Collaboration and innovation are stitched in the fabric of Adventist Community Services (ACS) at Praise Tabernacle Church and Carolina Adventist Academy (CAA) in Whiteville, N.C. The ACS Department and Caring Hands Community Resource Center, led by Nadena Graham and Khandi Cooper, principal, partnered with the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina to host a “Pop Up Market” for the local community.
A pop up market allows the food bank to drop off food for families to shop or drive through the venue and receive needed items for their family. Volunteers assisted with placing the food items in the families’ vehicles. This design is ideal for a startup food pantry, and gives ACS an opportunity to meet the needs of people in their community.
Pentecost 2025 has allowed CAA to stretch far and wide to develop unique ways to do ministry for their school community. In January, they hosted the International Day of Education, and that was followed by a community basketball game in February, and then an Education Spotlight at one of the local churches during a Daniel and Revelation workshop in March.
“We are intentional about being the hands and feet of Jesus,” said Cooper about the school’s Pentecost 2025 initiative. “It was the ideal partnership for the school to connect with one of our constituent churches to host a food distribution. This initiative created a relationship with the Food Bank and our local ACS.”
Volunteers — community members, parents, staff, students, and church members — arrived at CAA on Monday, April 21, 2025, to bag food and load the cars with fresh produce and beverages. Families thanked the volunteers for their assistance, and appreciated the food that was provided to their families. The effort provided 6,500 pounds of food to 79 households, which is a total of 231 individuals. The group praises God for the success of the first food distribution, and looks forward to serving more families until Jesus comes.
South Atlantic | June 2025
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