Feeding a need

The aromas of turnip greens simmering on the stove top and garlic bread toasting in the oven filled the kitchen and fellowship hall at Madison United Methodist Church long before people began arriving to enjoy last Thursday evening’s free meals.

Jennifer Joyce and more than two dozen volunteers worked several hours to make sure everyone enjoyed the second Meals of Hope experience as much as January’s first dinner. Joyce, manager of Fuzzy’s Barbecue and the inspiration behind the program, maintained her usual smile as she coordinated the cooking and serving of the meal.

Bob Burris taught Joyce in Sunday School when she was in the youth department at Madison UMC and said she had always demonstrated a tender heart toward others.

“I’ve known Jennifer a long time and she’s always felt strongly about reaching out to help other people,” Burris said. “She’s really grown spiritually as she’s grown older, and Meals of Hope is just another result of her keeping her commitment to help others as she grows as a Christian.”

Burris became involved with the program early in its development, saying he caught Joyce’s enthusiasm for filling a great local need. Rockingham County’s high unemployment figures meant there were plenty of people that could use a hot, homemade meal and a chance to socialize with others.

“Jennifer already had the ball rolling when I got involved,” Burris said. “I just had to pitch in and help.”

Martha Sharpe, another Madison UMC member, has also been involved with Meals of Hope since the early planning stages. Sharpe said the program goes along with the church’s recent emphasis on outreach.

“We’ve been trying to stress new ways to think about the church – not as just a building but as a group of people working together to reach outside our walls to meet and help others where they live,” Sharpe said. “Jennifer’s vision for Meals of Hope was to do exactly that.”

Sharpe said the program also helped pull church members together around a central outreach. While the adults help prepare the food, deliver take-out orders and provide transportation, the church’s youths take drink and dessert orders and serve guests.

“We’ve only had two meals so far, but it’s already helped to unite so many areas of our church,” Sharpe said. “We might not have as many homeless people in Western Rockingham as other parts of the county, but we’re starting to understand there is more we can do for the many people in the community that are struggling to make ends meet in this economy.”

Joyce’s original vision was to have one meal on the first Thursday of each month, but that vision expanded after more than 120 showed up for the first dinner Jan. 5. In addition to last Thursday’s meal, Madison UMC will host a second dinner this month from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14.

“Right now, we’re planning to have meals on the first and third Thursday of every month,” Joyce said. “If we could get enough other churches, clubs and organizations involved, it’s possible we could even do more than that.”

In addition to serving about 100 meals in the Madison UMC fellowship hall, Meals of Hope also delivers takeout dinners to people that are not able to come to the church. Joyce said volunteers also provide transportation for people that want to come enjoy the meal with others, but do not have their own transportation.

Joyce also began collecting clothing and toiletry items to provide extra help to people coming for the meal. She said that has proven to be as much of a blessing to her as providing the dinner.

“I had a mother the other night ask about some clothes for her children because they had very little to wear,” Joyce said. “She was so excited to find some things they really needed, but as she was getting ready to leave she asked, ‘Do you think you might have a coat for me?’ That’s what this project is all about.”