A new addition to the Highway 49 Recreation Center was dedicated last week, but it has nothing to do with recreation. The addition is a 16x50-foot pavilion that will help shelter volunteers during the monthly food distributions held at the park.
Ronnie Hinson, founder of Sonrise Ministries, led the dedication ceremony held Sept. 2 with a small group of supporters. The pavilion was funded by private donations and approved by Jones County Commissioners at their July 15 meeting.
Hinson said the monthly amount of food received from the Middle Georgia Food Bank for the distribution is from 14-16,000 pounds. The food has to be sorted and placed in boxes before distribution, and he said many of the 20-25 volunteers who help are not young.
Hinson said the volunteers need shelter from the sun and/or rain. He said the pavilion is big enough to cover the pallets of food as well as shelter the volunteers.
The request was approved unanimously by the commissioners, who thanked Hinson for his ministry to the community.
“This is a perfect example of a community partnership and a servant’s heart,” Commissioner Sam Kitchens said.
The pavilion was erected last month.
Hinson reflected on the beginning of the food distribution at last week’s dedication. He said after the new Sonrise Ministries building was opened seven years ago, he was contacted by the Middle Georgia Food Bank.
“They came to us needing for another agency in Jones County. That gave us the credentials to buy and distribute food. Right now, we are giving out 150 to 200 boxes per month at Sonrise,” he said.
Hinson said, after the ministry became an agency for the food bank, they followed up asking if the ministry would be willing to host a mobile food truck. He said that involves enough volunteers to handle 200-250 cars.
“That wouldn’t work at Sunrise, so I called Kim Washburn. He said yes, and we hosted the mobile food bank at Greenwood Baptist for about two years,” Hinson said.
The ministry took a couple of months off because of COVID, and then someone came up with the idea of having the food distribution at the ballpark.
“That was a good idea because of the layout of the park,” Hinson said. “It’s worked out great.”
He said the numbers over the length of the distribution are mind blowing.
“Over the past seven years, that’s approximately 80 food drives, and we have topped 300 cars. We average 250 families per distribution and over 20,000 food boxes,” he said. “That’s a lot of work, but I believe when God calls you to do something, he doesn’t call you to do it by yourself.”
Hinson said no one knows the impact of that box of food for single mom.
He said, according to his calculations, they have distributed more than one million pounds of food.
Jones County Director of Parks and Recreation Bert Rosenberger also spoke at the dedication.
“On behalf of the Jones County Board of Commissioners, we appreciate you,” he said. “Our staff members enjoy the opportunity every month to serve our community.”
He said the employees always feel good at the end.
“We look forward to many years to come. Thank you for all you’re doing and being a leader of this opportunity,” the director said.
Hinson closed the dedication ceremony with a prayer of thanks.
The sponsors for the pavilion are AA Fence Company, Bradley Baptist Church, Gray Dental Associates, Gray Tabernacle, Gray Vestors LLC, Greenwood Baptist Church, Middle GA Community Food Bank, Real Life Church, Stetson Buildings, Smiles for Seth Ministry, Sonrise Ministries, Southeast Outdoor Solutions and United Community Church of Macon.
