The line snaking around Lilburn's Faith Center church Sunday morning was as intent on real food as much as spiritual nourishment.
With church services canceled, there was a big turnout, nevertheless, for the church's annual food give-away.
More than 100,000 pounds of food, from cereal to produce to canned soup, was set up on tables for the thousands who filed into the church hall, located on the Berkmar High School campus.
The event ran from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., but many, like Norcross resident Juanita Kennemore showed up early.
"I got here at 6, because we have no food," said Kennemore, who is disabled and lives with her two children and two grandchildren.
Even before the distribution began, the sanctuary was packed with more than 400 people, and the line leading into the building stretched out the door, along a shaded breezeway and into the parking lot.
Volunteers were still serving into the early evening, and church Pastor Vincent Campbell estimated close to 9,000 people from Gwinnett, Cobb, Fulton and Douglas counties were served.
All the food is purchased by the church with donations from parishioners.
The inspiration for the food drive came in 2008, when gas soared to more than $4 a gallon.
"I wanted to know what I could do to help all the single mothers in my congregation," Campbell said.
He partnered with a bread company to collect and distribute bread to needy families. Almost immediately, more than 100 families showed up, Campbell said.
"From there, I got the crazy idea to get 10,000 pounds of food," he said. "That turned into 21,000 pounds of food and 7,000 pounds of clothing."
Inside the hall Sunday, each family was handed a large box before they even got to the food. They were told they should fill the box, take it to their car and come back for seconds if they desired.
"We want to make sure they get everything they need," said Felicia Campbell, the pastor's wife.
Sunday's event was a double blessing for Arneka Franklin of Norcross, who is unemployed. Franklin was seeking food for her family and prayer support for a job interview she has scheduled for today.
"I literally have nothing left, and it was a blessing that somebody told me about this so I could feed my children," she said.
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