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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe nonprofit organization is supported and partially funded by GTWY and staffed by its members and volunteers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll we ask is that you have your name, address, your monthly income, and how many are in the household. That\u2019s all we ask because we have so much food,\u201d said Williamson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He explains, \u201cI just believe that God put me in a position to be that person who says, \u2018I don\u2019t care if you don\u2019t have an ID, and you\u2019re not from America. I love you, too.\u2019 When you see the smiles on their faces, they\u2019re so appreciative, and they\u2019re not apprehensive anymore. And that\u2019s a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The group also serves people without housing in the area, a connection established through an earlier sock distribution program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey call us \u2018the church people,\u2019\u201d said Williamson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Help is available for immediate needs, too. It\u2019s possible to obtain items outside regular hours of operation by reaching out to FOO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI 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\u2019t think that it\u2019s 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,\u201d Williamson enthuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But it\u2019s not about what he\u2019s doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said, \u201cIt\u2019s not what I\u2019m doing; I\u2019m following God, so if it looks like I\u2019m walking around here free, I really am. I\u2019m the leader, but on Saturday, I\u2019m right there. I\u2019m praying for people and putting boxes in cars.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Williamson organizes the teams, matching the volunteers\u2019 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI told my wife, \u2018I just don\u2019t think this is for my job. I think it\u2019s God doing something.\u2019 Way before I became the Outreach leader, I was in intensive leadership training, giving speeches and things I didn\u2019t want to do. So I started using the same tactics to detail job descriptions for people,\u201d Williamson said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He capitalized on his retired volunteers\u2019 skills and work history and recruited truck drivers, security, and other logistic positions. Williamson wasn\u2019t confident in his leadership skills, but time has proven that he is where he\u2019s meant to be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s been a learning experience because, at first, I was really intimidated. I wondered, \u2018God, how am I going to lead these people? They\u2019re not going to listen to me.\u2019 And now, four years later, they are my best friends, and they believe in everything,\u201d he said. \u201cFor these people to follow me all these years and be happy is something God\u2019s 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.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019t have to worry about empty stomachs in the coming week. FOO\u2019s 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 <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" IT\u2019S HARD to tell what\u2019s shining the brightest \u2014 the Saturday morning sun or the smiles of those gathered outside Gateway (GTWY) Church\u2019s 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":21503,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21500","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/shelbyville\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/3-2-1024x683.png\")
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