Churches bringing to the storehouse collectively

She was young with a new baby. The utility bill was overdue and she didn't have the money. There were precious few diapers in the house and little food.

She finally called the phone number and told the woman who answered what she needed.

Lorraine Roote, a volunteer at Storehouse Ministries in Marietta, worked with the new mom to help get utility money, food and diapers. As volunteers do at the Noonday Association ministry, Roote sent her to a nearby church to pick up food.

But before the young mother hung up, Roote also asked if she was a Christian. She wasn't, but before the end of the conversation, she prayed to receive Christ.

Sherri Brown

Ann Pelfrey
Director of Storehouse Ministries

Later, this overwhelmed mother went to Kennesaw First Baptist Church to pick up a box of food. There she met a group of people who not only helped with her immediate needs, but also helped find a crib, a stroller and other things for her child.

"That's what we do," said Ann Pelfrey, director of Storehouse Ministries.

The ministry is a "clearinghouse" for the churches in the association. Volunteers at Storehouse Ministries take calls for help with rent, utility bills (except phone bills), and food. They verify information with landlords and utility companies and keep files on people who have come for help.

They send people to churches to get help and, hopefully, find a church home in the process.

"We don't distribute. We do the telephone contact and the ministry that involves volunteers working here manning phones, buying food and packing food," said John Haeger, the missions/ministries development director at Noonday Association.

Sherri Brown

From left, Fred Turnipseed, from Westwood Church, Acworth; Fletcher Nixon, Roswell Street Church, Marietta; and K.H. Garrison, Autrey Church, Acworth, unpack and sort boxes of food at Storehouse Ministries. The three men pick up an early morning load from Atlanta Food Bank every week and deliver it to the associational ministry. Other volunteers help sort and pack the food for distribution.

Currently about 30 "regulars" from about 20 churches volunteer at Storehouse. Pelfrey says she could use even more.

The volunteers pick up food at the Atlanta Food Bank and from other sources, sort it and pack it into standardized boxes that include enough food for a balanced diet for a family of four for about four days.

Then the boxes are sent out to the 12 "pantry churches."

"The pantry churches pass the food out. When a client calls in we send them to the pantry church that is closest to them. That enables the church to connect with the clients," Pelfrey said.

And they do connect. Last Thanksgiving one Kennesaw church helped 11 families with food. Within weeks four of those families joined the church.

The clearinghouse method "protects the resources. It keeps someone from going to every church for help," Pelfrey said. It also allows smaller churches to get involved even if they couldn't run a comprehensive food pantry by themselves.

Pelfrey requests World Hunger funds through the Georgia Baptist Convention to help purchase food. At one time Storehouse received as much as $20,000 a year to purchase food from the Atlanta Food Bank. Last year they received $6,000.

Sherri Brown

Rebecca Smith, a volunteer from New Salem Church in Kennesaw, checks on a utility bill authorization. Each call for help is verified by a voluteer before the client is sent to a local church for help.

"They don't always get what they need," admitted Ricky Thrasher, GBC consultant with Associational Missions. "Storehouse is very frugal with what they do. They're good stewards of what they receive. But World Hunger fund offerings are down and the cost of food is up."

But undaunted, Pelfrey is finding other ways to keep the cans and boxes coming in. She encouraged churches to hold food drives during the holidays. She's working on a Vacation Bible School project called "Kids Helping Kids" encouraging kids to donate canned foods.

"I've just been telling churches what we do," said Pelfrey, a former missionary who found this job after a bout with breast cancer. "The response has been great."

World Hunger funds are emphasized every fall, but the offerings are received all year long. In recent years the offering amount has decreased, but the need has increased, Administer through the GBC associational missions offering, the World Hunger funds are divided between state-wide and world-wide food ministries.

Sherri Brown

Ann Pelfrey had new shelves built after a ravioli can fell off a stack of food and hit her in the head. After getting 25 stitches she decided some reorganizing was needed.

For more information about World Hunger funds, contact RIcky Thrasher at rthraser@gabaptist.org or at 1 (800) RING GBC or (770) 936-5223. For more information about Storehouse Ministries, call Ann Pelfrey at (770) 422.3347 or (770) 853.4628.

You and your church may send World Hunger funds to:

Dr. J. Robert White
Executive Director
Georgia Baptist Convention
2930 Flowers Road, South
Atlanta, GA 30341-5562