H.O.P.E. Moultrie feeds homeless every week

Dec. 12—MOULTRIE — A grassroots effort to help homeless individuals in the community starts with a hot meal and a little understanding.

"All of us have a heart for the homeless," said Jackie Gore, one of the organizers of Help Other People Everyday (H.O.P.E.) Moultrie.

This is a group of people, loosely organized through social media, that holds a street feed on Monday at Greater Believers Worship Center in Northwest Moultrie at 5 p.m.; and on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. and Saturday at 3 p.m., both in the Piggly Wiggly parking lot.

"Really, it's just the three of us coming together," Jackie said. "I've been friends with Jeanette a long time."

She said that she and her son, Chris Gore, have been involved with the Thomasville Street Feed and the Thomas County Cares Street Feed.

She said that her friend, Jeanette Moates, went with her to the New Covenant Church in Thomasville on a Sunday and went to the street feed after services.

"She got to see, you know, what we're doing down there and she prayed about it and she said, 'Let's do it,'" Jackie said.

Moates added that she wanted to know what all was involved with the street feed after Jackie had told her about it.

"So, when I went down there, I watched it. It's simple. It's a community coming together. Not one particular denomination, not one particular ethnic group. Everybody coming together and feeding the homeless. You know, doing something for the community," she said.

She also said that it wasn't just one church but a lot of different churches that were involved in Thomasville.

Jackie said that there have been so many people since they've been having the street feed in Moultrie that have told them that they had seen an individual and now realize that they're homeless.

"The public was just really unaware of the amount of homelessness in Colquitt County. So starting this has kind of opened a lot of people's eyes to that fact," she said.

She also said that they have had a lot of community support from both individuals and businesses with Elli Mae's Kountry Cafe as one of their main food sponsors.

"She brings us stuff every Wednesday for the feed," Jackie said.

She added that Three Crazy Bakers had also sent food and that there have been individuals who have provided them with things like 40 pounds of chicken.

Moates chimed in that many of the donors wanted to remain anonymous.

Jackie said that they had needed a tent and Moates had put a post on social media and about ten minutes later someone had bought them a tent for the Moultrie street feed.

She went on to say that people had also donated blankets, hats, hygiene products, clothing and shoes.

"United Way also sent us a bunch of beanies and gloves. Just a lot of people coming together wanting to help," she said.

Jackie said that the main thing that the group needs help with is prepared food because she and Moates have been cooking most of the food every time there's a street feed.

"We want to try and draw attention to the fact that people can bring prepared casseroles or side dishes or whatever," she said.

Moates said that some people have donated money and that's what they use to buy the food with.

Jackie said a lot of people have been asking what other things they can contribute and she wants people to know that they can donate little packs of individual hygiene products, vitamin C, Tylenol and antiseptic wipes.

"Anything that they can just take in a bag. ... That we can package into a bag for them that they can take with them. What they own is usually on their back in a backpack," she said.

She also said that they do try to provide the homeless individuals with some kind of coverage like sleeping bags and blankets or a tent, if they need it.

Chris, who had been quiet until now, letting the ladies tell about H.O.P.E. Moultrie, said, "In the Book of Acts, everybody came together and they did this daily and the dream is, basically, to have it not just us but other people all over town. Every day of the week be a different feed, different people hosting them. and the main goal is to bring people to God because, ultimately, He's the one who can change a life and turn a life around. and just let people know that God loves them and Jesus loves them and pray with them, talk with them, try to get them more involved and find a church."

"It's uh, it's very humbling," said Jackie and Chris agreed, "Very."

She also said that it was very emotional to see how appreciative the homeless people were toward them.

"I mean it's going to take a whole community to help them," Chris said and Jackie added, "And it's a slow process. I mean, they don't just come out. It took us weeks."

Moates chimed in that they had been doing the street feed in Moultrie for approximately 12 weeks and the first couple of weeks, it was not necessarily homeless people seeking food.

"But now, they're coming out from under the bridge. Chris will go down there and carry them food. Some of them won't come out," she said.

Moates also said that when people asked her how many homeless people there are, she tells them probably 150 to 200 "and that's in the city," she emphasized.

Chris added that the number didn't include the houses where he's gone in and there were 10 to 15 people sleeping on the floor.

"There's camps. I've found eight camps in town and under every bridge," he said.

Jackie said there was nowhere for them to go in Moultrie because the only place that she was familiar with was more of a halfway house that the people she was feeding didn't meet the criteria for admittance.

"I'm not sure what their criteria is, I mean, if you're homeless, you have nothing," she said.

She also said that, if an ID was required, the homeless people she knew didn't have them and there was nowhere here for them to go and get them. They would have to go to Thomasville or Tifton, she said.

Chris added, "I bet there's probably a 1,000 different homeless people in Moultrie, Thomasville, Albany, Valdosta, Tifton and not a single one of them have an ID."

He also said that it wasn't that the homeless people didn't want to work because they all wanted to work and he was trying to find people who would give them a chance. He said the homeless people ask him about helping them to find a job.

"They're really good guys. Most of them, they just deal with a lot of depression," he said.

Jackie said many of the people that they feed are from Moultrie and a lot of people think that they are coming out of Turning Point but that wasn't the case.

Chris said, "They live here. They all have kids here. I mean, they were born and raised here."

Moates said that she had people tell her that they had gone looking under one of the bridges in town for family members.

There is no certain demographic to the homeless people in the community, Jackie and Moates said. They're different races and ages and, right now, H.O.P.E. Moultrie feed an average of 60 people per time.

Jackie said that she really wanted the community to know that H.O.P.E. Moultrie could use volunteers as well as donations of food.

"It's a life-changing thing to go volunteer and see some of those people. It really is," said Moates.

Anyone who wants to volunteer or donate can contact Jackie Gore at (229) 454-5437.