Central Christian Church, Food For The Hungry partner to feed hundreds amid rising need

On a foggy Saturday morning, Food For The Hungry President Austin Swallow arrived at Central Christian Church at 7:20 a.m. to find six rows of cars already lined up, waiting to receive a box of food from the 23 volunteers — mostly church attendees — who had begun gathering as early as 5:30 a.m. to prepare.

Led by Tammy Kehl, the church received a $2,500 grant from Food For The Hungry to support their summer "children’s bag" program. This special bag is designed specifically for registered children in kindergarten through fourth grade. Each month from June through August, the church prepares 60-65 bags filled with items that children both enjoy and can prepare themselves, along with some educational materials.

These children represent only a small portion of the 200-225 families — nearly 600 individuals — who come to Central Christian Church on the third Saturday of each month seeking food assistance. Approximately 60% of those served are over the age of 60. Of all the families served, 94% come from Knox County, while the remaining 6% are either volunteers or family members of volunteers.

When asked why she dedicates her time to this project, Kehl said, "I was here once, and that changed my outlook. We do this because we want to help those who can’t make it on their own."

Kehl expressed concern about the upcoming fall and winter months, noting a recent decline in food availability from her primary source, the Mid-Ohio Food Collective. During a recent visit, she observed that the shelves at MOFC were not as full as usual. "They are feeling the pinch of reduced governmental support, and it isn’t going to get better. So we’re going to see less product being available to us," she explained.

Still, Kehl affirmed her team’s commitment to "stay the course," even if it means providing less food to each family. When asked how they plan to manage, she replied, "We’ll ask our congregation for more assistance, sharpen our purchasing, and rely more on local grocery connections if their prices are lower than what MOFC offers."

Central Christian Church is deeply grateful for the support it receives from Food For The Hungry, which provides a significant portion of CC’s annual budget. Swallow expressed appreciation for the opportunity to continue supporting Tammy and her dedicated team. “At Food For The Hungry, we remain unwavering in our commitment to support local food initiatives and our community, especially in these challenging times. We recognize the increasing demand for assistance and are focused on finding innovative solutions to maximize the impact of the donations the people of Knox County have entrusted to our care,” said Swallow. 

Thank you to every individual in Knox County who continuously believes in the vision of Food For The Hungry and the desire to better your community. Your support this season will be even more important as pantries and hot meals’ reliance on local support grows. 

To learn more, donate, or find photos, videos, and radio interviews from the 2024 Drive, visit www.FoodForTheHungryCares.org.