Redemption Bowl Food Day Giveaway serves 20,000 Impacted by Pandemic
Janene NielsenMultiple Fort Worth churches and community organizations teamed up for the 12th Redemption Bowl Food Day Giveaway on July 11, 2020, in Fort Worth, Texas.
With the COVID-19 Pandemic as its impetus, the Redemption Bowl has fed 20,000 of Fort Worth’s hungry, mainly in the inner city, since its inception in March.
“It is the needy helping the needy,” said K.P. Tatum, pastor of New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church and coordinator for the food distribution events. “This event is our 12th event at 12 different sites — a 120-day unbelievable ride with no budget, all volunteers, and all the food donated. Let me tell you; we were running on empty at the end.”
Pastor Tatum credits the Lord and the volunteer effort for much of the success of this event.
“With 25 to 250 volunteers at a time, we sometimes had more volunteers than we had food,” said Tatum. “But, you know, we called it the Redemption Bowl because everybody needs a little redemption; we all do. So I say, serve from the heart, your whole heart. I don’t call it hard work; I call it ‘Heart Work'”.
Among the many volunteers at this final event were a team of 18 missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“Service brings me joy,” said Sister Bristol, a young missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ. “I really believe that when we are in the service of our fellow man, we are only in the service of our God. As a missionary, it’s not just about teaching; it’s about helping, giving back to the community just as Jesus Christ did when he was on the earth.”
Elder Burch, another Latter-day Saint missionary, appreciates how service gives him a greater love of his fellow beings and brings him closer to the Lord.
“Service allows me to gain a personal testimony that we are all children of God. He loves all of His children. We can feel that same love as we serve others,” said Burch.
Multiple churches of varying faiths came together in the common cause. “The pandemic has allowed us to put down religious barriers,” said Pastor Tatum. Joining the Baptists on this project were Buddhists, Muslims, and Christians of every stripe.
However, feeding the hungry was not the only aim of this ambitious project. Preserving the health of the community is also a priority. In tandem with the Redemption Bowl Food Day Giveaway was the You Better Mask Somebody Project.
“According to leading researchers, Fort Worth 76104 has the lowest life expectancy in the entire State of Texas,” said Pastor Tatum. “The mission of the You Better Mask Somebody Project is to help stop the spread of COVID-19. With mandates across the state and country to wear masks in public, providing free masks and other resources to our most isolated communities and vulnerable populations has become the mission of The New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church of Fort Worth, Texas.”
With the aid of the Buddhist Huong Dao Temple of Fort Worth, which donated 7,000 masks, and the Department of Health and Human Services, 50,000 face masks have been distributed.
In the spirit of thanksgiving members of The New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church, affiliated churches, and community organizers are set to travel on July 23, 2020, to the Texas State Capitol to donate over 12,000 cloth masks to be distributed by Ms. Anna C. Blake, Director of Faith-Based and Community Engagement for the Texas Department of Family in Austin, Texas. This event will take place at 3 pm in front of the Capitol.
“We are eternally grateful that Ms. Blake has accepted the challenge, and her team will now be able to share with others what God has blessed us with,” said Pastor Kyev Tatum.
“Unfortunately, our mission is not complete. Unless we are able to secure financial resources, this will be our final Redemption Bowl Food Day Giveaway,” said Paster Tatum.
Despite this bleak prediction, however, Pastor Tatum has seen too many miracles associated with this project to give up hope.
“Service is in my heart; it’s in my blood,” said Pastor Tatum. “Jesus saved my life. He turned my life around, and I have a whole new feeling in my soul.”
For COVID-19 community resources provided by The City of Fort Worth, click HERE.
Photos featured in this story are by Madison Hogan, Don Mooney, Elder Spencer Capener, and by courtesy of K.P. Tatum.
