Fifteen years ago, Baptist Children’s Homes (BCH) challenged North Carolina Baptist churches to partner with BCH to supply children and residents with the food essential to their care. The challenge was substantial –– BCH serves 700,000 meals and snacks a year. The annual “Food Roundup” has met the needs and grows each year. It has been my privileged to work with the churches, pastors, associations, and associational missionaries in western North Carolina to reach yearly goals.
As I look back, I can testify how it’s been a wonderful adventure with faithful Baptist people who love this ministry to children and families. I can recount a multitude of God-honoring stories, but one special tale keeps forward in my mind and fills my heart.
Polk Baptist Association is a little association in the western part of the state that does big things. The association accepted the challenge to help us with the food roundup when it began in 2003. They partnered in 2003 and 2004, reached their goals, but wanted to do more. The association leadership met and decided to elect an association “food drive coordinator” to promote the food round-up each year.
They chose Chris Dale. Dale was a young, enthusiastic, passionate, creative-thinking associate pastor serving in the association. Dale prayed and investigated ways to increase the association’s participation. Dale proposed to challenge each of Polk Association’s 24 churches to set a goal of collecting $300 in food cards. (Food cards have money placed on the card and are from individual grocery stores and stores like Walmart.)
The recommendation received overwhelming support. The association set a goal in 2005 of $8,000 dollars and gloriously met it raising a total of $8,223 in gift cards.
God truly blessed Polk Association in their efforts. Dale’s food card idea has continued for 13 years and this little association with such a big heart has given more than $130,000 in food cards helping fill plates and hearts over and over again through these many years.
Polk Baptist Association is truly “A Little Association that does BIG THINGS” for the good of our children and the Glory of God.
The Food Roundup is an annual initiative inviting associations, churches and other friends to collect food, supplies and gift cards for BCH. Visit www.bchfoodroundup.org for more info.