HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Several volunteers, churches, and organizations teamed up to provide Thanksgiving meal boxes to residents in Christian County, led by Challenge House.
“What I always love about it is it brings people together to serve, and it also meets a need in the community,” said Brandon Boone with Edgewood Baptist Church who shared that they were packing over 100 boxes that day.
On Nov. 24, volunteers gathered at Edgewood to pack the meal boxes for registered participants which contained a variety of ingredients to make a full Thanksgiving feast. This was through a partnership with Challenge House, Edgewood, Men 2 Be, and other surrounding churches. Boxes included a full-sized frozen turkey, gravy packets, dressing, potatoes, green beans, cream of mushroom soup, corn, yams, a pumpkin pie kit, marshmallows, and cool whip.
After the meals were packed, people were able to pick up the boxes at the church, with young participants with Men 2 Be also hand delivering just over a dozen boxes in the community. Founder LaDessa Lewis shared that teaching young people to give back early allows them to grow into community members who instinctively help others.
“Men 2 Be must give back, it honors those who believed in us and builds stronger communities for all,” said Lewis. She added that the non-profit is grateful for the partnership with the other churches and Challenge House.
Challenge House involvement in the community
Jeffery Littlefield, neighborhood ambassador for Challenge House #7, told Christian County Now that he has watched these distributions slowly grow their reach the years to accommodate more families as their collaborations expand. This year, food donations were provided with the help from the Walmart on Canton Pike.
“Challenge House is more of a hand up than and hand out…we have a lot of help from a lot of people,” said Littlefield, sharing that the hardest part is not being able to help everyone. “When it’s all done, I’ll wake up Tuesday morning and start planning for next year.”
Throughout the year, Challenge House ambassadors spread throughout the inner city in Hopkinsville offer support, snacks, and programing to families and kids in their neighborhoods. While Littlefield is leading the distribution, other houses are having their own celebrations this Thanksgiving. Challenge House #4 is inviting neighbors over for a meal on Nov. 25 and #3 is assembling their and delivering food baskets.
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