Some Pictures of Past Distributions

A Little History...

In early 2007, a few people got together and wanted to make a Godly difference in Hughes, Arkansas. Hughes is a poverty stricken town that has many needs. Guided by area churches with a strong sense to share the gospel, an idea arose to start a food bank. The food could attract those in need so we could share God's gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.

We started out with no money, no building, no food and no idea how to structure and run a food bank. We visited other banks, observing how they operated and based on that our organization began to fall into place. The first step was filing for the necessary 501[c]3 corporate status and IRS certification, which takes nine months. With the help of Terry Mcfarland, we obtained our 4,000 square foot building which formerly housed a grocery store, complete with shelves and some freezers. We also received a walk in freezer from our local elementary school and several other freezers from individuals. All this was done without incuring a single dollar of debt. It is extremely evident that God had his hand in the whole process as no mortal could have achieved what the HCOM has done without Him.

Determined to have a distribution before Christmas 2007, we begged for food and donations from across the state. Our doors opened December 22, 2007 for our first distribution. It was an early birthday party for JESUS. With the exception of one month, there has been a food distribution every month since December 2007.

Since the beginning, we have had a great relationship with Second Harvest in Jonesboro, AR where we get the bulk of our food. In addition, we have been blessed with both monetary and food donations from generous individuals and businesses to help fill in as needed.

We have received help from more people than we have room to mention here, but we would like to recognize two who have been with us every step of the way--Latwon Whitby and Judge Gary Hughes. Their assistance and guidance have been invaluable.

GOD BLESS YOU ALL

A Lot of Food

Since HCOM started distributing food in December of 2007, there has been over 2,670 distributions of food to over 1000 people. That means that over 10,000 bags of groceries have been given to families in need. This has only happended because of hard work by HCOM volunteers and donations from supporters.

Hughes Food Distribution Numbers

Summary of the Distribution on September 19th, 2009


Total number of people served: 352
Number of new people served: 18
Number of returns: 334
Number of households served: 143

Number served by age: 0 to 18 years old 114
19 to 64 years old 185
65 years & older 53

Number of households with at least one person employed: 19

Emergency Assisance Provided

We were recently able to provide help for an elderly lady in serious need of assistance. Upon return from a stay at the hospital, the healing resident found she had no food or electricity. Rather than facing the burden of procuring groceries, the HCOM was able to provide her meals and the comfort that goes with that. Her power was restored through support from the HCOM. She was extremely grateful to HCOM for lifting such burdens during difficult times. We are very happy that God has given us the resources to provide aid for her kind soul.

There are many needs in our community. If you would like to volunteer, please email talgoldsby@gmail.com. If you feel called to help but cannot volunteer, you can donate to the HCOM by clicking on the donate button on this page. 100% of your money goes directly to helping those in need.

Welcome

Welcome to the blog for the Hughes Christian Outreach Ministry. Our mission is to create support, update volunteers on distributions, and track aid provided to the area.

We will post pictures and stories from time to time. Check back for updates.