Church's Ministry Is to Feed the Hungry

The line starts forming early in the morning at the Lemon Grove Lutheran Church where, on the first and last Friday of each month, free food is distributed by the Samoan Independent Full Gospel Church.

Pastor Ula Tausaga and First Lady Mai Tausaga, the church’s leaders, and a small team of volunteers prepare the bags of food to be handed out and give numbers to those waiting in the line. The first Friday, which is reserved just for residents of Lemon Grove, draws from 300 to 400 people, according to Mai Tausaga. The last Friday is open to anyone in the area in need of help, and can draw up to 600 people.

“It’s a lot of people,” Mai Tausaga says.

At the food distribution on March 3, the ministry handed out 349 bags of food to Lemon Grove residents through its partnership with the Lutheran church, Feeding America, the San Diego Food Bank and the Alpha Center.

The church's food ministry provides ongoing support to those in need in the area. It offers a every Monday from 5 to 7 p.m. at , and runs a daily food pantry.

“It’s what God put in our hearts to do,” she says. “When we saw the need we tried to do something, because we had seen a lot of people—not just at church—asking for food, blankets and clothing. We opened our hearts and minds to it.”

When they started the food ministry “seven years and four months” ago, Tausaga says, they were serving about 100 people. The program now serves up to 600 people on the last Friday of the month when the food distribution is open to everyone in the area.

“It’s growing and growing,” she says. “Especially now with the economy.”

To receive food on the first Friday, Lemon Grove residents are asked to bring something that shows they live in the city—but no one is turned away. And those who help out in the morning to get bags ready for handing out, get to go first in line.

Other volunteers are needed as well to help organize, bundle and distribute the bags of food. Those interested can contact Pastor Ula or First Lady Mai at 619-251-6834.

The distributes food the first and last Friday of the month starting at 9 a.m.,  and going until all the food is gone.