FFTP, Baptist Churches Distribute Aid to Struggling Families in Broward
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Aug. 28, 2020) Food For The Poor teamed up with four Broward County churches Saturday to distribute household items and other basic necessities to struggling families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Parkridge Church in Coral Springs hosted the distribution, which provided essential goods to hundreds of families who came from all over Broward. At times, the line of cars stacked up in a back-and-forth loop taking up most of the field on the east side of the church.
Longtime partner Matthew 25: Ministries provided a 53-foot tractor-trailer to Food For The Poor filled with personal care items such as shampoo, deodorant, razors and shaving cream, cleaning supplies, laundry detergent and diapers.
Volunteers from Parkridge Church, the Chinese Baptist Church and the Parkridge Korean Baptist Church, also in Coral Springs, and Cross United Church in Lighthouse Point loaded the goods into the vehicles of grateful families.
“We are so blessed to be able to share these goods with our community and to be able to bless others,” said Pastor Eddie Bevill, of Parkridge Church. “We are the hands and feet of Christ as we deliver these items and do acts of kindness and service for others. One of our main initiatives at Parkridge Church is to serve other people.”
Food For The Poor primarily works internationally, but the charity is acutely aware of the difficulties some Florida families are having. Some cannot afford to buy basic supplies.
Many have been out of work since the pandemic began in March.
“We’re grateful for partnerships and generous donors who make it possible for us to provide relief to local families,” said Food For The Poor President/CEO Ed Raine.
As cars moved through the line on Saturday, tears streamed from the faces of some recipients who were moved by the generosity of people whom they had never met.
“My work has been closed since March. I have two children,” said Faith, one of the recipients who drove up from Hollywood. “We count on blessings like this.”
Andrew and Suzette Moseley, members of Parkridge Church, brought their four children, ages 2 to 9, to help pack goods into the boxes and bags.
“It’s humbling to be part of something like this,” said Suzette Moseley. “It’s wonderful we are able to do something like this as a family.”
Danny Slavich, pastor of Cross United Church, welcomed the opportunity to help others in need.
“It’s wonderful seeing all these Christians coming together from different churches, different organizations and different languages, united behind a common goal to get the good news of the Gospel out both in word and in good deed,” Slavich said.
Scott Ryan, pastor of the Chinese Baptist Church, said his congregation has been looking for ways to serve the community during the pandemic.
“We want to be the light of Christ for the community,” Ryan said. “It’s one thing to share the Gospel. People love events like this because it’s tangible. Are you helping those who need it, especially during this time? We want to make sure people know the church is here for them.”
Daryl Brown, Adult & Missions Pastor at Parkridge Church, said Saturday’s distribution was about uniting people together to show love for their neighbors. In addition to distributing the goods, a tent was set up where volunteers prayed with families as they stayed in their cars.
“We’re so excited that Food For The Poor and Matthew 25: Ministries have given us the resources to be able to give back in this way,” Brown said. “People have been able to bare their hearts and share. This is both meeting the needs of their budget and their pantry and it’s also meeting needs of their hearts.”
To learn more about Food For The Poor giving locally, click here.
Food For The Poor, one of the largest international relief and development organizations in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry children and families living in poverty primarily in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicine, educational materials, homes, support for orphaned and abandoned children, care for the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.
Michael Turnbell
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6054
[email protected]
