Ludowici church helps feed hundreds amid government shutdown

LUDOWICI, Ga. (WTOC) - With families worried about finding groceries, a church in Ludowici is helping hundreds each weekend during the month of November.

At A New Beginning Church, they believe everyone deserves a new beginning and their pastor told us he wanted this to be the most giving church in the state of Georgia. That started with a monthly food drive that they do, but in November, it’s a little different.

Pastor Tom Gardner held an emergency food drive last weekend, and plans to do another one this Saturday. Last week’s drive fed over 400 families, but he says they do more than just dole out groceries.

“We don’t pass away food, we add value to people’s lives. So in whatever way we can make them feel a little better about themselves, give them a little bit of hope to let them know ‘hey, I will make it’, that’s what we try to do,” said Pastor Gardner.

Before Dallas Parker became the church’s secretary… she says she came to A New Beginning to help her family by going through a backpack and food drive in 2019.

“It’s a huge blessing to our family,” Parker said. “When children get sick, a car breaks down things like that, this couple hundred dollars of food you’re receiving from them is a life changing event for you.”

Now she finds herself on both sides of the food drive line.

“We will be here to serve and we will be going through the line haha any way we can help,” Parker said.

The church usually gets its food from Second Harvest…but with supplies low there, a couple volunteers took to grocery stores like Publix and Kroger, including one man who attends a different church.

“Man you get 400 cakes, people look at you like you’re crazy,” said Jay Middleton. “But when you tell them it’s for the church and you’re giving it away, they get so excited and say ‘my god can we do anything? When is it?’ And that’s what’s so great about it.”

Pastor Gardner told us that regardless of the shutdown, regardless of how things go in the future with our economy and families needing food, they will continue this giveaway and they will continue to add value to others lives.

The food drive lasts from 9-11 a.m.