MIDDLEBURG – In 2002, four women created the “Food Bridge Ministry” at the Black Creek Methodist Church in Middleburg, and they haven’t looked back since.

Fast forward nearly 21 years, and founders Mary J. Conner, Vickie Dyal, Millie J. Wilkes and Sandra Wilson have built a sustainable program, fed thousands of residents in a five-county area and made plenty of memories along the way.

It didn’t come without plenty of blood, sweat, tears and sacrifice.

In the beginning, Wilkes, the Director of Operations, drove as far as Waycross, Georgia to pick up food for those in need from a distributor. The food was then dispersed to residents from Clay, Bradford, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties.

The commute is shorter, but the workload is even more daunting.

That’s because the operation started with about 20 families and has ballooned to about 250-300 a week.

Every weekday, Food Bridge’s refrigerated truck travels through Middleburg and Orange Park, rotating between 11 different stores, which is contracted to through its covenant with Feeding Northeast Florida. Winn-Dixie, Publix, Walmart, Dollar General and Rose’s locations in Clay all contribute to the mega-operation.

Stocking and sorting through foods are required throughout the week in preparation for the drive-through pickup on Thursdays. Whether the food is a meat or vegetable, canned or dry, all factors must be considered to which shelf an item be placed.

The Budington Building of Hope may appear modest from the outside, but it provides plenty of space that houses the operation for the growing food service operation. There are several rooms in the building, each of which provides plenty of storage space.

There is a dry food storage room that’s prepared for emergencies and a giant walk-in freezer and refrigerator. Another room is dedicated to pets, stocked with dog and cat food. If that’s not enough, another giant three-room apparatus is stocked with children’s and adult clothes and books, whether to prepare little ones for school, play, or Mom or Dad for their next job interview.

More than 70 registered volunteers help run the show each Thursday morning from 7:30-10:30, where hundreds of people form a line with their cars.

Wilkes said volunteers arrive as early as 5:15 a.m. and sometimes sooner. When cars start pouring into the parking lot, everyone gets busy. Plenty of manpower is needed to sort, package, and transport food for large, hungry families. Families with one to four members are provided 40 to 50 pounds of frozen meat, fresh produce, bread, dry goods and dairy products, while families of five or more receive 80 to 100 pounds.

Those who serve the Food Bridge rarely miss a beat. They’ve spent countless weeks serving families in 21 years. They have only been unavailable once during their tenure due to a major hurricane.

Loaders, sorters and cart pushers make their way up and down the hallway of the white-coated building, all while “bookies” speak with “clients” to take orders on needed items. Patrons are given identification cards, each equipped with a barcode and scanned during visits, all established for tracking purposes.

According to Wilkes, the bond between volunteers and those that serve is very tight-knit.

“We love them,” she said.

This is especially true for volunteers working outside, who become incredibly close to the families they serve while taking orders and loading their vehicles.

“(Those volunteers) are very familiar with them. They know these families and (personal details) about them. It’s a blessing to work with them,” Wilkes said.

Volunteers are always needed, but drivers are of the utmost importance. All in all, the central core of full-time volunteers consists of elderly residents, who could certainly use the help of young, willing, helping hands. She encouraged so many want to join the Food Bridge.

“It’s very rewarding. That’s all I can say,” she said.

Black Creek Methodist Church’s pastor Brian Sanderson said the program has been an eye-opening experience.

“There’s a lot of sad stories that come through here. A lot of times, I’ll pray with them. They’ll say, ‘My daughter has cancer,’ or ‘My husband just passed away,’ ‘Can you come pray with me for a second?’ We’re proud to be doing this, and we’ll keep doing it,” he said.

He also said it gives residents a powerful opportunity to give back to the community.

“It’s an opportunity to get outside of yourself and do something good for the community. It’s tangible, and you can see your good deeds taking effect. It’s something that’s needful and lifesaving,” Sanderson said.

To find out more, please visit blackcreekmethodist.org/outreach/food-bridge.