The Homebound Ministry of Fayetteville First Baptist Church is celebrating 10 years of delivering meals and devotion to nearly 100 members a month.

The original members putting this together are all still on board.

On the second Tuesday of each month, Jerry and Ruby Ray had gotten up at 5 a.m. and come to the church's kitchen to begin cooking the meat and vegetables.

Soon after the homebound committee members Margaret Turner, Ruben and Helen Knowles, Nora and Larry Butcher, and Lena Patton arrive to set up the food boxes. While the Ray's are still active, two new chefs have taken over, Mary Durham and Mary Smith.

About 10:30 a.m. anywhere from 40 to 50 volunteers arrive to begin organizing the food boxes and driving them to the homebound.

The ministry prides itself that they have always done this with donations, no funds come from any church funds. Often when a homebound person dies, memorial donations are received in their memory.

At Easter and Christmas church Sunday School classes contribute extra funds or holiday items to be sent along on the visits. Various classes will put together goody bags from time to time to accompany the meat and veggies.

To date, over 7,000 meals have been served and this ministry looks forward to another10 years.

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