Starting the Day by Helping Others
The volunteers at Bethesda Baptist Church arrive before the sun rises to prepare for the people who come to the church parking lot every Friday morning for food distributions. Denise, Network Partnership Manager for Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, calls this group of volunteers “the A-team” since they are out distributing food in any weather. No amount of Wisconsin heat or snow is too extreme to cancel distribution.
“I love seeing people’s faces light up when they receive the boxes of food,” says Kristina, a teacher who has been coming to the church for 34 years and directs traffic at the distributions. “We understand that we don’t really have to do it, but know that we are able and care about giving back and helping our community.”
Bethesda Baptist Church hosts their food distributions starting at 7 a.m. to allow guests to pick up food before going to work. This alleviates the stress of having to find a friend, family member, or neighbor to pick up the food for them while they are at their job. Kristina estimates that they serve about 50 families every Friday. Guests simply drive up to the church parking lot and volunteers load their cars with boxes of fresh produce, dairy, and meat.
Velma, a school bus driver with a modest income, comes to the pantry on Fridays when kids are out of school. “The distributions help a lot for more expensive items like milk and eggs,” Velma says. “This way I don’t have to spend so much of my money on food.”
Your donations to Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin help provide Bethesda Baptist Church with healthy food to distribute to their guests. Thank you so much for your support!
