Spring Break
Feed Downtown offers outreach
Justin Kimmel
Issue date: 10/23/08 Section: News
There is a free buffet in downtown Athens.
No, it's not some new restaurant serving samples as a marketing ploy. And it's not some do-gooder group trying to trade their literature for food, either. The come-and-get-it style buffet of pastries, fruit and home-cooked goods is actually put on by a group of students who aren't affiliated with any organization.
At 5:30 p.m. every Friday evening, you can see a line form outside The Grill on College Avenue. As 20 or 30 people make their way through the line loading their plates, they grab a water bottle from a cooler and spread out across the tables that belong to Ben and Jerry's.
They call it Feed Downtown. It's an outreach ministry that is entirely run by students that has been around for two years now. Josh Mickey, Kelly Jackson and Anna Murray make up the leading trio. "We are the ones who just show up a little early and make sure the food is set in order," said Mickey.
Everybody isn't there just to eat. It's very much like a family get together that in some small way will remind you of a southern family reunion. You can catch people in a game of chess or just enjoying each others' company at one of the bigger tables. It's pretty evident that people are showing up for more than a free meal.
The ministry isn't really geared toward the homeless. "Anybody who wants to drop by, grab a plate and talk is more than welcome to show up," Mickey said. "Our ultimate vision is to further God's kingdom and to show (the community) that Jesus loves them. We get to do that by showing up, providing for a basic need and building relationships with them."
For the typical college student, Friday evening is a time that is used to prepare for the night or weekend. It's a very self oriented moment during the week. For the students involved in Feed Downtown, it's a time to love and help others in need.
No, it's not some new restaurant serving samples as a marketing ploy. And it's not some do-gooder group trying to trade their literature for food, either. The come-and-get-it style buffet of pastries, fruit and home-cooked goods is actually put on by a group of students who aren't affiliated with any organization.
At 5:30 p.m. every Friday evening, you can see a line form outside The Grill on College Avenue. As 20 or 30 people make their way through the line loading their plates, they grab a water bottle from a cooler and spread out across the tables that belong to Ben and Jerry's.
They call it Feed Downtown. It's an outreach ministry that is entirely run by students that has been around for two years now. Josh Mickey, Kelly Jackson and Anna Murray make up the leading trio. "We are the ones who just show up a little early and make sure the food is set in order," said Mickey.
Everybody isn't there just to eat. It's very much like a family get together that in some small way will remind you of a southern family reunion. You can catch people in a game of chess or just enjoying each others' company at one of the bigger tables. It's pretty evident that people are showing up for more than a free meal.
The ministry isn't really geared toward the homeless. "Anybody who wants to drop by, grab a plate and talk is more than welcome to show up," Mickey said. "Our ultimate vision is to further God's kingdom and to show (the community) that Jesus loves them. We get to do that by showing up, providing for a basic need and building relationships with them."
For the typical college student, Friday evening is a time that is used to prepare for the night or weekend. It's a very self oriented moment during the week. For the students involved in Feed Downtown, it's a time to love and help others in need.
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