•September 9, 2020•

Are you aware there is a mobile food pantry in Sullivan? Sullivan Church of God partners with Catholic Charities of Decatur, to provide food boxes filled with basic needs that include milk, bread, eggs, canned vegetables, pasta, paper products and frozen foods, to any individual or family in the Moultrie County area. The size of the box(es) are based on the number of members in the family, and this is indicated on the registration form. The only restriction is the recipient(s) must be a resident of Moultrie County. However, because of the dividing line between Moultrie and Douglas County, an exception is made for the entire village of Arthur. If anyone outside Moultrie County needs the same assistance, the church can put them in contact with their county’s MFP coordinator.
Recipients must be registered prior to the distribution day as the boxes are filled according to the specific individual and their dietary needs and restrictions. There is a link on the church’s website at https://sullivanchog.org that will take them to an online form. Once that form is completed and the conditions have been agreed to, the recipient will click “submit.” The information will be sent to Sullivan Church of God, who is instrumental in compiling the list to be sent to Catholic Charities. If there is no access to the internet or any type of technological equipment, individuals may call the church at (217) 728-7855, during normal business hours, and the office administrator will register them over the phone.
Registration typically opens four to six weeks before the distribution day and this, too, will be posted on the church’s website. In addition, a handout will be given to all of the recipients on distribution day, reminding them of the next Mobile Food Pantry date and when that registration will open. Registration closes approximately ten days before the distribution day. The next MFP distribution is October 19 and registration opens on September 10.
Because of COVID-19, recipients are asked to pull up to the front of the church, under the portico, staying in their car. A volunteer will meet them at their car, take their name, give them a number that
corresponds to their box(es), and will direct them on to the fellowship hall. There, a volunteer will take their number, retrieve the corresponding box(es) and load them into the vehicle. All volunteers observe COVID restrictive guidelines including masks, gloves, and social distancing.
In addition to the every-other-month distribution days, the November date gets a little “extra” in the form of items necessary for a full Thanksgiving meal, including the turkey, provided by the Sullivan
Church of God. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the distribution schedule for 2021 will be the third Monday in January, March, May, July, September, and November. If a date needs to be changed, for any reason, the change will be posted on the church’s website.
If you have any questions about the Mobile Food Pantry or how to get registered, please contact Lenda Johnson, Office Administrator, at (217) 728-7855.