Ronnie Hinson has been successful in the customer service business since his mid-20s, and he now tries to sell not only merchandise and food at ultra-low prices but also his commitment and faith.
Hinson, who turned 69 last week, owned a vending company he bought and transformed from a business with a handful of accounts to a competitor with some much larger corporations. He said in a recent interview that Middle Georgia Vendors “just exploded” from the time he purchased the business until 2017, particularly in 2015, when the family-owned food service company landed the GEICO account.
“That was a game-changer,” he commented.
Hinson and Vickie Jackson were married in 1990, and her two sons, Eric and Jason Robertson, their son Brandon, and Hinson’s son, Jason Rowland, all helped at one time or another in the business they owned for 24 years.
“Eric was basically running the business when he got older, and I started Sonrise Ministries,” Hinson said.
Even with the business flourishing, they decided to make a change in 2017.
“We sold out to a national company that was our number one competitor, Five Star Vending,” Hinson said. “They tried to buy me out several times, but it was for the wrong reasons. They were trying to buy me out because I was a threat.”
Hinson recalled that something else occurred in 2017. The Atlanta Braves’ Chipper Jones retired, and he was still hitting home runs when he hung up his cleats.
“And the Lord said to me then, ‘Ronnie, you’ve still got a little bit left in your gas tank’. So,” Hinson continued, “they made me an offer. We prayed about it, and we sold.”
The buyers, Five Star Food Service, are major revenue-producers and taxpayers in the county, he said.
Hinson explained that he accepted Jesus as his Savior in 1990, and he receives his guidance from the Lord. His new ministry was no different. His brother, Mitchell (deceased now), worked at and retired from Goodwill Industries.
“And so,” Hinson shared, “around 2010 or so, God gave me a dream to start a Goodwill, but use it more as a ministry, right? Goodwill is a good company. They’re a good organization. They help a lot, but what about the spiritual part?”
Hinson acknowledged that he finally figured out he needed to find a location to start his new endeavor.
“By this time, I was all in for the Lord,” he declared. “I’d been a successful business guy. And I was still in business at that time. And so I was over in Macon, and I kept looking, and nothing happened.”
He finally noticed the longclosed Cleo’s Restaurant on Gray Highway, close to his business. Hinson said the front windows were broken, and the building looked as if it was about to fall in.
“I pulled in, and the Lord began to tell me, ‘This is it, Ronnie’. I was like, ‘No, don’t let this be it.’ This old building is about to fall down.”
Hinson talked to Peyton Smith, the building’s owner.
“I was sharing with him that I was looking to start a ministry, to help the community. And so,” Hinson recalled with a smile, “he reaches in his pocket and gives me the key. He said, ‘Ronnie, don’t worry about any rent. Don’t worry about buying or anything right now.’ He said, ‘Just do what you want to do with it.’
“So,” he explained, “we took the key, we painted it, cleaned it up, and we opened up Sonrise Ministry like a Goodwill.
“And from that day forward,” Hinson went on, “the Lord just began to give me visions to lay everything out to build a new store. And so, that’s where we’re at today, sitting here in my office in our new location.
“We’ve been here for six years. We were over there for five or six years. And I could tell you all about this store right here. Man, it’s been a ride. It has been a ride.”
Hinson said that the old restaurant was about 1,600 square feet, while the new outlet — containing offices, sales floors, and warehouse/storage space — totals some 15,000 square feet.
He said the company operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and utilizes volunteers to a large degree.
“We’ve probably got 25 volunteers,” he estimated. “We have a small staff, and the volunteers and staff are able to purchase anything at half price. And,” he added, “I’m a firm believer in taking care of the people that take care of you. I have a volunteer, his refrigerator goes out, and I’ve got one. That’s a no brainer, right?”
Hinson said Sonrise is an approved outlet for those required to do volunteer work.
“We’re also on the list with people that have to do community service, both men and women. And you know, most of those are going to be guys with DUIs, somebody got behind on child support, excessive speeding, those kinds of things.
“We bring those people in, and we let them know, ‘Hey, number one, we’re a ministry. We’re expecting you to conduct yourself (accordingly). You’re here to pay a debt that you could not pay.
“And so,” he noted, “I’ve actually had people that have come in for community service to stay on with us and continue to help us, even after they finish the hours. A lot of these people do. So it’s a great outreach to the community.”
Hinson shared that the merchandise sells at significantly reduced prices, with clothing going this past week for as low as $1 a piece. He also pointed out that the growth has been phenomenal.
“We might have 20 or 30 people a day in the old store,” he recalled. “In the four days that we’re open here, we may have as many as 1,000 people visit weekly, maybe 300 to 400 on any given Saturday.”
The donations are similarly phenomenal.
“We literally get 20,000 to 30,000 pounds of clothes per week,” he stated.
Then there is the financial assistance and donations of merchandise that Sonrise provides.
“We did about $30,000 in good deeds, financial aid for the community last year,” he pointed out. “And, we donated furniture and other goods at a value of just over $40,000. These are great resources.”
Sonrise Ministries is much more than just a merchandise outlet, Hinson stressed. There is also the food pantry.
“We have a food bank here on the other side of this wall right here,” he noted. “We’re an agency with the Middle Georgia Food Bank. We’re able to buy food from them at 19 cents a pound.”
Hinson explained that the food distribution system is a partnership. Numerous churches support Sonrise Ministries, which, in turn, helps needy individuals and families.
“Last week,” he said, “we bought for our food pantry 33,100 pounds of food, and that was around 500 bucks. So the monetary gifts help us buy more food to feed more folks.
“So let’s say Elam Baptist Church, one of our big supporters, they have a single mom really struggling, and she needs food. Instead of them doing food, they’ll send them here. Same thing for all the churches that support us,” Hinson said. “We’re able to partner with them.
“What can we do together? We’re better together. And so, that’s my philosophy here. So, out of the small food pantry we have here, we’re feeding about 200 families a week. And, we don’t charge anything for the food.”
Being an agency of the area food bank provides another benefit for local residents, Hinson shared.
“Once a month, we get a truckload of food. We host it, and it’s held over at the Jones County ballpark on Highway 49. We’ll have 25-35 volunteers to show up, and the food bank truck will pull in, and we’ll have 12-14 pallets of food. Normally it’s 13,000 to 15,000 pounds of food, and that is what they call the Mobile Food Pantry.”
Hinson said there will be a minimum of 250 cars and families who show up for the free food. He stressed that it takes a lot of work to sort and organize the different commodities, including vegetables, canned goods, and, hopefully, meat. The effort is worth it, he added.
“It’s a blessing, man, to stand there and see these moms, single moms, tears halfway running down their face and just saying, ‘thank y’all for this food.’” There is yet another component of Sonrise. Many local residents will recognize the name Star Motel, adjacent to the ministry building. It was known for its ‘short stays’ for years.
“The Lord told me He wanted me to get it and turn it out of what it was,” Hinson offered. “It was just an overnight stay, and the Lord said He wanted me to make it a House of Hope.” The former motel has 12 units, and ‘guests’ have included a single mom with two young girls, a man who was trying to rebuild his life and took a bad fall, and a woman who was a bus driver and her house burned down.
“So,” Hinson reasoned, “we’re able to use the motel, not as a handout, but a hand up. Move in, move up, we tell them. Then we’re going to help you move out.”
While reflecting on his community-based company, Hinson pondered his legacy.
“I’m focused on what really highly motivates me to keep going,” he affirmed. “I’m proud of all four of my boys. They’re all doing good; they’ve all got their family.
“I’ve got a 14-year-old grandson, Hunter. He loves hanging out with Paw Paw. Hunter said, ‘Paw Paw, you think one day when the Lord takes you home, you think I can run the thrift store for you. Can I run Sonrise?’
“I said, ‘That sounds like a plan.’”
