VALDOSTA — First Baptist Church hosted the 18th Annual Feed the Needy event and prepared 3,000 plates to feed people on Christmas Eve. 

Preparing so many plates required about 80 volunteers, said Chad Harrison, an event organizer.

The food preparation began 4 p.m. Friday, he said. Thirty volunteers worked 15 grills and 10 volunteers made corn and green beans.

Volunteers came from all ages, including the youth, to cook and serve, Harrison said.

Serving gives youths the chance to learn about “Christmas from the ground up,” Chad Cardella said; Christmas is about giving.

But members of the church weren’t the only ones working, Cardella said. “It’s the body of Christ.”

Feed the Needy prepares the food, but it cannot reach all of the area people in need without the help of others in need.

Harrison said several people in need helped with the event.

One was helping prepare plates and another had a tricycle with a basket.

The one with the basket would take several plates to homeless people living in the woods because “they won’t let us near there,” Harrison said.

But food wasn’t the only thing volunteers were giving out.

While speaking with Harrison and Cardella, several of the workers would approach passersby and speak and pray with them. Cardella paused the interview to join another volunteer to pray for a homeless man.

Feeding the Needy began nearly 20 years ago with Pastor J.D. Martin and Ethel Martin, but they stopped spearheading the effort in 2012 when First Baptist took over the program.

Ethel Martin was at the feeding this year and said she was the only cook for the first Feed the Needy.

“Our first one served 19 people,” she said. “From there, we served 6,000 people at out last one in 2012.”

Feed the Needy is a part of First Baptist’s food ministry and works with Second Harvest. The food ministry runs 9 a.m.-noon every Saturday and Monday, across from the street from the downtown church.  

Jason Smith is a reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be contacted at 229-244-3400 ext.1256.