BCRS: A Clothing and Feeding Ministry of the Richmond District
Belmont Community Resource Services (‘BCRS’) is a food and clothing ministry of the Richmond District established in 2016. The volunteers at BCRS work tirelessly towards reducing food insecurities and poverty while also focusing on building a vital, strong community. As a 2021 Foundation grant award recipient, we interviewed BCRS to discuss their ministry work and pandemic challenges. Rev. Larry Cochran, President of BCRS and Pastor at Belmont United Methodist Church, discussed in detail how BCRS is impacting its community.
What do you find most inspiring about your ministry work at BCRS?
What is most inspiring to me is the knowledge that people in need in the community are provided groceries and clothing that help them through the week. They also receive Scripture that we provide which is vitally important to them. Many come each week looking for the scripture passage that we provide in Spanish and English.
Can you tell us a story about something you have witnessed while volunteering with BCRS?
Near the end of February 2020, BCRS provided shelter in the food pantry trailer to a homeless military veteran whose tent had been burned down in the nearby woods. This arrangement has truly been a timely blessing to him and BCRS. Being able to house his personal possessions safe in his own 10X8 room with access to a bathroom and kitchen in the BCRS trailer has enabled him to find a new path and embrace Christ, while helping him to avoid temptations that have beset him in the past. He is currently working with a social worker to obtain a residence for himself. He has been invaluable acting as an unofficial caretaker around the BCRS property over the last year. He accompanies our Feeding Coordinator 7 days a week for donated food pickups and does handyman work around the pantry. The feeding ministry has made a huge impact in his life as he was baptized this past year and became a member of Belmont UMC.
What was the biggest challenge you faced during the pandemic? Do you feel like you were able to address it?
There is a great need in the Broad Rock community for food and clothing as well as other services due to the socio-economic circumstances in the area. So, when the COVID pandemic arrived last year, it brought even further hardship to those in need served by BCRS. Last year BCRS was serving a weekly average of nearly 300 families per week. Post COVID in 2020 that number averaged around 330 per week at BCRS Friday distributions and most recently in 2021 we have served around 350 per week, with exception for the two snowy weather weeks that still averaged 200 families. Some key 2020 estimated statistics for BCRS are as follows:
• over 5,000 unique individuals served
• approximately 90% of individuals served are minorities
The onset of COVID forced us to pivot our mission quickly last March. This change brought significant new requirements including costs and labor burden to continue meeting the basic food and clothing needs of our clients under COVID protocols. The weekly distribution of food was all shifted outside to a drive/walk-thru operation on Fridays. The new setup required twice the amount of volunteer time to prepare. So, in addition to a team of volunteers every Friday for 5 hours, volunteers gather on Thursdays for an additional 4 hours to pack the food for Fridays. For the first few months after COVID arrived, we were not able to open the clothing closet and maintain COVID protocols, even though the demand from our clients was still very high. During that time, we saw mounds of donations still come in and accumulate without distribution. We found the importance of the clothing closet was just as important to many clients as the food we provided. While we had volunteers help with the closet in the past, we determined more attention was needed in that area. With the help of a COVID grant, we were able to begin paying $100 a week to one of our food pantry clients and clothing closet volunteers to be our Clothing Closet Coordinator. In August, the clothing closet reopened under the management of our new dedicated coordinator by bringing items outside under tents and limiting traffic indoors. We currently do not track the number of clients or items in and out of the closet, but it is a high volume. We estimate 1 in 5 food pantry clients visit the closet weekly. Important to note is that in addition to clothing items, there are usually children’s books and toys available.
What would you say to someone considering becoming involved?
Below is a statement from one of our BCRS volunteers about why she volunteers:
When it comes down to it, I want to be someone that can be counted on to help in a crisis. And when we are working at the Belmont Food Pantry no one discounts your service because of where you live, your religious beliefs, or your political views. We all come together to serve our community.No one should be left to fend for themself in a storm and no one should ever go hungry. I guess when it comes down to it, I volunteer because I care and because I can.
Authors: Tricia Louque and Rev. Larry Cochran
