Food give-away set Thursday in Brewton

Pensacola Caring Hearts (PCH) of Pensacola is giving back to the community with a free food giveaway of between 12,000 and 15,000 pounds of food for families in need beginning at 10 a.m., Thursday, April 16, at New Beginnings Worship Center, located at 717 St. Nicholas Ave. in Brewton.

Sponsored by the City of Brewton, the Pensacola Caring Hearts organization, a non-profit 501 C3 food pantry which distributes to Escambia County and Santa Rose Counties, was organized by Fannie Finkley, a native of Evergreen who knows the needs of rural families, especially in a time of health crisis like the Coronavirus pandemic.

“We take our mobile food pantries into other parts of Alabama besides Escambia County,” said Finkley. “We are in Brewton every other month, and Evergreen, we take it different places where we are needed to distribute in different places. We are licensed to work Alabama and Florida and have been coming to Brewton for the last 5 or 6 years.”

She said they usually take one truck when they go every other month, but because of the current virus situation and the amount of people who are affected by the stay-at-home orders, they decided to do it twice this month to feed 400 people or more.

“We just did a big truck at Jubilee in Pensacola, where we had 3,000 people,” said Finkley. “We are going to pick up many smaller towns in a large rural area everytime we post something. I am from Evergreen, and we wont let anyone go hungry. There is a need with the virus going on. Kids are out of school, food stamps have been cut, mothers and fathers don't have enough food. We do meat, vegetables, canned goods, fruits and bakery goods.”

Finkley said everyone who comes will get a 35-50 pound box of food. As guests drive through, the volunteers will put the box in car for them. She said PCH will come back in June.

Finkley said she has been helping with food distribution a long time and she established the PCH organization, located at 2105 W. Gregory St. in downtown Pensacola, about eight years ago.

We have one of largest food pantries here in Pensacola,” said Finkley. “We give out food here every Wednesday, starting at 10 a.m., until all the food is gone. Folks drive from Evergreen, Brewton, Atmore and other towns to get food.”

Usually the food is given out without paperwork or identification requested, she said. But because of virus, there is a form for recipients to fill out, but they do not turn anyone away, even those who do not have identification.

Finkley said they fed about 1,500 people in Century several years ago at Abundant Life Church.

“We bring about 15 members plus volunteers,” she said. “There are also volunteers from New Beginnings Church who will help. All anyone has to do is line up, and they will get a box of food. For those without a vehicle, we have a section to serve walk-ups too.”

Finkley said they do take monetary donations and use them to buy trucks, called a 'mobile food pantry', where they start with 5,000 pound of food and more. She said the mobile food pantry coming Thursday will have between 12,000 and 15,000 pounds of food to distribute.

Brewton Councilwoman Cheryl Barton, widow of former Brewton Mayor Fred Barton, knew Finkley from high school in their hometown of Evergreen and said she had heard about the food distribution. “My husband used to help give out food,” said Barton. “So they asked us if we would become a member [of the organization] and we did. We have been doing this almost six years.”

Barton said PCH also will be giving away two truckloads of food on Thursday, April 30 at New Beginnings Church.

“The food comes from monetary donations and grants,” said Barton. “The City of Brewton has donated for past several years and PCH brings it in for those in need. At this day and time, everybody is almost in need because of this virus. If I am available I participate in the various locations like Cantonment, Milton, Pensacola, Evergreen, and the surrounding areas.”

For more information, visit pensacolacaringhearts.org or contact Fannie Finkley at 850-375-1838 or Cheryl Barton at 251-363-4551.