by Kelly Addy
HUNTLEY – Four churches have joined forces with the local Salvation Army command to provide hot meals in the evening to people in need of them in the Huntley Project and Shepherd area.
According to Huntley United Methodist Church Pastor, Kelly Addy, it is a way for all concerned to achieve a “win-win-win” result.
Billings Area Salvation Army Commander Kevin Jackson began looking for a way to expand their hot evening meals program beyond the city of Billings to county residents. They found ready allies in area churches.
When the program is under way, Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Shepherd and Huntley United Methodist Church in Huntley will provide meals on Tuesdays and Wednesdays; Bethlehem UCC in Worden and Ballantine UCC will provide meals on Mondays and Thursdays. People are welcome to come to the church to have the meal there or they may pick them up and take them home.
The program is set to begin at Huntley United Methodist Church on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 30 and 31, with plans to provide meals to all who request them every Tuesday and Wednesday night from then on.
It will expand to Bethlehem UCC in Worden and Ballantine UCC in Ballantine on April 12 and 13 and those churches will provide meals to all who request them every Monday and Thursday night from that week forward.
Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Shepherd will begin meal service Tuesday and Wednesday, April 13 and 14, and they plan to provide meals to all who request them every Tuesday and Wednesday night from then on.
“We think there is a tremendous need for this service in our communities,” said Pastor Linda Rose of Emmanuel Lutheran Church, “and the Salvation Army’s initiative gives us all a wonderful opportunity to work out our faith by being of service to our neighbors.”
Pastor Jeff Anderson of Ballantine UCC reported that his members are excited about this new calling they have, and pointed out that he was able to get volunteers who are looking forward to getting started.
Jackson said the Salvation Army has always felt blessed by generous gifts from anonymous people who feel strongly about fighting hunger in their community, and “the community for us is all of eastern Montana, not just Billings. We are delighted by the open arms with which we have been received by these churches.”
Bill Tibbs of Bethlehem UCC in Worden saw it as a great opportunity to provide a hot meal to every young person and student on the Project whose parents work at night and who may not otherwise get a hot meal in the evening. “The meals are for anyone who has a need for them, but being right next door to the school, that’s the need we can see, literally from our front door. We are very grateful to have this golden opportunity to do something about it,” Tibbs said.
Addy asks that people who want to receive meals the first two Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the last week in March and the first week in April, to call and leave a voicemail message at 348-3636, telling the church which night or nights the individual is requesting the meal for and how many meals they want on those nights. Individuals do not need to give their names. All the church is asking for is the night people need the meals and how many meals they need.
“We are planning to start with 50 meals,” Addy said, “and to expand as the word gets out and people realize this is for real and absolutely for free. But if there is a greater demand at the outset, we want to be ready for everyone who needs a hot evening meal, including their children and their parents as well. “
“If there is an immediate demand for 200 meals a night,” he added, “the Salvation Army has advised us that they can deliver 200 hot meals to each church every day. This might not change the world in our little corner of creation, but then again, with God’s help, it could.”
Meals will be delivered by the Salvation Army and will be available at the churches at 4 p.m. each night the church is serving.
