During a year of economic hardship and need, The Point Church in Kearns was one of many in Utah that organized service projects and formed partnerships to serve the community, primarily through food distribution, according to Lead Pastor Corey J. Hodges.

“Because people are suffering during this time, it’s just a blessing and you feel grateful that you can help people,” Pastor Hodges said. “So many people need help. The need is so great. You only wish you could do more.”

Since moving to Kearns a decade ago, the church has been involved in various community service initiatives involving public schools and the Kearns Community Council, not to mention distributing free food each Saturday.

With increased needs for families and individuals during the pandemic in 2020, the congregation collaborated with World Vision USA during the summer months in a program called “Farmers to Families.” Each Thursday, trucks delivered about 5,000 boxes of fresh produce as well as meat and dairy products. Volunteers from The Point Church distributed the boxes among 20 other churches and nonprofit organizations, including Rescue Mission of Salt Lake, Calvary Chapel, Salt Lake Education Foundation and Utah Dream Center/Synergy in Action Network, with the goal to get the food to as many people in the Salt Lake Valley as possible. 

Pastor Hodges estimates the church gave away almost 30,000 boxes in Kearns and around the county last year.

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“We probably still serve somewhere between 300 to 500 families every weekend,” Pastor Hodges said. “There’s been quite an opportunity to kind of make a footprint in the neighborhood. We are serious about being good neighbors and doing what we can for the common good of humanity, particularly in this crisis where families are going without food and struggling.”

The Point Church has also joined in local school service projects to provide clothing, winter coats, gloves, backpacks, hoodies, shoes, lunch boxes, Thanksgiving meals and Christmas gifts and food for families.

In addition to purchasing Christmas gifts for 88 children, the church also passed out reusable water bottles in places where water fountains were turned off to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Pastor Hodges said The Point Church is a multicultural community with more than 800 members in its congregation.

A volunteer from The Point Church operates a forklift to move a pallet of boxes containing food for the needy on Aug. 15, 2020. | The Point Church
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