Odessey Curry
“The food is always good. There are a lot of kids in this neighborhood and they will stop by and pick-up meals. All the kids have become friends around here and will grab meals together sometimes.”
Odessey Curry lives right by New Bethel Baptist Church and noticed people stopping by for a free meal across the street every weeknight. As a single mother she decided to stop by with her five children one evening last December and has counted on the meals to help feed her family ever since.
“It’s a great resource and helps us out a lot,” Curry said. “I pick up meals Monday through Friday for all of us.”
Her children, that range in ages from 1 to 12-years-old, have befriended site coordinator Beverly Tolliver and enjoy the fresh, healthy food. Odessey has been so impressed by the meals that she has referred other friends to stop by and give the food a try.
“Bev is a really nice lady and wants to help us all out,” Curry explained. “The food is always good. There are a lot of kids in this neighborhood and they will stop by and pick-up meals. All the kids have become friends around here and will grab meals together sometimes.”
Surella Watson
“If I don’t have food then I at least know the next day I have this meal to count on.”
Surrella Watson lives in the neighborhood by New Bethel Baptist Church and counts on the meal to help her and her family get by.
“If I don’t have food then I at least know the next day I have this meal to count on,” Watson said. “There will be times we don’t have anything to eat in the house, but (Loaves & Fishes) is always here.”
Surrella has been coming to the site at New Bethel for nearly two years. She brings home meals for herself, husband and 7-year-old.
“Not only is the food very good, but everybody treats you like family here,” Surrella said with a smile.
Roxanne and Jonathan
“Let me put it to you this way. If you haven’t had a meal, but you can hold off until 5:30, then you are guaranteed to eat.”
Roxanne and Jonathan have been together for 13 years. Not only do they count on the free, healthy meal at New Bethel Baptist church, but they also help deliver meals around the neighborhood to people who can’t get out.
“Let me put it to you this way. If you haven’t had a meal, but you can hold off until 5:30, then you are guaranteed to eat,” Jonathan explained. “If you can’t move around, there are people that will move around for you, such as ourselves. Loaves & Fishes helps us out so we try to help out too.”
What if the neighborhood didn’t have the Loaves & Fishes community meal site? After taking a long pause to think about that question Jonathan answered, “If we didn’t have this meal, we would have to try to make something out of nothing. Everything helps and this meal here helps in a big way.”
For Roxanne and Jonathan, it’s not just a free meal, but a dang tasty one.
“The food is always healthy,” Roxanne said. “It’s a homecooked meal that you don’t have to try and make yourself.”
