In 1990, Susan Peters realized that people who applied for food stamps had to wait until they were qualified for the program to begin. She thought, “I’ll create a food pantry to assist people in this interim period. She and nine other men and women began this mission, Helping In His Name Food Pantry, modeled after the one which was working in Wisconsin.
St. James Church Hall in McDonough became their launching pad. They used the Hall to distribute food without costs to those in need. After each session they labored to put the Hall back in proper order for the next project of the Church.
There was very little money available for the mission but the need was evident. They placed jars around the community and collected people’s change. In 1992, they received a Delta Fare Share Grant and purchased a building on Hwy 155.
They began to involve the community with yard sales, fund raisers and going to other churches asking for financial support. The money was used to purchase food from the Atlanta Food Bank at 10¢ per pound and to pay expenses. Norfolk Southern Railroad donated a van which enabled them to pick up donations of food from the local grocery stores.
The all volunteer work force grew slowly from this humble beginning. In 2007 the Food Pantry moved to a larger location in Stockbridge.
Today there are over 150 volunteers, four staff members and a 17 member Board of Directors. The number of people receiving food continues to grow daily. We’re presently in 2009 receiving more than 100 calls per day. The need is still very evident.
