Church feeds people who are hungry home-cooked meals

Sunday, November 01, 2009 12:50 AM  |  Printer friendly version | E-mail to a friend |

By Steve Huffman

news@salisburypost.com

Bernard Roseborough draws a disability check and his wife, Linda, goes, as she put it, "to the unemployment office all the time."

Of late, though, she hasn't had a lot of luck finding work.

Which explains in part while the Roseboroughs were two of the many people who took advantage Saturday of the free lunch offered by members of Remnant in Christ Outreach Worship Center.

Members of the congregation offered the meal — including fried chicken, pinto beans, cole slaw and homemade cake — to anyone who stepped inside the church on Newsome Road. Most of the diners ate in the fellowship hall, though a handful took their food with them.

Church members also delivered plates of the food to local homeless shelters and retirement centers.

"It's time to help people," said Miriam Parker Keller, the church's pastor. "Sometimes you can't put a dollar in someone's hand, but if you're feeding them, you're still helping. If you're clothing them, you're still helping."

She said the goal of church members was to feed 100 people. They fed considerably more, the hungry arriving almost as soon as the doors opened at 11 a.m. Plates were soon being boxed for delivery to Rowan Helping Ministries.

"Everything is good," Linda Roseborough said of the food she and her husband were served. "These people are wonderful."

Keller said Remnants in Christ has been at its present location about two years. She said before the move to Newsome Road, church members sponsored another food giveaway at their former home on Long Street.

Both events were successful, Keller said. "It's all about helping the community," she said. "It's just something we're glad to do and something we feel good doing. It's good to help somebody."

J. Bush, who is a Remnant in Christ minister, said most of the food served Saturday was prepared at the homes of church members. The church's congregation, she laughed, includes some fine cooks.

"We have people here who love to eat," Bush said.

Donations from throughout the community helped pay for food church members cooked. Owners of Ketchie Creek, a bakery in Mocksville, donated a cheesecake that was sliced and served.

It all made for an experience that left church members feeling good about themselves and left those in need with as good a meal as there is.