By now, everyone has probably heard someone say, “I want to make a difference.”
Many have probably even said it themselves at one time or another. However, saying it is one thing. Following through is another.
Loaves and Fishes is a local nonprofit composed of people, mostly from local churches, who have done just that – followed through.
“We were founded in 2009 by a group of concerned individuals along with a couple of pastors from some of the principal churches,” said Steve Greenough, chairman for the Loaves and Fishes fundraiser committee.
The organization operates a soup kitchen in Columbus, helping the less fortunate in the community.
However, it is in need of help itself. An exponential increase in need coupled with rising prices have hindered the group’s ability to provide the service it was founded to perform. The need within the community has increased to the point the group has had to increase the number of days that it operates the soup kitchen at 223 22nd St. N. It now operates six days a week, Monday through Saturday.
Last year the group served around 40,000 meals. This year, it has already served 40,000, and is projected to reach 60,000 by the end of the year. It is expected to remain the same or even increase in the future.
“We anticipate that it’s going to be up for the foreseeable future given the current situation in the economy with the cost of food going up and wages not going up at the same time,” Greenough said.
The group is struggling to keep up with the demand.
“We’ve been having problems (keeping up). Nobody can fund or provide more than say 300 (meals) a day,” said Ann Sparkman, co-president of the organization. “They just can’t do it financially, especially with the price of groceries going up and all of that. Most of the people that volunteer are elderly, so we really don’t have a lot of resources, as far as physical resources, to provide more than that either.”
The current operating cost for the organization is about $30,000 a year, Sparkman said.
That is where the annual fundraiser comes into play. Each year, the group hosts a fundraiser wherein patrons purchase a meal ticket and the proceeds go toward maintaining the operation. The fundraiser meal is different from the soup kitchen meal. It is also the only fundraising event currently held by the organization.
“The meal is $15 and all of the money goes towards the supplies that we need for the coming year,” Greenough said. “(It pays for) the containers that we put the food in, the single-serve condiments, it pays our rent, it pays our overhead. It pays for the sacks that we use. Everything that is received goes back out to the community.”
Tickets must be purchased in advance at Annunciation Catholic Church, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, First United Methodist Church or from any board member.
This year’s fundraiser is the ninth one. It will be held on Thursday at the Annunciation Activity Center, located at 823 College St., from 5 to 7 p.m.
The meal will consist of pork loin, paired with southern staples: potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans and cornbread.
It will be take-out only, as is the regular soup kitchen meal. The change was brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We don’t do in-house meals since COVID, and we’ve found that we can reach more people by giving them a sack lunch,” Greenough said.
Attendees will enter the activity center through the BankFirst parking lot, behind Memorial Gunter and Peel Funeral Home and Crematory onto Ninth Street South. The street will be blocked off at Main Street. After picking up the meal, vehicles will exit onto College Street.
Positive growth
While Loaves and Fishes has seen its share of struggles, the news is not all bad.
The organization has seen positive growth over the years as well.
It now has several teams of volunteers from churches and civic organizations, who work to prepare the meals and give them out, taking shifts throughout the month.
“We have somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 to 25 teams,” Sparkman said. “Some teams serve one time a month, some twice a month, some once a quarter, just different levels of how many times the groups serve.”
One such team is the Psi Gamma Gamma chapter of Omega Psi Phi.
It has been serving meals for almost a year.
“It’s quite fulfilling,” said Donald Pope, a volunteer with the team. “My thoughts are, some of these people, this is probably the only meal they will get that day. So, it’s a very fulfilling thing knowing that you helped someone in the community who otherwise may not have even had a meal that day.”
Sparkman actually became involved with the organization through her church, recruiting volunteers.
She started off slow, before immersing herself in it and working her way up to her current position.
“Pam Rhea, Nancy Smith and I all go to St. Paul’s Church,” she said. “Pam was doing a whole bunch for St. Paul’s and so I told her that I would help her set up some teams to come and work. So, I started doing that and I got more involved, then I got involved with the whole organization and it has just progressed from there.”
She added that the group is always looking for more volunteers. Anyone interested is urged to call (662) 549-8607.
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 33 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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