The year 2018 is quickly winding down. It is already December. The older I get, the faster the years seem to go by. But with December, our thoughts turn to our December food distribution which takes most of the month to assemble, put together, and get ready to distribute. In December, we do not follow our regular schedule. Because we want our client families to have their food as close as possible to Christmas Day, we distribute food morning and afternoon of the Wednesday and Thursday the week before Christmas. We are so very thankful for those volunteers who work so diligently to put everything together and those who help distribute the food to our clients.
Most of our clients express their thanks for what they receive. We hear people say, “I couldn’t make it through the month if it wasn’t for the food I receive.” Just the other day a lady told me, “I appreciate everything I receive. I am grateful that the food pantry is here.” A lady once said, “I am thankful for everything I receive, especially the sliced potatoes.”
I especially want to thank each of you who make it possible for us to provide food for those who have a need in Sumter County. I want to thank each of you who provide monetary resources which enable us to acquire food through Second Harvest of South Georgia and other places as well. Without you we could not fulfill this ministry to the community. If you do not now support Harvest of Hope, I encourage you to consider supporting the pantry.
I want to thank, also, each person who has donated canned goods and dry goods to Harvest of Hope Food Pantry. A shout of thanks also goes out to the schools of Sumter County for the food drives before Thanksgiving which provided an abundance of food items. What a blessing! Special thanks go also to Food Lion which continues to bless the food pantry and to Harvey’s which joined our team a few months ago. We have been blessed so that we could be a blessing to all of our clients.
I hope that each of you will have a wonderful Christmas. As you make your Christmas giving list, think of Harvest of Hope Food Pantry and the many clients who are touched by it. You can be a blessing to someone this Christmas season and in the year to come.
You have been a blessing to us this year, and our prayer is that each of you will continue to bless Harvest of Hope Food Pantry in 2019. We are dependent on you to enable us to fulfill our ministry in Sumter County. I thank you in advance for what you are going to do in 2019.
God bless you, and Merry Christmas.

Sonny Pinckard is executive director, Harvest of Hope Food Pantry, Americus.