One Heart Ministries International serves food to Franklin community

One Heart Ministries International served Thanksgiving dinner to members of Franklin's Natchez Street community on Saturday at the Natchez Social community center at 233 Natchez St.

Volunteers joined alongside One Heart Ministries Administrative Pastor Kimberlie Young and Senior Pastor Marvin Young ll to hand out generous portions of turkey, rice dressing, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, green beans, chocolate cake and sweet rolls.

The Youngs serve Thanksgiving meals to 250-300 people every year. This year, they served 270 plates of food in less than two hours.

It was the third time that the wife and husband duo hosted the event in Franklin.

“I think One Heart is important in the community because of what we do,” Marvin Young ll said. “We bring people together that probably would not connect otherwise, and I think that’s what we’re called to do here, to help develop leaders as well.”  

Usually, the Youngs cook the food in their own home, but this year, they used kitchen facilities at The Church at West Franklin. One Heart Ministries doesn’t have its own facility to perform events or service. However, this doesn’t stop the pastors from striving for significant local change.

“Though our ministry is small here in Franklin, it encompasses so many beautiful people of so many different churches and other ministries, and that’s what One Heart really is,” Kimberlie Young said. “So, it doesn’t matter if they belong to this facility or that facility, we all share in the same belief that Christ is Lord, and we all come together to meet the need and to serve those who we love in our communities together.”

Among those who assisted at the event was James Young, the Youngs’ 10-year-old son. He took food back and forth to cars for over an hour straight. He said it made him feel good.

“For the people that can’t really afford a meal and stuff, they get free meals to eat, and so it’s helping the community out,” he said.

Other volunteers voiced that they hoped the event would contribute to a more inclusive and grateful community in Franklin, staying true to the Thanksgiving holiday.

“Marvin and Kim had said that [a prominent issue] was breaking down barriers and [realizing] we’re all brothers and sisters in Christ, and it doesn’t matter whether you’re red, yellow, black or white, we’re all brothers and sisters,” said volunteer Ken Boles. “I think a lot of times it’s easy for people to forget that, and they build their own walls. So, I think this breaks down those walls.”

Bruce Fairris, another volunteer, added to the sentiment.

“We’re serving the Lord through this [event] … to speak to the community and break down any barriers there might be,” he said.

Both volunteers worked with the Youngs to prepare food the day before.

“We’ve had a great turnout of volunteers this year, and they’ve been wonderful,” Marvin Young ll said. “Most of them were from The Church at West Franklin.”

The Youngs ended the event with a prayer. Everyone joined hands and gave thanks for the opportunity to serve the Franklin community. 

One Heart Ministries plans to host similar events later in the year.

Its routine service time is 9 a.m. on Sunday at the Natchez Social community center, and bible studies at the same location are on Thursdays at 7 p.m.