CRESTVIEW — The sun isn’t totally up yet, but volunteers sure are. Fueled by coffee, donuts, ice cream sandwiches, and a sense of mission, they swarm around a semi as it backs up to a local church.
In less than 45 minutes, 7,000 to 8,000 pounds of food, purchased for about $700 from Feed the Gulf Coast food bank, is unloaded and piled in the sanctuary.
Within two hours it’s all gone, distributed to local families in need.
“We kind of target single moms with kids,” the Rev. Matt Ruckel, Destiny Worship Center's pastor, said. “We try to give people a leg up who just need a boost.”
Even before the truck arrived Saturday morning, volunteers were removing chairs from the sanctuary and setting up sorting tables for the monthly give-away.
As boxes of bread, produce, frozen meat, dry goods, canned goods and desserts flood in, teams move the various types of food to their respective sorting areas.
“Each group has adopted their own area. Like ants, they get to work,” Ruckel said. “The idea is, in one day, we get it all in and give it all away.”
'NOT JUST ABOUT FOOD'
The Stillwell Boulevard church is a branch campus of the Destiny Worship Center, a non-denominational Destin church with Panama City Beach and Freeport campuses. The local congregation applies techniques perfected elsewhere.
“We learned a lot from our Freeport campus,” distribution coordinator Steve Bartolo said. “We average about 30 volunteers. Everybody with a service heart, God’ll use them.”
“The need in Crestview is huge, so our list is pretty much full,” Ruckel said, adding the church provides two large produce boxes full of various food to each of between 100 and 125 families.
“We target the same families, so we’re building relationships with them and providing a connection to those in need,” he said. “It’s not just about food. We want them to break the spirit of poverty. When they encounter Jesus, then their lives change.”
SHARING WITH OTHERS
As the frenzied sorting goes on in the sanctuary, recipients line up outside. The church indeed changes their lives, they say.
“When we run short of food, we can come here to supplement what we have,” Bernie Houston said.
Her family isn't the only one who benefits. She tells neighbors that others in need are welcome to raid her pantry.
“We share with people in the neighborhood. Although we take what we get to my house, it goes to many houses.”
Houston said her children meet other kids when they’re out playing. If they learn their friends are short on food, “they come look in my cabinet and go grocery shopping. We don’t just keep it. We share it.
“It teaches my grandkids to give back,” she said.
FILLING SPIRITUAL, PHYSICAL NEEDS
For Destiny’s volunteers, stories like Houston’s are a blessing.
“This is a very good experience,” first-time volunteer Andres Cabrera said. “There are people in need and we are helping them get better. It’s very important. We try to give them the things they need: spiritual and physical.”
There’s work for volunteers of all ages. Evan Kenney, 8, and Trinity Quarrier, 9, made games of racing to stack empty boxes outside as they were emptied.
“It feels like we’re helping the entire world when we come here,” Evan said marveling at the huge amount of food. “It feels good!”
Destiny Worship Center’s monthly food distributions are the last Saturday morning of each month.
Call 306-2550 or visit 419 Stillwell Blvd., Crestview for more information
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This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview church ministry monthly distributes a semi-full of food (PHOTOS, VIDEO)