Church outreach outgrows space

The Rev. Edwin Quintana, recently installed as CEO of His Compassion Food Bank of Ocala, joined volunteers in serving families as they drove through the car line at the recent Wings of Faith Fellowship Church “food drop” at the Rotary Sportsplex Park. [Photo by Andy Fillmore/Ocala Gazette]

A local church has moved its food distribution events to a nearby county park after the increased response outgrew the church’s neighborhood.

Wings of Faith Fellowship Church and longtime food distribution partner Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida joined two of the church’s ministries, His Compassion Food Bank of Ocala and Operation Compassion, to hold its first “food drop” distribution at the Rotary Sportsplex Park on Sept.24.

Rocky Shrable, lead pastor at Wings of Faith Fellowship, which is located at 5066 SE 64th Ave. Road in Silver Springs Shores, said the food distribution events grew to the point where traffic around the church became a concern, with as many as an estimated 500 cars served by last month’s event at the church’s property.

Shrable said church officials approached Marion County Commissioner Carl Zalak and Marion County Parks and Recreation officials, including Jim Couillard and Charles Ryan, about moving the food distribution to the Rotary Sportsplex Park to facilitate the increasing turn out.

The sportsplex, located at 5220 SE Maricamp Road, is an 80-acre facility with 16 fields and easy access on and off the busy thoroughfare.

The event there on the 24^th saw more than 10 tons of food given to 336 families by about 50 volunteers, according to Wings of Faith’s Global Outreach Missions Director, the Rev. Dale Broom.

Broom said the USDA value of the food was $46,819 and that 69% of the items were considered USDA “healthy,” which included produce and some dairy products.

Hope Sullivan of Ocala drove through the line and said she was happy to see the event and fellowship following a family emergency.

Broom explained that the Operation Compassion ministry of Wings of Faith has operated a weekly food pantry for about 20 years with support from Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. Broom said the “food drops” in partnership with Second Harvest are held at least monthly, with 10 so far this year. He said His Compassion Food Bank, a ministry of Wings of Faith Fellowship but a separate 501(c) nonprofit organization, has now joined the effort.

The response to the “food drops” had simply outgrown the ability of the church property and nearby roadways to accommodate, Broom said.

The recent food drop saw 42 volunteers from multiple area churches and Publix Supermarkets, and five church staff members, work a combined total of 231 hours to distribute the food, Broom stated.

The volunteers included Jennie Lee Quinones, Christine Morton, Margie Farrington, Sanford Slagstad, Julie Barnes, Chris Taylor and Laura Franklin.

The Rev. Edwin Quintana, a former Ocala Police Department chaplain and head of the Inter Americas Chaplain Association, was recently installed as CEO of His Compassion Food Bank of Ocala. He joined the volunteers in serving the families as they drove through the car line at the recent distribution.

“There’s a lot of need here. We’re just scratching the surface,” Quintana said.

For more information, go to fly.wingsoffaith.com