An Ohio church will be handing out 20,000 pounds of food, including 300 turkeys, to families in need this Thanksgiving.
Rust City Church, a congregation based in Niles that averages around 1,000 worship attendees weekly, will be distributing the food on Wednesday evening as part of an event they call “Give Back Before You Kick Back.”
In addition to food, church volunteers will be providing other family necessities, including diapers to parents with babies, according to Pastor Karl Wendel of Rust City Church.
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Wendel told The Christian Post that Rust City Church was able to amass so much food through “a combination of generous donations from our congregation, partnerships with local businesses, and our collaboration with Second Harvest Food Bank, whose support has been instrumental in helping us reach this milestone.”
The food distribution will be held at the Eastwood Mall parking lot, the mall being the location of the church campus, with food and other items being distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis.
In addition, the church will provide hot cocoa and have a hot dog cart to feed visitors. Those arriving to receive free food will also be offered prayer from volunteers.
At last year’s Give Back Before You Kick Back event, the church distributed food to around 350 local families in need. Organizers expect the number to reach 400 this year.
According to Wendel, in contrast to the Thanksgiving giveaway events of previous years, “the scale has grown significantly, reflecting our church’s deepened commitment to serving the community and addressing food insecurity.”
“We hope to convey God’s love and care through this outreach, reminding people they are seen, valued, and not alone,” said Wendel. “This is about more than meeting physical needs — it’s about fostering hope and connection.”
In addition to its annual Thanksgiving food giveaway, Rust City Church also provides weekly aid to the needy in the community via its “Midweek Outreach,” which provides groceries to as many as 150 families a week.
