A food giveaway takes place at 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Fridays until the food runs out at Berston Fieldhouse. Twenty pallets of food are given away weekly at the location; about 500 boxes a day. Food is also to be given away at other locations strategically placed throughout the city; at the Freedom Temple Church Of God in Christ, New St. James Memorial Church of God in Christ, Glad Tidings Church of God in Christ and Flint Central Church of the Nazarene locally, for example. Three trailer parks are also serviced through the food program as well. Food is dropped off at the Pasadena Trailer Park, the Westwood Trailer Park and the Dayton Street Trailer Park.
“I’m thinking it will go on into the end of the year because we’re approved for Phase 6 now,” said Pastor Harold W. Jones, Sr., of Greater Holy Temple Church of God in Christ; administrative assistant to Bishop Roger L. Jones.
The church sponsors the area-wide food giveaway through its Roger L. Jones Community Outreach Center, headquartered at 6702 N. Dort Highway.
The food is paid for through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The program started under the Trump Administration.
“Biden, given his attitude towards this and the urgency of it, I think this may be long term; until further notice,” Jones said.
Masks are required. Attendees typically meet volunteers who load their car with the food. In some cases, paid staff is hired.
Jones said because the food giveaways involve minimum contact, there were no problems with COVID-19 all year last year. The giveaways took place all year starting in May ending Dec. 22. Then, they had to wait until after the inauguration of the new United States president.
“We not only serve Flint but we serve southeast Michigan and the Thumb area,” Jones said.
Churches meet weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays to load trucks and trailers full of food, which is stored at Greater Holy Temple. It is then taken to distribution centers located throughout southeast Michigan and the Thumb area. Food given away typically includes meat, milk and dairy, vegetables and fruit. This food is given away completely free of charge, and no ID is required. There is no proof of income required and no income restrictions. The amount of food given may be based on family size.
Each family gets one or two boxes of food, and 40 boxes make up a pallet.
“Our goal is to give away 10,000 boxes of food a week. That’s what’s given to us.”
To Jones, the Flint community is absolutely deserving of these giveaways.
“We are victims twice. We are victims of the Flint Water Crisis that was already here and had us crippled. That has brought us a calamity of water issues and health issues, which leads to economic issues. Here we came again with the lockdown precipitated by the COVID and a lot of us were last hired, first fired and were left without jobs and without income. It’s lasted so long-it’s been prolonged so that we end up without income and without safety net provisions, such as unemployment and food stamp assistance.”
Jones said one thing we could all try to do is help one another, including across racial lines.
“Somebody has got to care, and that’s what we need to be about; sharing and caring.”
More volunteers are needed so the program can be continued.
“Our volunteers are considered frontline workers,” said Sandra Smith Jones, the program’s executive director.
“They work Monday through Friday, with flexible hours,” Sandra Smith Jones added.
To volunteer, call Sandra Smith Jones at 832-428-4887. For times and more locations for the food giveaways, call Greater Holy Temple at 810-787-3960.
