Mt. Zion Baptist Hosts Monthly Food Harvest for South Barry County
August 17, 2022
EDIT: Mt. Zion Baptist Church is located on Hwy. 37 South in Washburn.
Ezra DeVore
A local church is hoping to assist the hungry in south Barry County, assisted by Ozarks Food Harvest.
According to Sandra Jones, the wife of Mt. Zion Baptist Church Pastor Richard Jones, Ozarks Food Harvest contacted the church in April of this year, requesting permission for the organization to use the church parking lot as a monthly giveaway site.
“We said we would love to have them do that,” says Sandra. “We’ve been involved with food programs off and on for the past four years.” After gathering several volunteers, she says, the program took off. The program, continuing until December, distributes a box of food to families of southern Barry County, with no financial requirements.
“We’re helping to feed people, we have no financial requirements. This is for anyone who wants to come and get it,” Sandra says. “They need the food, especially with everything getting so tight. I think it’s much appreciated, it serves this part of the county. This is for this end of the county, takes in Washburn, Seligman, those areas.”
The boxes, often around 20 pounds, contain fruits, vegetables, breads, various desserts, but also have contained other items. “Some of the stuff’s getting to where you can’t get it out of the store,” Sandra says. “One time we gave out laundry detergent. So, it varies.”
Sandra’s husband Richard began pastoring for Mt. Zion in 2015, and to her, faith is a large driving factor in why she volunteers to give. “Scripture teaches us that we’re supposed to help take care of those in need, and there’s a personal gratification that we can do something and know that the Lord is pleased with what we’re doing because we’re meeting the needs of others. That’s part of serving the Lord. When we serve others, we’re serving Him. So, it’s very gratifying to see that we can help people. That’s what ministry is, meeting the needs of other people, and that’s what we do here at Mt. Zion.”
The food box giveaways take place on the second Thursday of every month at 10 a.m. Sandra hopes that Ozark Food Harvest will renew the agreement and continue the giveaways into 2023.
A local church is hoping to assist the hungry in south Barry County, assisted by Ozarks Food Harvest.
According to Sandra Jones, the wife of Mt. Zion Baptist Church Pastor Richard Jones, Ozarks Food Harvest contacted the church in April of this year, requesting permission for the organization to use the church parking lot as a monthly giveaway site.
“We said we would love to have them do that,” says Sandra. “We’ve been involved with food programs off and on for the past four years.” After gathering several volunteers, she says, the program took off. The program, continuing until December, distributes a box of food to families of southern Barry County, with no financial requirements.
“We’re helping to feed people, we have no financial requirements. This is for anyone who wants to come and get it,” Sandra says. “They need the food, especially with everything getting so tight. I think it’s much appreciated, it serves this part of the county. This is for this end of the county, takes in Washburn, Seligman, those areas.”
The boxes, often around 20 pounds, contain fruits, vegetables, breads, various desserts, but also have contained other items. “Some of the stuff’s getting to where you can’t get it out of the store,” Sandra says. “One time we gave out laundry detergent. So, it varies.”
Sandra’s husband Richard began pastoring for Mt. Zion in 2015, and to her, faith is a large driving factor in why she volunteers to give. “Scripture teaches us that we’re supposed to help take care of those in need, and there’s a personal gratification that we can do something and know that the Lord is pleased with what we’re doing because we’re meeting the needs of others. That’s part of serving the Lord. When we serve others, we’re serving Him. So, it’s very gratifying to see that we can help people. That’s what ministry is, meeting the needs of other people, and that’s what we do here at Mt. Zion.”
The food box giveaways take place on the second Thursday of every month at 10 a.m. Sandra hopes that Ozark Food Harvest will renew the agreement and continue the giveaways into 2023.
