Sylvester pastors push to help with food insecurity

SYLVESTER, Ga. (WALB) - The cost of groceries is creating food insecurity in big cities and in small towns. According to the Tifton Food Banks, the need for donations has decreased and now has impacted areas of Sylvester just 20 miles down the road from Albany.

Justin Lucas, the pastor of The Church Without Walls, has created a community fridge full of fruits, water, and vegetables. The purpose of this fridge is to make sure anyone whether it’s first responders, children or even the homeless can get what they need.

Lucas says he wants the community fridge to have a bigger impact, not just limited to certain criteria.

“We wanted to do something different for the community, not just for the homeless but just for the children. I have children next door. They live in Kingsway. They come over and they get stuff out for free. That was our goal to provide services for people that just didn’t have them. Everything is free, whatever’s in the fridge, and I tell them to get what you need, not what you want, so others may have the opportunity to have something inside of the fridge,” said Lucas.

This is only the beginning for Lucas, as he hopes to expand donations for food in the community.

“My goal in this is to go beyond community fridge. My goal is to one day through L&H Community Outreach and through the church is to one day have a program set in place, where women children and anybody can come in sort of like a soup kitchen, get a hot meal or fruits, vegetables,” said Lucas.

Lucas welcomes everyone from all over to donate, and help stock the fridge.

Lucas says they have been successful so far, but they are not where they need to be. They are hoping the community will pitch in to help them expand.

Another pastor, Judy Hall of Jesus Christ Tabernacle of Deliverance Church shares what she is doing to address the need for food in Sylvester.

“We give out non-perishable items, canned goods, and different items like rice and other items that you can actually not have to cook, and then we also have alive, the frozen foods that we give to families who have kitchens,” said Hall.

Hall says that the current inflation rates make it harder to keep food in the homes.

“People just don’t have the access to funds for food, food stamps. They get them but they are limited. And so we wanted to actually give the food to our people in our community to help,” said Hall.

Lucas and Hall both are on Facebook for people in the community that are looking to both receive and donate items.

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