MIMS HILL CHURCH
GENEVA COUNTY COMMUNITY CHURCH MOBILE FOOD PANTRY
JUNE 9, 2020
Geneva County Community Church Mobile Food Pantry June event
IN THE NEWS WITH WTVY:
Geneva County food pantry delivers much needed assistance in second month
Nick Brooks
May 12, 2020
The Geneva County Community Church Food Pantry gave away food today for the second time since it opened last month.
COVID-19 restrictions may be loosening up, but the need for assistance is still there.
"We can give out to over 200 families now but we hope to start doing 300 families before much longer but we need the donations," said Robert Michaels, Director of Geneva County Community Church Mobile Food Pantry.
The pantry is just trying to help bridge the gap so residents in Geneva County do not go hungry.
"It helps to supplement a family so they've got at least a break for a week or two worth of meals sometimes even more depending on what the items are," said Brenda Marine, Secretary of Geneva County Community Church Mobile Food Pantry.
For those receiving the food, the pantry in Geneva County has been a long time coming.
"Desperately needed – a lot of people have never been to a food bank before in their lives," said Rhonda Dansby.
For Rhonda, it's a sigh of relief.
"I have a small freezer, but when you look at the freezer and there's nothing there and then the food bank started and it was just like all right suddenly you have something in the freezer."
As for the pantry's goal as they continue to move forward: "We just want to feed the people of Geneva County and I just think it's an awesome thing to do to see people that are hungry get fed," Michaels said.
The pantry will open back up June 9th.
For more information on the pantry and how to donate visit the Geneva County Community Church Mobile Food Pantry’s Facebook page.
On April 23rd the Geneva County Community Church Mobile Food Pantry distributed eight pallets of chicken along with one trailer load(900 pounds) of assorted produce, breads and cakes.
Pastor Bob Michaels oversaw this project.
MAKING HEADLINES WITH THE GENEVA COUNTY REAPER:
Geneva County Church Community Food Pantry was a success
by Sarah Hodge
April 14, 2020
The first Geneva County Community Church Food Pantry event served over 200 Geneva County residents on April 14. The pantry utilized the Geneva County Farm Center to undertake this venture, after first meeting with the Geneva County Commission in late February.
“We thank the county commissioners and Judge Seay for the use of the Geneva County Farm Center,” said Mims Hill Church Pastor Bob Michaels. “I think it was a very successful endeavor.”
Michaels, director of the newly organized pantry, went on to say that he is thankful that a lot of people got food they needed to help them through this hard time.
Michaels says, “I thank God for this opportunity to share to feed his sheep.”
Michaels asks that the Geneva County church families keep praying that the pantry continues to do the work God has called them to do. He is grateful for the church's support and thanks to the almighty God for his wisdom to do what they need to do to feed his sheep.
There was over $28,242 of wholesale food given away; this amounted to over 17000 lb of food. This was just one effort by the Geneva County Church Mobile Food Pantry to help the people in need, in the county.
MAKING HEADLINES WITH GENEVA COUNTY REAPER:
Monthly food bank coming to Geneva County
by Nelson E. Gomez Jr.
February 26, 2020
The Geneva County Commission meeting started off with a request from Robert Michaels, coordinator of the newly established Geneva County Food Bank. Michaels requested the commission to approve using the Geneva County Farm Center as a location once a month to facilitate the food bank for the County.
Michaels stated, “Sixty-five percent of the people in Geneva County that need this help are senior citizens. They have to choose between food and medicine. About two to three hours a month is all we are asking for to distribute this food.”
He added, “The USDA has an allotment for every county in Alabama, and Geneva County is not getting any of it.”
Michaels says an active food bank in the county is a much-needed program,
“I get emotional a lot of times when I see people starving. I have opened refrigerator doors with nothing but a bottle of water in there. And I’ll tell you it breaks your heart to see people in Geneva County starving and there’s no call for it when we have the resources to take care of that.”
Commissioners unanimously approved the usage of the Farm Center for the food bank. Michaels will work directly with Geneva’s Auburn Extension office to coordinate schedules to not conflict with the new farmers market opening at the Farm Center.
MAKING HEADLINES WITH WTVY:
Food bank coming to Geneva County Farm Center
by Zach Wilcox
February 24, 2020
A food bank is on its way to Geneva County.
The county commission heard from the pastor of Mims Hill Church about the new program at a meeting this morning.
The commission agreed to let the new food bank use the Geneva County Farm Center once a month to distribute food.
The new food bank is working alongside the Coffee County Food Bank, which distributed 300,000 pounds of food last year.
Geneva County qualifies for U.S. Department of Agriculture funding that would support the food bank, but has never applied for it.
"USDA has an allotment for every county in Alabama, and Geneva County is not getting any of it,” said Mims Hill Church Pastor Robert Michaels. “We support one of the poorest counties. What can we do to help the county and help the community?"
The food bank will tentatively be set up at the Geneva County Farm Center from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm the 2nd Tuesday of the month, barring any schedule conflicts.
The county commission agreed to look into how to apply for the USDA funding.