On Monday, July 22, members of Celina United Methodist Church celebrated 10 years of offering free meals through its Grace program. The idea was sparked by former pastor, Josh Newberry’s father-in-law, who started a similar program in Crossville, Tenn.
Church members said Newberry saw the need for a similar program in Clay County and after six weeks of planning, Celina UMC started serving its free meals to community members on July 22, 2014. Current pastor, Malachi Prophet, and church members continue to keep the program going strong, 10 years later.
When Grace Free Meals began, the church was feeding 60 to 70 people a week. That number has grown to 100 people, with a current total count of approximately 36,000 served in the past decade.
It has grown from a menu of soups and sandwiches to those and casseroles prepared by eight to nine volunteers each week.
Community members are welcome to dine at the church or get a plate to-go every Tuesday from 9 a.m. until noon. One does not have to be a resident of Clay County to enjoy a Grace Free Meal from Celina UMC.
With the help of volunteers, grant funds and donations, the church is able to provide these meals every week of the year. They utilize grants from Second Harvest Food Bank as well as a current grant through D&D Meats, which provides 50 pounds of meat each month. In addition to private donations, members of the United Methodist church and the Devine Savior Catholic Church in Celina also help with funding the program.
“It is a blessing to be able to serve these meals to the community, with hopes that it is a blessing for other people,”church member and volunteer Darlene Bethke shared.
In addition to the weekly meals, local churches join Celina UMC each Thanksgiving holiday to ensure families in the area have a warm meal. Last year, the Thanksgiving meal program through Grace Free Meals helped serve 500 meals to community members. All meals are delivered to those in need, all they have to do is give the church a call and let them know how many meals they need for the holiday. The Thanksgiving meal is made possible by area churches and volunteers in the Clay County community.
Celina United Methodist Church is located at 1418 Mitchell St., Celina. Call 1-931-243-3739 for additional information.
