Ministry and Food Pantry in Spring Hope, NC
Established in 2012 by Executive Director April Baker, A Touch of the Father’s Love Inc. Ministry and Food Pantry’s mission is to strive to alleviate hunger and food insecurity in Nash and Edgecombe Counties through the distribution of healthy and nutritious food. It is one of the largest food pantries east of Raleigh. As shared and stated on their website, the focus of our mission is to show the love of God by meeting the physical and emotional needs of each food recipient by providing help and hope. They do this with each recipient when they receive their food box by saying “God Loves You!” When they say “thank you”, the ministry shares with them that they are part of God’s family. In addition, their church volunteers pray with them when requested and when the food recipients are waiting their turn in the parking lot. Also, donated Sunday School books from various churches are available for them to receive which they like to pick up and can read about the love of Jesus Christ and the gift of salvation. The pantry also partners with Ripple Effects in Rocky Mount which delivers to home bound seniors where the volunteers pray with each of them. Long term plans for the food pantry include establishing a nondenominational church.
To help with the surging need of food due to rising unemployment and home bound citizens during the Covid-19 pandemic, Raleigh-based Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina was significantly increasing its food distribution of frozen meats to the food pantry in Spring Hope. To receive this increase of much needed food and store it according to safety guidelines until it can be distributed, the ministry’s food pantry was in immediate need of an 8’ x 14’ commercial walk- in freezer to be able to accept the increase in food to share with the community. The requested from Thank You Jesus Mission was $12,000 for an 8 ‘ x 14’ commercial walk-in freezer.
A Touch of the Father’s Love, Inc. Ministry and Food Pantry provides for senior citizens, homebound senior citizens, homebound school age children, families, and US Veterans who need food. In 2019, the food pantry assisted 27,098 households and 73,827 people primarily in Nash and Edgecombe Counties with life sustaining foods of fresh produce, frozen meats, dairy (e.g. eggs, milk, cheese), canned foods, bread and desserts. In 2019, the food pantry brought in and distributed over a million pounds of food for the third year in a row. Each month, the pantry distributes 1400 food boxes weighing about 75 pounds and serving 3,900 people. In addition, it provides food donations to assist Ripple Effects in Rocky Mount with their food boxes delivered to low income homebound seniors, United Christian Ministries (Rocky Mount soup kitchen), My Sister’s House for domestic abuse victims and their families, and 500 veterans through the Veteran Residential Services in Wilson.
The ministry and food pantry operates with an executive director, 20 volunteers, seven board members and two advisors all of whom do not receive any pay. 100% of all donations go directly into the operation of this ministry to further impact those need it most.
Visit A Touch of the Father’s Love website…