First Baptist Church, Marietta
First Baptist Church Marietta hosts 25-40 guests twice a week throughout the year, on Mondays and Thursdays, for a free midday meal. The church began this ministry on Thursdays using leftover food from Wednesday night church meals. From that beginning five years ago, they now serve two meals a week, using ten volunteers a meal, along with paid kitchen staff. At each meal there is a devotion, usually given by one of the ministers at First Baptist Marietta.
Once a year, the church hosts a Thanksgiving meal with smoked turkeys and dressing plus tons of other food. The meal is the week before Thanksgiving, on Wednesday.
They invite the families, students, teachers and administration from two elementary schools to enjoy this free meal, along with the membership of First Baptist Marietta. This event reaches about 250 people, with the focus on fellowship between members of the church and members of the community.
Each year on Super Bowl Sunday, the students of the church, along with plenty of adults, invite people from the homeless community and others dealing with food scarcity, for a meal of chicken from the grill and various homemade sides and desserts. The Super Bowl game is projected onto the Big Screen in the church gym, and over 300 people are served by church members.
First Baptist Marietta has also participated in Rise Against Hunger, formerly Stop Hunger Now, for the past four years, packing 10,000 meals.