MANY HANDS, ONE MISSION

A Letter From Jonah Beyer, Executive Director

Every year during Gobble Kit season, God reminds us that this work belongs to Him. We collect bags while we’re still signing families up, and we never know exactly what the final number will be. Over the years, we’ve gotten better at estimating, but we still reach this point every November when we simply have to trust the Lord to meet the need—and He always does.

Last week, we continued to collect Gobble Kits while registrations kept coming in. On Sunday morning, after picking up the bags collected at River Valley Church, we estimated that we were still 248 kits short of what we anticipated needing. We shared the update and asked our community to pray with us and help fill the gap.

What happened over the next 24 hours was incredible.

By Monday morning, that number had dropped from 248 to 144. Throughout the day, more people showed up with bags. Others gave financially to help purchase the remaining items. And by Monday evening — almost exactly 24 hours after we posted the need — every single kit was accounted for. Bags were dropped off, funds were pledged, and God once again reminded us that He knows the exact need and rallies His people at the precise time.

This year, we are preparing to hand out 815 Gobble Kits across our weekly sites in Central Texas.

Tonight will be our first distribution night at the Bastrop Central site. The remaining distributions will take place next Monday and Tuesday evening at our other locations. Please join me in praying over every one of these kits — not only that they would meet physical needs, but that they would bless families as they gather together, and that each kit would open the door for prayer and gospel conversations.

This Saturday is our Assembly Day at LifeFamily Church in Bastrop, where we’ll prepare the remaining kits for distribution. We planned to manage around 205 volunteers, which would already fill the room and make for a big day, but we’ve had over 215 people sign up. It’s both overwhelming and exciting in the best way. God continues to bring exactly the hands we need, even more than we expected, and we can’t wait to see how He uses this army of volunteers to bless families this Thanksgiving.

As we step into this final stretch of the season, I want to thank you.

Thank you for filling bags, serving, praying, giving, and responding so faithfully when the need was made known. Thank you for believing in this mission and for being the hands and feet of Jesus in your community.

Please continue to pray with us — for the volunteers, for each distribution night, for the families we will meet, and for every conversation that God has already prepared.

I’m grateful to be on this mission with you.

– Jonah

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FROM YOUR HANDS TO THEIR TABLE

Across our weekly sites in Central Texas, something beautiful is unfolding. Families, churches, and small groups are filling bags with groceries and praying for the people who will receive them. Each turkey, each can of corn, and each box of stuffing is more than food—it’s a message: You matter. You’re not forgotten.

At Feed the Need Missions, we call these our Gobble Kits. Right now, our teams are hard at work signing up families and preparing to serve each one personally in the coming weeks. Behind the scenes, volunteers are collecting and sorting bags so that every family who registers can sit down to a Thanksgiving meal filled with hope.

A Bag of Food. A Story of Hope.

In just the first two weeks of sign-ups, more than 350 households have already registered to receive a Gobble Kit. Many of them are living with real stress: working hard but still juggling rent, groceries, and childcare. Some households are now dealing with the ripple effects of delayed paychecks or stretched-thin benefits.

Here in Central Texas, the need is real. Nearly 1 in 6 households across Texas faces food insecurity. In Central Texas, more than 1 in 4 children live in households where food is uncertain. Locally, in Bastrop County, the estimated poverty rate is approximately 12.4%, and in Fayette County, it’s about 11%.

What this means is that for many families, the holiday season is not just about joy and celebration—it’s shadowed by worry: “Will we have enough?” “Will there be food on the table?” “Are we forgotten?” On top of that, holiday time often magnifies isolation, pressure, emotional fatigue, and unseen needs.

When you fill a bag, you do more than give groceries—you place hope on a table. You give dignity. You say: We see you. You are not alone.

Meeting the Need Together

The weekend of November 15–17 will be our Gobble Kit drop-off and collection weekend—the time when all the filled bags come together so our teams can assemble and distribute them to families before Thanksgiving.

While it’s a vital part of making sure every registered family receives a meal, the greater impact comes when these meals are delivered—when conversations happen, prayers are offered, and lives are touched.

To make that possible, we still need your help:

  • Fill a Gobble Kit bag this week and drop it off during collection weekend. You can find all pick-up & drop-off locations on our website.
  • Invite others to join you—friends, small groups, or workplaces can fill bags together.
  • Pray that God would meet the growing need, give our teams wisdom and strength, and open hearts to the hope of Jesus through every encounter.

More Than a Meal

Each Gobble Kit is a doorway to ministry. As our volunteers deliver meals and pray with families, we see God move in incredible ways—restoring hope, healing relationships, and reminding people that He has not forgotten them.

We don’t know exactly how large the need will be this year, but we trust that God does. He knows every family who will sign up, every volunteer who will serve, and every bag that will be filled.

So let’s keep showing up with open hands and open hearts—trusting that He’ll multiply what’s offered, one meal and one prayer at a time. Thank you for helping bring hope to the table this Thanksgiving.

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THE LINES ARE LONGER, BUT SO IS GOD’S FAITHFULNESS

If you’ve been to one of our Feed the Need Missions sites lately, you’ve probably noticed something—the lines are getting longer.

Families who’ve never had to ask for help are showing up for a meal and a listening ear. With the ongoing government shutdown, many neighbors are missing paychecks, and programs like food stamps and WIC are being delayed. People are worried about how they’ll make ends meet. But even in the middle of this uncertainty, we’re seeing God’s faithfulness show up again and again.

 

More Families, More Opportunity

In just the first week of our Gobble Kit sign-ups, more than 200 households registered to receive a Thanksgiving meal this year—and that number keeps growing. It’s a clear reminder that the need in our community is real and rising. But with every new name comes a new opportunity: another person or family we get to meet, pray with, and share hope with.

Our weekly cookouts have never just been about hamburgers and hotdogs. They’re about building relationships that open doors for prayer, encouragement, and the gospel. The food is simply the tool God uses to bring people together.

 

Responding with Faith, Not Fear

When needs grow, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or to wonder if what we have is enough. But time and again, we’ve seen God multiply what’s offered with open hands.
Our call isn’t to fix every problem—it’s to show up in love, listen well, and trust God to meet needs in ways only He can.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” – Psalm 34:18

So as more guests come through our lines, let’s remember that each one is someone God sees, loves, and is already at work in. We get to join Him in that story.

 

How You Can Help This Week

    • Pray for families struggling through this season—ask God to provide and reveal Himself to them.
    • Fill a Gobble Kit bag. It’s a simple way to bless a family with a Thanksgiving meal and a reminder that they’re not alone.
    • Serve or invite others to join you. More hands mean more time to slow down with guests and share a meal and a moment of hope.
MORE INFO

 

The lines may be longer, but so is God’s faithfulness. He’s not finished writing stories of hope, and through your generosity and prayers, we get to be part of what He’s doing.

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FINDING PURPOSE IN SERVICE

Cherie has been part of the Feed the Need Missions family since 2010, lending her hands and heart to everything from back-office tasks to on-the-ground service at our community sites. While she’s always been dedicated, it was during last year’s Gobble Kit season that she experienced something truly life-changing.

The Gobble Kit initiative is one of Cherie’s favorite events. Each Thanksgiving, we distribute meal kits to families who might otherwise go without, bringing a bit of joy and relief to their holiday. “It warms my heart that we get to help people who might not otherwise enjoy a Thanksgiving meal like this,” Cherie shares. “I love being able to help others!”

Through her experience handing out kits, Cherie discovered that Feed the Need Missions is about more than just meals—it’s about connection, compassion, and hope. She recalls seeing the gratitude on people’s faces as they received their kits, a reminder of the impact that a simple meal can have. “Being involved at the site has helped me see people through God’s eyes and love them more,” she reflects. “I feel more open when sharing His love with others.”

For Cherie, Feed the Need Missions has become a place of purpose and growth. By slowing down and being present with those she serves, she’s found a deeper connection to the community and to her faith. Her journey exemplifies the power of serving others—how it can transform both the giver and the receiver.

At Feed the Need Missions, we are committed to creating change in our communities by feeding people physically and spiritually. Each meal we serve is a chance to connect, support, and uplift. Join us as we continue this mission, whether through volunteering, donating, or partnering with us. Together, we can build a community united by compassion and faith.

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