IT’S HARD to tell what’s shining the brightest — the Saturday morning sun or the smiles of those gathered outside Gateway (GTWY) Church’s building on Madison Street in Shelbyville. Children laugh and dance as bubbles flow freely from the bubble machine. Hugs, handshakes, and back-pats pass through the crowd. The diverse groups interact like festival attendees, their faces defying the real reason they’re here. The prayers sent up for some of those in attendance are unseen.
Before connecting with Feed One Outreach (FOO), several faces in the crowd were previously bewildered faces in the grocery store, calculator in hand, choosing the most economical and long-stretching items for their budget. Funds for rent, utilities, and medicines were short. It followed them like hungry children, demanding their attention. They were faces peeking out from tents and sleeping bags, huddled together, sharing foods salvaged from blessing boxes. They were faces who worked all week and had no money left for groceries at the end of their paycheck.
Samuel (Sammy) Williamson leads FOO, something his friend, Rocky Wiggins, always knew he would do. Wiggins and GTWY, the church the two attend, launched GTWY Outreach to serve the broader needs of local residents. Sammy flourished in his work.
“He [Wiggins] told me, ‘Sammy, God told me in my heart that this was for you [and] to start it for you. He said you didn’t believe you could, but it’s yours now. And the whole time I’ve been walking with you, I knew it was yours.’ From that day on, I took over Outreach, and we formed Feed One.”
The nonprofit organization is supported and partially funded by GTWY and staffed by its members and volunteers.
Every Saturday morning from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., excluding Thanksgiving and Christmas weekends, those needing food and household supplies shop for free from the aisles stocked by Feed America, Second Harvest, and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). With 30,000 pounds of food delivered weekly, Williamson said FOO is the largest food bank in Middle Tennessee. There’s an open shop area with soaps, dishes, towels, diapers, adult incontinence supplies, and more, and a clothing distribution on the fourth Saturday. Qualifying for the distribution is simple.
“All we ask is that you have your name, address, your monthly income, and how many are in the household. That’s all we ask because we have so much food,” said Williamson.
The program exists to meet the growing food insecurity needs of the area, welcoming anyone. Williamson strives to ensure the experience for volunteers and shoppers is compassionate and non-exclusive.
He explains, “I just believe that God put me in a position to be that person who says, ‘I don’t care if you don’t have an ID, and you’re not from America. I love you, too.’ When you see the smiles on their faces, they’re so appreciative, and they’re not apprehensive anymore. And that’s a good thing.”
The group also serves people without housing in the area, a connection established through an earlier sock distribution program.
“They call us ‘the church people,’” said Williamson.
Help is available for immediate needs, too. It’s possible to obtain items outside regular hours of operation by reaching out to FOO.
Danny and Doris Vance were instrumental in training Williamson and his wife, Erica, to work with the USDA and Second Harvest. Williamson also uses his life experiences to organize and lead the program, knowing God weaves them together and guides his steps.
“I still work and go to meetings outside of work and the church. My wife said I probably have what the world calls ADHD [attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder], but God uses it. I don’t think that it’s a bad thing. I think people have to find their calling because [their] energy is for something. I truly believe that. I knew it was my calling for a long time,” Williamson enthuses.
He’s been taking steps toward his calling since the early days, assisting his mom in Louisiana with her Angels of Mercy ministry, an organization empowering women who have endured domestic violence. He handled her emails and posters, supporting her work and planting seeds for what he does today.
But it’s not about what he’s doing.
He said, “It’s not what I’m doing; I’m following God, so if it looks like I’m walking around here free, I really am. I’m the leader, but on Saturday, I’m right there. I’m praying for people and putting boxes in cars.”
Williamson organizes the teams, matching the volunteers’ skills and gifts to the work needed. Classes on interpersonal communication, like Dale Carnegie, and other on-the-job training prepared him to lead. Even then, he sensed a greater purpose for it.
“I told my wife, ‘I just don’t think this is for my job. I think it’s God doing something.’ Way before I became the Outreach leader, I was in intensive leadership training, giving speeches and things I didn’t want to do. So I started using the same tactics to detail job descriptions for people,” Williamson said.
He capitalized on his retired volunteers’ skills and work history and recruited truck drivers, security, and other logistic positions. Williamson wasn’t confident in his leadership skills, but time has proven that he is where he’s meant to be.
“It’s been a learning experience because, at first, I was really intimidated. I wondered, ‘God, how am I going to lead these people? They’re not going to listen to me.’ And now, four years later, they are my best friends, and they believe in everything,” he said. “For these people to follow me all these years and be happy is something God’s making happen, like the friendships. But those guys understood leadership. The growth was amazing, and I started spiritually seeing why God had me in charge. I was very humbled by it.”
As the parking lot empties on Saturday, everyone involved is fulfilled. The hearts of the volunteers are filled with joy and peace, knowing everyone who came today won’t have to worry about empty stomachs in the coming week. FOO’s assistance enables them to stretch their dollars for other necessities, perhaps empowering them to avoid homelessness and despair. And the prayers of the volunteers will go with them, multiplying the blessings of the ministry. GN
