I'd starve if not for y'all

If most of us miss lunch by dinner time we say, "I'm starving." One look at me and it's easy to see I haven't missed many meals. I don't know what it's like to starve. I understand not having much funds for food, but starving? Nope.

One of the ministries we put a lot time and resources in here at Love In Action is our food ministry. In Dothan, 1-in-6 are food insecure. That stat surprises folks. With all of the restaurants in Dothan, and most are packed, you'd think everyone was bellying up to the buffet. One might also think how in the world do grocery stores stay in business with everyone eating out?

The truth is there are thousands of people in Dothan who often go without food ... children and adults. It's not just the homeless. Hunger knows no age or skin color. It's here and it's in most cities and communities.

Between serving meals in our coffee house three days a week and taking our mobile kitchen out two-to-three times a week, we serve more than 500 plates of hot food every week. That's on pace for 25,000 meals this year. I think it will increase even more.

The reasons why people are without food are as varied as the people themselves. Are these meals important? You better believe it. One older woman who lives at a local hotel told me, "I'd starve if not for y'all."

The first time we met her was during our inaugural LIA Mobile Kitchen outreach. She was shaking because she was so hungry. The second the plate touched her hands she started eating ... shoveling food in her mouth. We gave her a second plate and some groceries.

A homeless man I'd never met before, who would pass for a skinny Santa Claus, walked up to me, smiling and holding his plate of food. He said, "I love you, man," as he hugged me. He was so thankful for something to eat.

Through our food pantry, we help 300-plus individuals and families every month. Families living on the brink of homelessness come needing food. Single mothers working to make ends meet, can't make them meet. Individuals struggling to make it on minimum wage salaries need groceries. The needs are real.

The main reason for our food ministry is to plant and water seeds of the Gospel. Jesus used five loaves of bread and two fishes to miraculously feed 5,000. Imagine how many of those hungry folks decided to follow Jesus after seeing that.

Jesus understands our need for food. He walked in our shoes. He ate. God fed the Israelites manna from Heaven. There's a lot about food in the Bible.

We also understand what Jesus says in Matthew 4:4, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." Food is important. We need it to physically live, but Jesus is most important. We need Him to live forever.

When you see our mobile kitchen throughout the city parked along side a hotel, the library or other places, please pray. Ask God to touch the lives of those we're serving. Even stop and say hello like Misty from The JoyFM did one day. She saw us, honked her horn, then pulled over. She just wanted to hug and encourage us. We all need that, especially those who don't know where their next meal is coming from. At least now many know when they see our mobile kitchen pull up, it means a good hot meal is about to be served.