Mobile Food Pantry at New Life Christian Church United Tuesday

Tuesday will be Mobile Food Pantry time at New Life Christian Church United, 301 N. Main St.

“We’ll be distributing from 3-5 p.m. on the lot here at church,” said pastor John Harwell.

The church started the pantries because, “It’s needed. I can’t give you a better goal than to say that’s what Jesus said to do. We’re just trying to be obedient. We hope to see this as a springboard into other ministries for the Downtown neighborhood.”

The first Mobile Food Pantry with the truck from Sikeston was in the first half of the year.

“We have been doing it on occasion,” Harwell said. “We were doing a little local walk-in pantry for folks in the neighborhood every Friday. What we’re moving toward is doing the food pantry once a month and the walk-in pantry once a month.”

According to the pastor, “We first stated the walk-in pantry, first for homeless and then for the neighborhood people. On the neighborhood walk-in pantry, we will serve between 35 and 50 each week we do it. We’ll serve usually 200 families on the big distributions, or direct distributions.”

Harwell said, “Our move from Barron Road to Downtown was solely to serve the underserved. We were sitting out there on Barron Road and you go down Barron Road, there’s West Side church, there’s Temple Baptist, both marvelous congregations meeting the needs and serving a wide area but also being the neighborhood churches.

“Our hearts always have been toward serving the underserved. We had the opportunity to move Downtown and we have been busy since the day we moved in down there. We know we’re doing the right thing.”

The people they serve are quickly becoming friends, Harwell said.

“What tickles me is when they have other needs or just want to talk and they come by. That’s what it’s all about,” he said.

The pastor said, as in the past, traffic is asked to enter the lot from Broadway.

The usual criteria as set forth by the Southeast Missouri Food Bank will apply.

Harwell explained this event includes Butler County residents only. They need a driver’s license, state issued I.D. or utility bill required for proof of residence. Limit two residences per vehicle. Please bring your own bag or box.

Walk throughs will be served as well, same requirements.