Ministries work together to feed children
Local churches and community partners across Jones County are working together to address food insecurity among students through outreach programs that provide meals beyond the school day.
Programs such as Jesus Hands Feeding Kids at First Baptist Church of Gray and Backpack Buddies at Immanuel Baptist Church supply weekend, holiday, and summer meals for students who rely heavily on school-provided breakfasts and lunches during the week.
Leslie Poythress, Executive Director of Family Engagement for the Jones County School System, said these ministries play a vital role in supporting students and families.
“They work collaboratively with the school system, churches, and community partners to address food insecurity,” Poythress said.
Jesus Hands Feeding Kids is led by Tricia Ash, a retired Jones County School System educator. Ash taught at Gray Elementary and Dames Ferry Elementary Schools and later served as a gifted education teacher. She is a member of First Baptist Church of Gray and currently directs the church’s feeding ministry.
Ash said the church became aware of the need after receiving information from school counselors.
“Our church found out that there were a whole lot more hungry children in Jones County than we imagined through the counselors at the schools. We decided that we needed to address that as a church,” Ash said.
Since its launch, Jesus Hands Feeding Kids has provided almost 80,000 meals to students across the Jones County school district.
“That number shows our church how much the need is, but also that our willingness to help with it is truly making a difference,” Ash said.
Ash said that it takes a village to feed so many children, and Jesus Hands Feeding Kids leaders Renee Darnell and Hannah Foval echoed that sentiment.
“The response from the church and the community has just about been unreal. We have had so much help, and the Lord has provided so much money that we are able to expand and meet all the needs. It’s been incredible,” Darnell said.
“We are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus. I am the children’s minister here at First Baptist, and this ministry is very important to me. Everything we do here is focused on making Jesus known in our community. It’s incredible week after week to see the volunteers come together and serve the community that they live in,” Foval said.
The program also has the support of school board member Dr. Nancy Nash, who serves as vice chair of the Middle Georgia Community Food Bank.
“I knew about the school backpack ministry at Forest Hills Church in Macon and dreamed of one day having such a program in Jones County. I also learned that Immanuel Baptist Church in Jones County was serving Mattie Wells Elementary and again thought how great it would be to expand that program. While I only had thoughts, others acted.
I’m so proud of First Baptist Church of Gray and the many volunteers for their ministry. This ministry has soared and continues to expand. I’m very grateful for this partnership working to ensure no child goes hungry over the weekend,” Nash said.
Jesus Hands Feeding Kids recently celebrated its two-year anniversary. Ash explained that Immanuel Baptist Church’s Backpack Buddies program began first and inspired First Baptist Church of Gray to start a similar ministry.
Immanuel Baptist Church serves students at Mattie Wells Elementary School and Clifton Ridge Middle School. First Baptist Church of Gray serves Jones County Head Start, Jones County Pre-K, Gray Elementary School, Dames Ferry Elementary School, Turner Woods Elementary School, Gray Station Middle School, and Jones County High School.
“We provide weekend meals for students at the school who have been identified by their teachers and counselors as potentially not having food on the weekends,” Ash said.
Ash said many students depend heavily on school meals and experience food insecurity when school is not in session.
“Right now, the government provides free breakfast and lunch for all students, but there are many kids who totally rely on those meals at school. During weekends, holidays, and the summer, they do not have that to depend on. So, we fill in that gap,” she said.
Ash said the program is funded entirely through donations from community partners.
“The donations come from businesses, clubs, organizations, and other churches in the county,” Ash said.
Volunteers at First Baptist Church pack meals every Monday morning during the school year. Each bag contains seven meals covering Friday supper through Sunday supper.
“At First Baptist, every Monday morning on weeks that school is in session, we set up an assembly line of all the foods we are going to give to the students that week. Our foods are healthy and kid friendly. We give them well-balanced meals,” Ash said.
Items typically include beef stew, vegetables, fruit cups, milk, and juice. Extra food is provided for long weekends and holidays. During Thanksgiving, the church provided complete cooked meals to families who signed up for assistance.
“We pray for each child as we are packing their bag. That’s the most important part. It is a ministry. We are not just feeding children. We are feeding their souls as well,” Ash said.
Currently, First Baptist Church of Gray packs 144 meal bags each week. The ministry also includes flyers in the bags highlighting childfriendly community events and opportunities offered through the church. School counselors distribute the bags, and the ministry does not know the names or identities of the students.
“The students are anonymous to us. We don’t know their names, but we claim them as our own. I am a retired teacher, so these students are like my new class. They are all very precious. I don’t even know who they are, and it doesn’t matter. We love them dearly, and we want to take care of this need,” she said.
Several community groups have volunteered with the ministry, including the Gray Station Middle School Unified class, which recently helped pack food bags.
“We think it’s very important because we want these kids to see how the grown-ups help, so they will learn how to give back. We want them to know they can be a part of things like this as well. It doesn’t take a lot to help a neighbor,” she said.
In addition to assembling food bags, the Unified class has also put together birthday kits for students in the program. The kits include items such as cake mix, candles, a soda, sprinkles, and more, emphasizing that the ministry is about celebrating students and showing care beyond providing meals.
Teacher Melissa Spoon, who leads the Unified class at Gray Station Middle School, shared how her class became involved and her hope to continue the partnership with the program.
“Through our GCSU student teacher’s Service Learning Project, we, along with Miss O’Riordan, have had the opportunity to partner with the Jesus Hands ministry at First Baptist. We hope to continue this community service throughout the school year,” Spoon said.
Additional support for students is provided through Immanuel Baptist Church’s Backpack Buddies program.
First Baptist hosted a thank-you breakfast for its community partners May 11, and Jones County School System Superintendent Dr. Jessica Graves was in attendance.
“My heart is in this mission. What better space to do that than by feeding the hungry? Thank you for all you do to feed our students. We could not do it without you,” Graves said. “The work of the people is what makes this space. If children are hungry, they can’t learn. You have a direct impact on ensuring our students are served and can learn.
“We are so excited to forge ahead as a district, overwhelmed by the support of the community. Your stories are what give me the in to connect with the people of Jones County.”
