Thank You for Feeding Your Neighbors!

Chattanooga, TN

All over the country, people in low-income areas are struggling even more than usual because of the Coronavirus. In Tennessee, many families are having trouble just putting food on the table. 

Pastor Tavner Smith said, “Chattanooga is one of the lowest median income ranges in the entire nation, so there’s already struggle, and then you pile on the pandemic on top of that, and the workers that are giving everything just to make ends meet, and then they lose their job, have really hit rock bottom.”

Barbara Robinson said, “I’m a school bus monitor.  Not being able to work, it affects us in many ways.  We have to struggle a little bit more on paying bills, on food, really, it’s hard on us.”

Hannah Elster explained, “I work two jobs. Both of them are in the food service industry. So, about mid-March, I was completely out of both of my jobs and I still haven’t been able to go back to work at all. It’s been pretty difficult. I just ran out of all the rice and pasta in my house, so I really don’t have a lot of food.”

When we heard about the tremendous need, Operation Blessing sent truckloads of food and supplies to Venue Church in Chattanooga.

Pastor Smith said, “We started getting the food out. We’ve cried with people and talked with so many people that didn’t know where they were getting their next meal until we were able to provide this for them. People will show up and they just break down and just, ‘This is such a relief. This takes off such a stress. Thank you for what you’re doing,’ and so, this is meeting a huge need for the people.” 

Barbara said, “It’s helping us so much, because it’s so hard. Your money only goes so far. The food, it really helps out, and it’s God-sent. It is. It’s a blessing.” 

“The entire city has changed because of what we’ve been able to do with Operation Blessing here from Venue Church,” said Pastor Smith. “The more stuff we get to people, the more stuff Operation Blessing gets to us, and we just get it out again. You can see the fruit immediately and it’s really impacted our communities, the people that we love, and we’ll never be the same.”

Barbara said, “Thank you so very much, because you just don’t realize what a help it is to us to be able to come and pick up food. You’re just God-sent.”