Jason Barton, executive director of Bogg (Because of God’s Grace) Ministries, said flyers were sent home with children in Miamisburg School’s free and reduced lunch program.
“It was just a need that I saw,” Barton said.
Miamisburg High School’s Impact group saw the same need and were making similar plans when the two groups got together with a single effort. MHS science teacher Wayne King heads up the Impact Club.
The high school students collected donations from area businesses. Major sponsors were Kroger’s, Walmart and Sam’s Club.
The meal included turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green beans, corn and bread.
But there’s more to it than food.
“Our goal is to go in and love these people, not just supply them with food,” Barton said.
He and Jason Johnston started the ministry just last March. While each has worked with the youth group at SouthBrook Church, Barton said the ministry is independent and not associated with a single church.
The Thanksgiving meal is just part of the groups active civic awareness. They operate a food pantry and serve meals every Tuesday evening through their Feed a Family program.
“We have volunteers prepare it,” Barton said. For the most part, the volunteers also pay for the food.
Bogg Ministries supply the food where needed. “It just depends on what the volunteer wants,” Barton said.
The group is applying for non-profit status. “We haven’t raised enough to have a paid staff,” said Barton. He volunteers full-time for the group. Barton said he worked in restaurants since he was 14.
“We do a project in Miamisburg every month,” he said. For instance, members of the group helped tidy up the Indian Mound a couple of months ago.
“I found a lot of need,” said Barton, “but not a lot of people filling that need.”
“We decided to start doing our own ministry out of Miamisburg,” he said. “I just walked around Miamisburg and talked to people and prayed about it.”
“I just really felt God telling me of a need in Miamisburg.”
To volunteer or make a donation, call Barton at (937) 554-8260.
Contact this writer at (937) 696-2080 or williamgschmidt@ frontier.com.
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