Back Record-breaking 31,000 pounds given during annual GraceWorks Food Drive

August 28th, 2012

For five hours, they circled through the parking lot in droves. At the checkpoint, a group of men (namely Brentwood Baptist deacons) swarmed their vehicles, took the contents, and transferred it all to a massive truck. It was organized, expected, and anticipated chaos—community missions at its best.

On Sunday, August 26, members were once again "surprised" by the annual GraceWorks Food Drive challenge. Grocery lists were passed out and they were charged to infiltrate local grocery stores (which were notified ahead of time) to stock this local ministry partner's pantry.

Last year, more than 26,000 pounds came through. This year, the pressure was on to step it up. At the end of the day, 800 cars filled with 1,415 members carrying 31,260 pounds of groceries and supplies came to donate to the cause.

Becky Gross, Community Missions Minister, said, "At one point, it was coming in so fast, we had to load up a truck and then start piling items in the parking lot. I've never seen anything like it. The cars never stopped coming. The deacons packed the trucks higher than ever before.  There was such a sweet spirit of service out there."

The volume definitely exceeded last year. Five truckloads were filled and moved to GraceWorks, as opposed to last year's three. And one entire truck could've been filled with toilet paper alone.

One member, Lanny Holmes, reported that he watched four employees rapidly restocking the empty shelves at Harris Teeter in Brentwood. Another member, Teddy Bichon, said he saw at least 10 other members shopping alongside him, carrying their lists. And as one woman pulled up to the loading dock, she said, "I doubled what I brought last year."

From the stage on Sunday morning, Becky explained that part of the food went to help hungry children in Williamson County through the Fuel Bag Program. That seemed to resonate with members and snacks for kids began rolling in. One member said, "I can't believe there are kids right here in our own backyards who don't have enough to eat."

Deacons and volunteers worked tirelessly on our campus in the hot sun while GraceWorks employees and volunteers waited back at their headquarters to receive, sort, and stock as the trucks came in.

Just before the food drive, GraceWorks watched the food and supplies on their shelves vanish right before their eyes. But because of Brentwood Baptist members generosity, they're now restocked for the rest of the year.

Bobbi Copeland, GraceWorks Volunteer Coordinator, said, "[Our] dock is a wonderful mess of food and tables and more people. God has blessed us greatly, and we will, in turn, bless our community—one family at a time. Thank you for the energy and excitement and for your wonderful passion to serve God."

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