A desire to feed the needy in Shelby County has blossomed into a multi-faceted ministry that has touched the lives of countless people throughout the past decade.
Originally a food distribution center in Maylene, the Ministries Center for Shelby Baptist Churches in Columbiana provides an array of services to suit the various needs of disadvantaged families throughout the county.
“It was started in 1991 after we did a survey of needs in our county and discovered areas that were extremely poor,” said Charles Stroud, Shelby Baptist Association director of missions since 1988. “The three Southern census tracks of Shelby County are considered at the poverty level. So, we decided that we would start a food ministry to help those poor people.”
Approximately one year later, the center relocated to a house in Columbiana adjacent to First Baptist Church and named the center the Daily Bread Shop. It soon expanded into a clothing ministry and then a thrift store, called Earthly Treasures, which was housed in the old Columbiana post office and an adjacent building.
In 1998, the association and its member churches built its current two-level 20,000-square-foot building to collectively house the three ministries and associational offices. The upper level of the center is used to store furniture, appliances and household supplies that are given to families who have lost their homes to fire, women who have left abusive households or poor families.
To provide for the immediate needs of Shelby County residents, the ministries center works with Shelby Emergency in Montevallo, Salvation Army and American Red Cross in Alabaster and the Shelby County Department of Human Resources (DHR) in Columbiana.
It takes about 60 volunteers and one paid employee to operate the facility every month. The ministries center measures success by the amount of people they help. As of the year ending in October, more than 600 families have received assistance with 1,907 people receiving food and 40 to 50 families getting furniture items and household supplies. In addition, clothing items were distributed to 1,147 people.
Through clothing sales, Earthly Treasures earned about $48,000 last year. That money was used to support the entire center and buy items that are usually not donated, like shoes, socks and underwear.
Discovering new needs
In April 2001, the center began a motor ministry with Shelby County DHR to help people go to work. The center donates cars given to them to people who have successfully completed job training by DHR.
The association has the cars repaired at the Auto Tech School in Calera and pays for the tag, six months of insurance, two oil changes and a AAA membership.
Clients are also placed in a mentor program that includes Bible study, counseling and automobile maintenance classes.
In the future, the ministries center plans to offer services to families and abused children as well as to internationals by possibly opening other facilities throughout the county.
Stroud believes the center works because “it is focused on meeting a need and there is a real need. The whole program is undergirded in prayer. We help families to meet their spiritual needs as well as their physical needs.”
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