In an effort to cut down on the number of people in need of food in Lawrence County, the Backpack Buddies ministry within Campbell Chapel Freewill Baptist Church gave out food as droves of residents lined up in the Ohio University Southern Ironton campus parking lot.

“We wanted to have a community food giveaway,” Jodie Hunt, director of Backpack Buddies, said. “This is the first one that we’ve had this year, but hopefully there will be more to come. We’re so blessed that OUS let us use their parking lot today, because we didn’t have a place to accommodate all of the food and cars.”

Three trailer loads of food were purchased in three trips from the Facing Hunger Food Bank in Huntington and allowed 763 Lawrence County residents to take advantage of the giveaway.

“We’ve had several of these within the last two and a half years,” Hunt said. “But this is the biggest turnout to date.”

A large variety of items were available for residents including bread, meats, cereal, baked goods, canned goods, produce, candy, beverages and vitamins.

“We have about 7,000 pounds of food,” Hunt said. “This is the most food and people that we’ve ever had.”

Volunteers from the church along with five volunteers from the Ashland Kohl’s store with the Kohl’s Cares Associates in Action program helped pass out food. Kohl’s also donated $500 cash to the Backpack Buddies ministry.

“I want to thank God for the opportunity to do this,” Hunt said. “It’s all because of him that we have as much food as we have. Without him, we’d have nothing. I’m so thankful to him.”