Women Reaching Our Community offers ‘free lunch and fellowship’

If you want to go, meet a new friend, become lifelong friends, there’s that.

There’s also food.

If you want to share a laugh, a “clean” joke or some funny story, there’s that.

There’s also food.

If you’re lonely and you just want someone to talk to, there’s that. If you just like people and want to be around people, there’s that.

There’s also food.

If you want to feel real love, real grace, real empathy and understanding, there’s that.

There’s also food.

If you’re hurting and you want prayer, an uplifting word, just someone to cry with you and hurt as you hurt, there’s that.

There’s also food.

Whatever you want – obviously including food, really, really, good food – it can be found at the Women Reaching Our Community “free lunch and fellowship” held every other Friday from noon to 1 p.m. in the Fellowship Building of Memorial Heights Baptist Church in Perry. The address is 521 General Courtney Hodges Blvd. The next events are as follows: Oct. 2 (a “to-go” only for this one), 16 and 30 and Nov. 13.

The ministry, explained WROC President Emilee Sheffield, was originally “Thee Lord’s Table,” based out of Christ Lutheran Church. Its volunteers had served it faithfully for nearly 20 years, and then Covid hit, Sheffield said. “Then they went to just delivery. And then last year, they wanted to get back to doing them in person.

“So, they had reached out to lots of different organizations to see if anyone would be interested in helping share the load. So, we started back up ‘in person’ (meals) in December of last year. And then around April they came to us and asked if we would be willing to take it over.

“And so, we’ve kind of taken it over to make sure that it keeps going and it doesn’t die.”

Five have partnered in the effort. Women Reaching Our Community is the host ministry. Sojourn Church in Perry, Perry Methodist Church and Perry Presbyterian Church also provide support and of course Memorial Heights Baptist Church provides the facility.

In all, it is an event, Sheffield said, that is “just open to anybody that wants to come. So, we have those that are coming for a meal, and we have those that are coming for fellowship. We have those that are coming for both. We have homeless.”

“We’ve had people,” said WROC Treasurer Lauree Rasso, “who were working on the road. They’re out there working on the road, and we’re like, ‘Hey, come in’. And they would come in for a meal. (In fact, Hoke’s Heating and Air was there working on the church’s main building that day, but they were not about to let him leave without a meal.)”

“So that’s what it’s all about,” Sheffield said. “We’re not really trying to target any particular kind of person. It’s really anyone that wants a meal because there are those that need the meal, but there are those that just need like interaction with other people.

“And each lunch that we have, we give a message and we concentrate on just being very loving, giving the hope of Jesus. And each lunch has that. And so we open that up to community for whoever needs that.”

Those visiting typically number between 30 and 40 but both said there were new people each times the doors opened – at its height it was around 60. They also said no food goes to waste. “To go” boxes pretty much takes care of most leftovers, they said.

The effort is so important, Sheffield said – both modest and wishing to give the glory to others, and to God – because “We’re called to love our neighbor as ourselves,” she said. “And this is an opportunity for us to do that in action. And one of the best ways we can do that is to talk to people and interact with people and share hope through a meal.

“We all we all need to eat. We all need to be together and to not only have that time to eat but also have a message and to have the fellowship together.

“We’re seeing, I mean, we see lives change. We have experienced lives change. So to me, that’s the main thing.

“And you know, we’ve had several lives change. One was earlier this year, someone who passed away just weeks after coming here. And we were able to share Jesus. I had a conversation with him that started from here about Jesus. I know that I will see him in heaven one day. That started here.”

Added Russo: “It’s making connections. I mean, we’ve been able to get people jobs. We’ve fulfilled needs as far as clothing.” (Once a quarter they bring their clothing closet.) “It’s just one of those things where you’re able to, when you’re sitting down in a very like relaxed environment, people are very open and you start to just sort of talk and you just sort of kind of, you know, have those conversations and you’re able to fulfill needs and help change lives.”

If anybody – a church and/or individuals – wants to be a part of the ministry, Sheffield said they are always looking for volunteers. People can also help greatly, she said, by spreading the word. Or you could be there. Meet a new friend, become lifelong friends. Share a laugh. Talk to someone – fellowship. Be around people. Feel real love, grace, empathy and understanding. Receive prayer, an uplifting word or find a shoulder to lean/cry on.

And if that weren’t enough … There’s also food.