October 10, 2024
RICHMOND HILL, Ga. — On Wednesday, Sept. 25, Georgia WMU President Lauren Sullens delivered a $3,500 HEART Fund grant to First Baptist Church in Richmond Hill.
Sullens said, "The flooding that resulted from Hurricane Debby in August led to the need to restock the church’s very active food pantry ministry from scratch. One of the ministry’s storage rooms was damaged by the flooding, along with the church’s worship center, offices, and two restrooms."
The church feeds an average of 140 families each month, anything from a single senior adult to a family with seven kids. Bags are made up by volunteers and distributed through a drive-thru system.
The director of the ministry, Dianne Drane, makes sure every family receives a Bible in whatever language is needed. The pantry is open four days a week.
The church is thankful that there was no loss of life and that five people accepted Jesus as Savior during their first Wednesday night service following the storm. Currently, services are being held in the church’s gym, with the hope of once again meeting in the worship center mid to late October.
"At the time of my delivery," Sullens said, "the mid part of Georgia was bracing for Hurricane Helene. Instead, the storm moved to the east, and the area once again experienced widespread power outages, many still without at this time. Thankfully, the church did not experience damage this time. They were able to open the pantry to help their clients during this second storm."
Pictured receiving the check are Dianne Drane and the pastor, Scott Baker.
Lauren Sullens
Georgia WMU President
