PHOTOS PROVIDED BY DEACON JOHN CLARK
A missionary team member hands out food to the homeless.

No One Hungry, a food bank ministry at St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church and Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church in Titusville, started as a call from God to “feed my people” and a choir room filled with canned goods.

The mission today has spread beyond the walls of the pantry and into a homeless camp near the church. “All of our parishioners support reaching outside the stained-glass windows and making their parish the world,” said St. Gabriel’s Deacon John Clark, who heard the Lord’s call to feed the flock. “We give out tents, clothing, toiletries, bikes, air mattresses – whatever they need.

“Since it began, we have distributed some canned goods with pull-tabs to the homeless,” Clark said. “It’s not likely that they’d have a can opener.”

The mission has been a successful one, in part because of working with another church. Early on, St. Gabriel’s wanted to partner with another church so leaders approached Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church for several reasons. The clergy and congregation of both churches already had a working relationship.

“Their pastor and our rector have cooperated a lot,” Clark said, “taking turns preaching at each other’s churches. We knew that this church served an economically deprived community. They had a similar pantry. It just made sense to partner with them.”

The churches have split their good work between two food banks. One serves senior citizens, the homeless and shut-ins; the other serves African-American families and singles over the age of 55. “This joint venture has provided inroads to racial reconciliation,” Clark said.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY DEACON JOHN CLARK
A missionary team member hands out food to the homeless.

There are other partners in this mission, as well. Clark explains: “We have partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank, and we are now able to buy food at 10 to 15 cents per pound. We have also partnered with other local organizations to refer those in need to other programs that may improve their quality of life.”

Clark sees the Lord leading the ministry to new locations in Florida, as well as globally. Parishes interested in becoming a part of No One Hungry are asked to please contact Clark at 321-267-2545 or go to the website: https://www.noonehungryfl.org for details.