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The Covington First United Methodist Church Food Ministry serves anywhere from 60 to 100 families three times a week, oftentimes extending the hand of goodwill to those who need it most. by TERRI WEBSTER As the current director of food ministry at Covington First United Methodist Church, Megan Hulgan makes a bold promise: “No one leaves empty-handed.” What began in a closet many years ago at the behest of a small Sunday School class led by Buster Gregory has blossomed into a full-time food ministry. In the early days, food distributions were every other month, with each family receiving one bag of canned food and one bag of dry food. Eventually, Elizabeth Holcomb was brought in to grow Covington FUMC Food Ministry and Resources, and in 2016, it became a partner agency of the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Today, it serves anywhere from 60 to 100 families three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. A mobile food pantry serves the community, as well, usually on the first Saturday of each month. God’s calling remains the pulse behind the continual growth of the program, along with a heart to help feed those in the community who
28 The Newton Community Magazine
may be vulnerable to food insecurities. With the full support of Covington FUMC Senior Pastor Douglas Gilreath, the outreach offers no-strings-attached, non-discriminatory service administered by those who volunteer under Hulgan’s direction. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, only Newton County residents were eligible to participate in the weekly food distributions. However, food needs became greater and broader during the global health crisis, so the ministry expanded to include Butts, Jasper and Morgan counties. The partnership with the Atlanta Community Food Bank allows the ministry to purchase items at extremely low costs under two government-funded programs. The Emergency Food Assistance Program and the Georgia Nutrition Assistance Program require that participants qualify by meeting several risk factors, such as low income and having a child under 18 years of age living in the home. “The food has helped us fill in the gaps as far as meals for us,” an anonymous participant in the GNAP program said. “The food and goodies are a big help. I appreciate y’all.” The FUMC ministry puts an additional safety net in place. “Even if someone doesn’t qualify for food under either of those programs, we always have emergency food bags prepared from private donations,” Hulgan said. “No one who comes to us will leave without food.”
