Trenton church feeding bellies and souls with food giveaway

Trenton church feeding bellies and souls with giveaway

1,200 food boxes available Wednesday

By Logan Watson

Trenton’s First Baptist Church North is taking a leap of faith this week.

According to Reverend Ferdnando Bailey, his church is preparing to give away over 1,200 boxes of food, no matter the need, every Wednesday morning.

“It’s for anyone, at any time, who wants it,” said Rev. Bailey. “We’ll be doing that from the time the truck gets here until it’s empty. This will be a weekly thing for the community and the surrounding towns. Your income doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter what you have going on. If you want it, we have it available for you.”

Rev. Bailey said that his church had held food giveaways on a smaller scale in the past, but the Lord blessed them with the opportunity to expand their ministry to everyone in Gibson County.

“God had given me the vision of reaching out to a community that’s hurting,” said Rev. Bailey. “I prayed about it and He opened a door for us to be able to pass out close to 75 boxes of food around Christmastime.” After their initial giveaway, the winter weather set in and supplies dwindled, but the men and women of First Baptist Church North continued to reach out. During one of the last giveaways, a church member approached Rev. Bailey with a proposition that would increase their outreach tenfold.

“He said, ‘I heard about what you’re trying to do. What if I’m able to be a blessing to you and the community by sending you over 1,200 boxes?’ I said, if you can set it up, we’ll do the job. When God opens a door like that, you can’t just say no.”

The boxes, which are being provided through the USDA, will have close to 25 pounds of food items, including meat, vegetables, dairy products and more. Church members will be assisted by Trenton’s fire and police departments, as well as anyone else that feels led to participate.

“This is a community thing. This doesn’t just stop at First Baptist Church North,” Rev. Bailey said. “This is God’s work.”

Rev. Bailey said that the step up from less than 100 boxes to more than 1,200 would be a challenge, but his church is prepared to face it head-on in order to help families that have been hurt during these trying times.

“We’re in this. This is a ministry that God has called us to,” Rev. Bailey said. “COVID-19 has hurt a lot. We lost family members, close friends, church members. It has really affected us wholeheartedly. It plays with the mind. It causes you to second guess what you should do and shouldn’t do. It makes it very difficult, but if we lean on our faith more than what society says, then we’re ok. Because God is not going to put any more on us than we can bear.”

First Lady Debbie Bailey added that she hoped the giveaway would help local families that have taken a hit financially, allowing them to stretch the dollars that they do have until the Lord can carry them the rest of the way through their hardship.

“Those are things that they don’t have to go to the stores and purchase,” she said. “If we’re able to help the household by doing this, it will relief some of the parents’ stresses if they’re running short on funds.”

“We just want to make sure that people have more than enough to help take some of the stress off,” said Rev. Bailey.

“Whatever God brings us to, with our faith he will carry us through,” said First Lady Debbie Bailey. “Serving, that’s an action word. It’s time for the church to be the church. Let’s give back to the community, let’s work together as a whole. When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. You can’t just sit on your hands and do nothing. As long as God is providing and the opportunity is here, we want to put in the work.”

Anyone that needs assistance with obtaining boxes can contact the church for help, and all volunteers are welcome. The lines will be long, but the church asks that everyone be patient.

“The fire department is going to help us distribute the food and we have members here at the church that will be running boxes to the sick and shut-in,” said Rev. Bailey. “Everyone cannot get out, so just let us know so we can make sure you get a box or two and help fill that void.”

Rev. Bailey can be reached at pastorfmbailey9@gmail.com or you can contact the church through Facebook at FirstBaptist Church North.