Manna Ministry

Calvary First’s Faithful Food Pantry

Members of Calvary First ready to serve groceries to anyone and everyone. Photo by IsaacCropsey.com

Every Tuesday morning, just before 7 a.m., Randy Drew and Tommy Ross pull up to their longtime home church, Calvary First Baptist, and unlock the doors to one of its buildings. “Sometimes there are people already waiting outside when we get here,” Tommy says. And that’s notable, since the doors don’t officially open to the public until 8:30 a.m.

Inside, a line of tables, shelves, and a commercial walk-in refrigerator are stocked with groceries from church volunteers, donations from other congregations, and supplies from their main partner—a local nonprofit called Loaves and Fishes, which specializes in food rescue. According to Loaves and Fishes, “Food rescue is the practice of collecting edible but surplus or unsold food that would otherwise go to waste. We collect and redistribute it where it is needed most.”

By the time Manna Ministry opens, the line often wraps around the building. “We serve upwards of 90 people a week,” says Randy, as he helps a Spanish-speaking mother—surrounded by her little ones—carry bags of groceries to her car.

Calvary First sits just off Old Buncombe Road in the Sans Souci neighborhood, right in the heart of the West Side’s low-income housing corridor, with Poe Mill and Woodside nearby.

One by one, people are welcomed into the building. They grab bags and make their way down the line—past tables, fridges, and shelves—picking out groceries, beverages, and essentials, all free of charge. There’s everything from fresh fruit and bread to toothpaste.

Bread stacked up as part of the offerings of Manna Ministry.

About half a dozen volunteers help guests through the line, restock items, and pray with anyone who asks. Among them is Calvary’s senior pastor, Caleb Walker, who greets each person warmly and invites them to attend church on Sunday. Some have taken him up on the invitation—and even become members.

Calvary First calls this ministry Manna Ministry, a name that reflects their mission. As their website explains, “We endeavor to be a physical and spiritual encouragement to our homeless community and those who need a helping hand.”

The homeless population is indeed a major part of those they serve—men and women from the Poinsett Highway area, Shaw Street, and the wooded stretches of Sans Souci and City View, where a few “tent cities” exist. According to the Greenville Homeless Alliance, there are about 4,100 homeless individuals in Greenville County.

But not everyone who benefits from Manna Ministry is homeless. Many face what Loaves and Fishes calls “food insecurity”—a lack of consistent access to healthy meals due to economic hardship. People from all walks of life find themselves needing a little help at times.

Loaves and Fishes reports that thousands across Greenville County face food insecurity—about 22% of them children or elderly, and roughly 5% veterans. Overall, South Carolina ranks 46th in the nation for food insecurity, with 14.5% of households unable to provide adequate food for one or more members due to limited resources.

A man with bags of groceries strapped to his bike.

What’s the answer to this problem? Simple faithfulness.

Food insecurity isn’t something that can be solved in a single event or one-time outreach. You can’t just feed everyone once and consider the problem fixed.

The church must follow Jesus into the lives of the hungry and stay there—showing up consistently, week after week, in seasons when it’s easy and when it’s hard. Over and over again.

And that’s why we’re such huge fans of the saints at Calvary First, who open their doors every Tuesday morning, all year long, rain or shine. Faithfulness may not always be easy or flashy—but it’s almost always the solution to whatever challenges we face on the West Side of Greenville.  

Randy, Tommy, Pastor Caleb, and the others are making the West Side a little more secure. If you’d like to help them over at Manna Ministry, you can drop off food donations at 8 a.m. on Tuesday mornings. They’re located at 11 Tampa St., Greenville, SC 29609. You can also contact them through their website at www.calvaryfirstbaptist.com.This winter, they’re especially in need of hats, gloves, and socks, along with food items.