KNOXVILLE, Tenn — Middlebrook Pike United Methodist Church hosts a food pantry on the fourth Friday of the month.
Its outreach to feed the hungry has expanded beyond the monthly food pantry.
Beth Long has been a member of the church for decades.
"That is our call as Christians to help those who do not have enough food, the widows and the orphans, the children and anyone that needs help," she said.
And so it began in the parking lot of Middlebrook Pike United Methodist Church.
The church is in West Knoxville on the corner of Middlebrook Pike and Vanosdale Road.
If you are blessed, give what you can. If you need a blessing, take what you need.
"People come by and put food in and we have people that come by and take food out and we also have church members that stock it daily. And so we try to keep food provided for people that are in need," she said,
She said the need has grown for the Blessing Box.
"We started out about a year and a half ago when the Blessing Box was set up. And at that time we were stocking it maybe once or twice a week and now we're stocking it two to three times a day," she said.
She said the most popular items are peanut butter and jelly, individual cereal boxes, granola bars, soup... anything that is easy to prepare.
"Sometimes people will take one or two items and sometimes they will take most of the items that are in the box. It just depends on how many people they have in their family and how much need they have," she said. "We don't criticize anybody. It they need a lot of items, they need to take whatever they need to feed their family."
The church family at MPUMC is committed to its mission and welcomes support.
"We ask the community if they have extra items that they come and restock the Blessing Box. "
To be a blessing to those in need.