Continuing its mission to serve the needy, Liberty County Manna House held a free lunch Friday on Jan. 29, feeding the community and looking to reclaim a corner of the community known for doing God’s work.
“We had an incident on the corner here the week before and it was really tragic,” Manna House Executive Director Pastor Katrina Deason said. “This corner is known for doing good. I just didn’t want the people to only remember the tragedy.”
Deason who is also is the senior pastor of Liberty Prayer Chapel was referring to the Jan. 29, shooting which caused the death of Rosemary Michael at the gas station/convenience store located across from Manna House on Gause Street and Memorial Drive.
Michael was allegedly killed by her former boyfriend Davonta Johnson. Deason said both were well-known clients of Manna House.
Deason said she reached out to the gas station’s owners and received donations from several community leaders which allowed them to give out $1,200 worth of gas. She said it was a partnership between the station, radio station GOSPEL 94.9 and the community.
“We want to let the people know that this is a good corner,” Linda Harris-Dey with Liberty County Manna House said. “Nothing bad is going to happen on this corner ever again. We have been here for over 27 years and we are taking our corner back and let the people know that there is good here.”
While City of Hinesville Councilman Karl Riles and Councilwoman Diana Reid were seen pumping gas, the folks at Manna House were busy giving away food.
“We our doing our free lunch Friday which is where we are giving them a lunch and we are giving them groceries,” Harris-Dey said.
“The people are not back to work full time, some are back to part-time work, but for the most part they are still not working completely, and the need is still out here,” Deason said adding they served 212 households.
Harris-Dey said no one will ever go hungry on her watch.
Deason said the food comes from Feeding America and America’s Second Harvest. She said Feeding America gets some food donations from local restaurants and stores like Chick-fil-A, LongHorn’s Steakhouse and Kroger. She said several city and county officials made donations to the cause.