HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — Union Chapel Missionary Baptist Church offered a free lunch to those in need on Saturday, January 16.
The church has a goal, and that goal is, that they want to give out hot meals and food boxes, once a month, every month. They have been participating in this act of service since the pandemic hit.
"Hot lunches make us warm inside, and so we want to be of comfort to the community, so from our hands, to their hearts, we are trying to reach the people. The Bible commands us to love our neighbors and take care of each other, so we are just being servants and we are blessed to be a blessing to others," said Candice Howell, Youth Leader at Union Chapel Missionary Baptist Church.
And speaking of the Bible, alongside the hot meals given out today, each person received a message.
"We are not able to come together to fellowship, at the church or at community events, so it's just our way of still being in fellowship with the community, giving them something to give the word into them every week, to get us through the week, since were not actually able to come to the physical building." said Howell.
Howell says that she and the church are able to serve others because they have been blessed, and says that she knows people have faced hard times when it comes to dealing with the pandemic.
"The Lord has blessed me, and the Lord has blessed our church, the Lord has given this vision to our pastor and it's not to where we are just being blessed just to keep everything together, plenty of people are experiencing difficulties during this pandemic and we just all want to be a family, a community family, and so, family takes care of family, and that's what we're doing here today," said Howell.
If you didn't get a chance to pick up a hot meal, there is another chance to receive food assistance from the church. Saturday, January, 23, the church will be giving out food boxes. These boxes will include non-perishable items and meat, and will be served in the same drive-thru, contactless way as the hot meals.
Church members served 300 hot spaghetti lunches beginning at 12 p.m. at the church, located at 315 Winchester Road.
It was a drive-thru event in which people stayed in their vehicles to pick up lunches in order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Lunches were given out on a first-come-first-served basis.
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