New Hillsdale College GOAL Program Seeks to Feed Those in Need
HILLSDALE, Mich. — Hillsdale College has seen the emergence of a new Great Opportunities for Assistance and Leadership (GOAL) Program dedicated to supporting Christian food banks in the Hillsdale community.
The Bread of Life program has 11 student volunteers and serves food Tuesdays at Hillsdale Baptist Church from 7:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. The group serves mostly prepackaged food and canned goods but supplements these with surplus bakery goods and produce from Kroger and Jonesville bakeries, serving approximately 90 to 120 people a week.
“One of the biggest goals for Bread of Life is to source food from as many local sources as possible without having to rely on the Food and Drug Administration,” says Clay Ward, Bread of Life program leader. “Using local sources can showcase the dependence of the church on the Lord and increase our freedom to talk to people about Jesus.”
Bread of Life obtained its name from a story in the Gospel of John where Jesus fed many thousands with only five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus pointed to himself as the source of spiritual food, calling himself the bread of life.
Members of the program conduct interviews with the people who come through the food line to get a better understanding of further needs they may have so that they can make as big an impact as possible.
“We also have periodic meetings between our team and the church’s food pantry team,” says Ward. “These meetings have helped establish a strong relationship with the church such that we have provided a channel for them to become more involved at the College, and for some of us to form relationships with them outside of regular pantry hours.”
Hillsdale College continues to see growth among its GOAL programs. In the last year, two new programs have been launched. The College currently has 25 different GOAL programs.
Read more about Hillsdale College GOAL programs here.
View photos of the food pantry at Hillsdale Baptist here.