By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Church food pantry needs help for others
Placeholder Image
Editor,  On Dec. 31, I composed a note for my Facebook friends and after I entered the piece to share with these friends, my computer came back with this: “Status Too Long — The maximum status length is 420 characters, but it is 2605 characters long.” So, I thought, what do I do now?
In these difficult times the need to focus on the good is so vital. Doing something for others is a way to channel thoughts away from one’s own problems. And sometimes after seeing other problems, it’s easy to forget about one’s own.
I’d like to ask the Coastal Courier to do what the computer could not and print my letter to my Facebook friends and the Courier’s friends as well.
The Facebook note is as follows:
I need a can of food. Not me, really. A few Liberty Countians down on their luck could use the help.
I spent a Thursday morning a couple of weeks ago at my church’s food pantry. My church is the Midway United Methodist Church. My pastor is Doug Walker. His wife, Lynn, plays the piano and organ. They are a great team and do wonderful work for the Lord. The food pantry is run by some of the hardest working Christian people I know, Dennis and Georgiann Christiansen of Sunbury.
The pantry was set to open at 9 a.m. but by 7:30, people were already there. And by 8:30 a.m., there was a long line outside.
Dennis decided to open at 8:30 as it was cold outside and the grocery bags were ready, one bag for each person with a frozen chicken inside. When the chickens were all distributed, sausage was the next available meat. It was all over by 9 a.m. The pantry was practically bare.
Our church in the city of Midway feeds about 50 families each month, but one can’t help but pray that it could be feeding more. The people come from Riceboro, Hinesville, Midway and all over. They are old. They are young. They are black and they are white. They sign in. They get their food. Their common denominator is they need help either for themselves or for their families.
The food pantry is depleted. But the cycle begins again. People from our church bring cans of food and put them in a box at the church entrance.
What I’m looking for here are ideas. And, yes, cans of food, boxes of rice, staples that can be stored in a food pantry. There is also a freezer for meats, etc. Midway United Methodist, like so many others, is not receiving the contributions it did in previous years. This is the norm, but there is a way to feed the hungry. There’s got to be.
The Manna House in Hinesville is doing a fantastic job of serving the area’s needy, but they are down in contributions also. What if we at Midway Methodist had so much food contributed each month that we could share with Manna House and the other churches that have food pantries? Wouldn’t that be a blessing?
Is there someone, some group, some business out there who can help? Not only do I want assistance, I want names and addresses of people you are personally aware of who needs help. Yes, primarily it would be in Liberty County, but if you know someone, say in McIntosh or Bryan County, a car and driver can be arranged to deliver.
Please e-mail me with any ideas any families who need help and we’ll find a way. My e-mail address is ngclark@coastalnow.net. If anyone wants to help with a check, make it out to the Midway United Methodist Church — food pantry and send to me at P.O. Box 599, Midway, GA 31320, or just call me at 884-2810 and tell me to come by and I’ll pick up your donations.
I’m thankful to be home in downtown Yellow Bluff and I’m thankful to be moving into my eighth decade of life as a Liberty Countian.
May the good Lord pour out His blessings to you in the coming year. Love to each and everyone of you,

Nicky Clark
Sign up for our e-newsletters