Food for Life

Last Tuesday night a first time volunteer asked me: “where do you get all the food?” I guess it does look daunting to some when they see us serving any where from 80 to 125 meals each week and, especially, since we don’t just serve enough food to keep someone from going hungry but to provide a good meal including a meat, vegetables, fruit, and a dessert. Our competition is not other “soup kitchens" but restaurants that emphasize quality and quantity.

The answer to their question is that our primary source of food comes from StreetSide Catering which is owned by Paul. Every week we raid the refrigetor and fill our van to capacity for the trip down town. After we unload the food at Triune Mercy Center, the “Sarge” in the kitchen, decides what additional food is required and then someone will make a quick trip to a local grocery store. Most of these purchases are funded by ministry donations.

Paul mentioned last Tuesday night that many have asked him if he still has a food ministry. The thing that they don’t understand is that Food for Life Ministries is not about feeding people although we do feed people. What the ministry is about is studying the Word of God. For the last 2 years, Paul has been preaching through the book of Romans verse by verse. Food for Life Ministries is about making sure everyone downtown has a clear understanding of the doctrines of the new birth, the corruption of the human nature, and the necessity of the influence of the Holy Spirit to break the power of sin in their lives. This is the food for the soul and it will provide the nourishment that will change lives for eternity. That is the real food that we freely distribute each Tuesday night. Our goal is that no one leaves hungry.
~Marc

Christian Love

It is amazing to see our volunteers show up every Tuesday night and immediately start to work. Each of them has different talents which they use to accomplish our goal of sharing the Gospel and providing food for the hungry in Greenville. Last Tuesday they prepared pork loin, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, and a large bowl of fresh fruit topped off with brownies and ice cream. It was all yummy. We were fortunate to serve 65 meals with the assistance of 24 volunteers.

Paul continued to teach in Romans 12 focusing on Christian love. True love should be sincere not based on an individual’s position or wealth. James 2:3 instructs us not to show special attention to those only because of their position or the clothes they wear but treat everyone the same. We are all on the same level and only God is above us. Jesus even prayed in John 17:26 that His love would be in us. That is the same love that Jesus had for everyone. He did not prefer himself over others even though he was God. He demonstrated his love by taking on the form of a servant and went to the cross for all of humanity as an ultimate expression of love. But the good news is that He did not only die but three days later he was raised from the dead by the power of God. We all have different backgrounds and everyone has an opinion. But we should consider others over ourselves. We can only do this if we allow ourselves to die by the Holy Spirit and be raised to love everyone regardless of their dress or appearance.

As we were leaving, two homeless individuals showed up in the parking lot asking for food. It was about 9:30pm so the food was long gone. Paul decided to take them to McDonalds for hamburgers and fries. It does not compare to the quality of food we prepare but it is better than nothing. And it does allow Paul ‘love on them’ and live out his sermon.

Wishing everyone a blessed Easter season.

Marc

Follow the Food

Actually Tuesday night begins on Monday night. Two of our volunteers pick up donated bread and sweets from Panera Bread in Greer between 9:30pm to 10:00pm. Panera Bread bakes their entire product daily and donates at the end of each day what is not sold. We use the bread and the sweets to augment the hot meal we serve on Tuesday night. Some of the bread is available for anyone who wants to eat immediately. Many will heat up the bread in a microwave and snack on this until we serve the hot meal after the Bible study.

.

We always get plenty of help unloading the food from our vehicle which is taken to the kitchen. Assignments are given to volunteers for preparing the food. Generally the preparation involves chopping, peeling, cutting, and cooking. One volunteer takes charge of directing everyone based on the recipe for the meal. It is important that everything is timed properly so that we can serve the meal without delay at the end of the Bible study.

The actual food that is prepared for the hot meal is donated by StreetSide Catering Inc. This business is owned by Paul Blumer. He started his business the same year as the ministry was birthed and it was understood that his business would always donate the food for the weekly Bible study. This allows us to use all donated funds for meeting the needs of the homeless and poor in Greenville.

We serve the food cafeteria style. We make sure everyone gets plenty of food. Many will prepare a plate to go for the next day. After everyone is served, many of our volunteers will prepare a meal and eat with the homeless. This is an important time to make friends and develop relationships for sharing the Gospel and showing everyone that we genuinely care. It gives us a chance to share our lives with each other which is an important part of the ministry. This time is a blessing to our friends on the street and to our volunteers. We leave each night truly counting our blessings. This week we were privileged to provide 80 meals with the help of 14 volunteers.

~Marc