their way through the lines, and how many still waited outside:
As hundreds of families filed in and through the lines, it was a great reminder of just how significant the need is in our community, and of how willing and ready the community is to respond.
Pastor Johnny Merrell said, “Today was a great day!” as he shared his love for his hometown. “We truly have a heart to meet the needs of this community as best we can,” he said. He added that the church and volunteers were able to hand out groceries nonstop for two hours, helping hundreds of families. “We are so thankful for our church family serving people with so much love.”
On the other side of the lobby was another line, with another giveaway happening at the same time; Paula George, “The Chip Lady,” was handing out full Thanksgiving baskets to 20 families chosen from a stack of applications numbering close to 200.
George said she was touched by the stories people sent in, and that it made it difficult to choose which families would win the giveaway.
“Reading the stories and hearing about all of those who were so deserving of help and who needed a special blessing was humbling,” she said. “I am so grateful for the opportunity to have met them and been able to help them this Thanksgiving.”
George made it a point to meet and pray for each of the winners, sending them home with a full Thanksgiving meal, including turkey, all the trimmings, and their choice of pie.
The applicants who didn’t win were still invited to the grocery giveaway. The total numbers are still coming in, but the estimate of families helped is in the hundreds.
George was also quick to recognize the others who helped make her giveaway a reality, including private donations and a load of canned goods from Caring Community Friends. “I am thankful for each person who helped me to make this happen for (the winners),” she said. “I didn’t do it alone, so many amazing people gave of themselves, and to me, that’s what this is all about. It was truly a community effort to help all of these wonderful people.”
Photos by Micah Choquette
