“East Cobb Will Not Go Hungry on Our Watch"

Mt. Bethel Church Members Meet Hunger Needs Through MUST Ministries’ Summer Lunch Program 

More than 40,000 families–representing 41.7% of the student population–qualify for free or reduced lunch, according to the Cobb County School District, which reports approximately two thousand homeless students each year.  

“I was absolutely shocked to learn that so many kids in Cobb County, I mean literally in our backyard, face food scarcity,” said Mt. Bethel Church member Stephanie Slavin. “For many of them, the meals they get at school are the only meals they can count on.”” 

During the school year, Mt. Bethel volunteers help fill that need through Backpack Blessings, a ministry that grew out of the church and now delivers 600 backpacks filled with food each week to local students. But when summer comes, so does another challenge. 

“Over the summer, their plates may be empty,” Stephanie explained. “That’s why we partner with MUST Ministries’ Summer Lunch Program to bridge the gap between one school year and the next.” 

The Commitment 

Stephanie and fellow members Marla Arnold, Mike Gilliam, and Larry Sheridan have led Mt. Bethel’s involvement in the Summer Lunch Program for the past two years. 

“This summer, we committed to providing at least 20,000 meals for children in the Cobb County area,” Stephanie said. “That includes sourcing the food and drinks, packing, boxing, loading, delivering, and even handing them out to the children and their families each week.” 

Each kit contained 10 meals — breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and drinks. Volunteers packed approximately 95 boxes every week and delivered them by truck to MUST’s designated site, the Economy Hotel, as well as to Mt. Bethel’s partners at the Salvation Army Marietta Corps. 

“I am blown away by the generosity we received from the congregation,” Stephanie said. “People came with smiles on their faces each week and an eagerness to serve.” 

Marla agreed. “It was amazing to see families working together, Sunday School classes coming together, and even a couple of people from the Parc at Piedmont. Everyone was eager to serve their neighbors in need.” 

Mike saw that same eagerness when he reached out to recruit delivery drivers. “I emailed a group of men from the church I knew had pickup trucks,” he said. “Within a couple of days, I had commitments for every Tuesday during the summer.” 

Hands and Feet of Jesus 

For Mt. Bethel Church volunteers, serving through the Summer Lunch Program is a missional discipleship opportunity. 

“I’m the hands and feet of Jesus when I’m helping my fellow man,” said Mike. 

Not only does the program give adults like Mike the opportunity to put their faith into action, but it also provides an opportunity to train the next generation of faith as well. 

Mike loved watching Mt. Bethel children serve alongside their parents. “Packing and delivering gives kids a chance to understand that not everyone lives the way they do. It’s a perfect time for families to be on mission together.” 

One of his favorite parts of serving each summer is watching the kids from Mt. Bethel Church connect with the kids from the Economy Hotel, where meal kits are distributed. Families staying at the Economy Hotel pay by the week or by the month. Their parents are often either out of work or engaged in menial labor, Mike explained. 

“Several years ago, we saw kids spending the day in the hotel room watching TV. We thought, ‘we can give these kids more than just food.’ So we started bringing books and games too.” 

“What I think is really exciting now is that we’ll have two or three of our kids from the church come over, and two sets of kids from the hotel, and they’ll interact with each other and start trying to share books, talk about their experiences, and joke and laugh with each other,” Mike remarked. 

These connections between children are a reflection of the relationships adult volunteers are building with the families they serve. 

Larry Sheridan, who helped organize volunteers, was present at every delivery. He made it a point to shake hands and learn names. 

“When you learn their name, they’re more apt to open up,” Larry explained. “That’s why I do the handshake and give them a smile.” 

Over time, those simple greetings created space for prayer and encouragement. “They’re always appreciative, but when you know their name, they’ll tell you their story. We can pray with them, remind them that God loves them, and that He is with them.” 

Stephanie agreed: “The message we’re sending to families — both the ones who serve with us and the ones we serve — is that it’s not just about meeting a physical need. It’s also about meeting a spiritual need.” 

The Impact 

In June and July of 2025, more than 145 Mt. Bethel volunteers packed and delivered nearly 20,000 meals at the Economy Hotel through MUST Ministries. Another 900 kits went to children in Salvation Army programs. 

Nearly 30,000 meals were given away in total. 

In a return of gratitude to Backpack Blessings, who donated their surplus of supplies at the end of the school year to the summer lunch program, we gave Backpack Blessings a surplus of supplies from the summer lunch program to help them meet needs at the beginning of the school year. 

“You know, our mission at Mt. Bethel Church is to lead people to trade the pursuit of more for a life worth pursuing in Jesus,” Stephanie reflected. “The Summer Lunch Program and Backpack Blessings allow us to set aside our distractions and truly focus on being more like Jesus and being on mission for God.” 

Larry summed it up simply: “East Cobb will not go hungry on our watch!”