Today we’d like to introduce you to Steve Stringham.
Hi Steve, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Twenty five years ago Cornerstone Church Athens had a food pantry that was targeted toward widows in need, that included a few cans of corn, beans, tuna fish and small containers of peanut butter, located in a closet in the men’s restroom. Today, we serve upwards of 800 families a month with more than 65,000 lbs of food, with more than 120 volunteers serving.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Small, incremental steps toward serving our needy community. Sometimes we were short volunteers, but always seemed to pull it off! Sometimes we didn’t think we had enough food, but everyone always got some food. Covid hit, and we somehow fed more and more often.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My role in part is the Care and Compassion Pastor, our diverse church is known for its vast community outreach, with our Food Pantry at the center of what we do. We love to love on people, to make people feel welcome and appreciated. Our Monday night Celebrate Recovery event is the largest in the area, reaching out to those that struggle with hurts, habits and hangups. Many recovery homes join us on those nights. We also are a sight for the National Buy A Tree – Save a Life Christmas tree sales program that help kids locally and globally around the world.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
We are currently re-working our mentoring program in our Men’s ministry, trying to collaborate with local schools on the Eastside of Athens with mentors. We have been working with local public schools with teacher and student support.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cornerstoneathens.cc
- Instagram: cornerstoneathens
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CornerstoneAthens
- Youtube: @CornerstoneChurchAthens
Image Credits
Food Pantry volunteers
