Feeding Souls and Stomachs: Kettering Church Fights Food Insecurity

KETTERING, Ohio (WDTN) – Food insecurity has been a problem in the Miami Valley since before the pandemic, and it has only increased since March 2020.

A local church saw the need and wanted to help.
Enter Kettering Central Christian Church on the third Tuesday of each month and you will be transported to another era.

There is big band music in the air and couples of dancers are on the floor.

Church member and musician Ken Taylor says it all started in 2018 with a group of musicians who just wanted to get together and play big band tunes. But they soon realized they had a bigger goal.

“We have a wonderful place to rehearse and perform so we wanted to give the church that privilege back,” Taylor said.

The church is located near the Kettering-Dayton line; It is an area that leaders say is plagued by food insecurity.

On the third Tuesday of each month, the “Central Jazz Big Band” puts on a show.
The cost of admission – a donation to the Christian Central Pantry.

“We’re a small church but we’re doing what we can,” Taylor said.

Musicians from across the Miami Valley fill the stage, fans fill the auditorium, and donations fill the basket.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity, and I’m so touched that they’ve been so loyal,” Taylor said. “We were closed, of course, like everything else with the pandemic and when we were able to regenerate the group they all came back. And they appreciate the opportunity to help us support this ministry.

The church feeds 100 to 200 people each month. Demand has doubled since the start of the pandemic, so contributions are making a big difference.

Melissa Moody, one of the leaders of Central Christian Church, explains how this ministry means

“It’s such a difference,” Moody said. “We hear from people every Monday when they come to shop how much they appreciate knowing that there is a place they can come every week and get that little extra. “

Leaders say it is a ministry that nourishes souls and stomachs, a ministry that benefits both those who receive and those who give.

“It’s just a great feeling,” Moody said.