In the summer of 2019, Shanon Stowe, a longtime member of Canvas Community Church and an active volunteer in the community, sat quietly in reflection. In that stillness, she believes, came a vision from God, as clear as day. She was to start a food and outreach ministry for her home church, Canvas Community Church.
With nerves on edge, Stowe approached her pastors, unsure how they would respond to her sudden revelation. To her relief, they revealed they had been praying for someone to lead an outreach ministry. Stowe’s vision was the answer they’d been waiting for — and thus began Community Table.
Community Table’s motto is “seeing and serving the one right in front of you.” Stowe and her team connect with each neighbor with dignity and respect because they understand that people often come in their most difficult moments. A mother unsure where her next meal will come from, a family hit by an unexpected disaster, or a person facing a health crisis — whatever the situation, Community Table meets them with open arms and a willing heart.
“We meet people where they are, and we love them as they are — no matter what that looks like,” Stowe said.
You can feel that love in Community Table’s actions. Volunteers at Community Table not only provide food, clothing, diapers, and hygiene products, but they also take the time to listen, pray, and connect with the people they serve. They take their service a step further by offering spiritual nourishment and spreading hope and love in the process.
However, as the world changed in recent years, so did the economy — and, with it, the community’s needs. The number of families seeking help at Community Table rose dramatically, straining resources.
“Our budget is tighter than ever,” Stowe admitted.
Even with the strains, the team at Community Table has kept the faith. Fully funded by donations, Community Table continues to serve thanks to the generosity of local businesses, churches, and individuals. But, with every passing day, the need for monetary donations, nonperishable food, hygiene products, and volunteers only increases.
“It takes a village to serve hundreds of families a week,” Stowe added.
In its early days, the ministry was nothing more than a few tables set up in the back hallway of Canvas Church, where food and hygiene items awaited local families.
“We were serving a dozen or so families each week,” Stowe recalled.
But as word spread, so did the ministry and the community’s needs. Soon, more space was required, and they moved into a spacious building between Canvas and Freddie’s, where Community Table found its footing. They added a clothing closet, and on-the-ground outreach efforts began. Volunteers delivered hot meals and personal care items directly to the people.
In November 2023, Community Table experienced another transformation. After years of handing out prepackaged food boxes, Stowe opened a Community Market where neighbors could choose their own food and hygiene items. The market operates on a client-choice system and pairs each guest with a personal shopper to guide them through the process. By allowing families to select what best suits their dietary and health needs, the market reduces food waste and helps each family walk away with exactly what they need.
One of the newest additions to Community Table’s services is a diaper partnership, which provides parents with 50 diapers per child each month. For families struggling to make ends meet, this is no small gift. Stowe understands firsthand the relief that these small acts of kindness can bring.
She shared a powerful testimony from one of the families they serve. A single mother working full time at a local fast-food restaurant had been struggling to feed her child, who was severely underweight.
“Because of the food she’s been able to get from the market, the child has been able to gain weight and become healthier,” she said. “As a mother, you want the very best for your children and she can now rest easier knowing that she has the support she needs and her child is thriving.”
Stowe said though her heart and vision from God drive Community Table’s outreach, it’s her village that helps them reach new heights.
“Volunteers are crucial to what we do,” she said. “If you come serve, I promise that you will not only be a blessing to someone else, but you will leave blessed.”
There is always room for more hands and hearts of all ages to serve Coffee County. Whether it’s unloading food trucks, stocking shelves, sorting clothes, or greeting neighbors, every task is important.
Stowe extended her gratitude to the donors who make the ministry’s work possible.
“Because our community outreach is based on face-to-face interaction, we get to see the impact of the program in real time,” she explained. “We see their tears of relief when they are able to leave with bags of groceries and now don’t have to worry about whether or not they can feed their family this week. We see parents smile with joy and relief when they receive the diapers they need when money is too tight. We experience their grief and their joy simultaneously.”
Despite all of the growth Community Table has experienced, there is still a sense of humility at the center of it all.
“Right now, we are focused on our mission to love the one right in front of us every day,” she said. “We have grown so much over the last few years, and while that is incredible, our heart is to just be present in this moment while serving our neighbors well. We are grateful to God for sustaining us and growing the impact of the ministry over the years, and we are excited and prayerful about the next season ahead,” she said.
Though the need is great, so is the impact, and it’s abundantly clear that her faith-driven vision spreads hope and love among her neighbors here in Coffee County. GN
