The fourth annual concert to benefit ACTS will take place Saturday, Oct. 12 at McGregor Hall in Henderson and will feature musical performances by area groups and and churches.
The doors open at 6 p.m. for the “Make a Joyful Noise Unto the Lord” event. The concert begins at 7 p.m. and all proceeds will go to ACTS, Henderson’s food pantry and soup kitchen, said ACTS Board Member Linda Weaver.
A partial list of those performing include God’s Men of Harmony, First Baptist Church of Henderson, Rep. Frank Sossamon, Clearview Worship Team, Evelyn Couch and Tracy Dalton, one of three paid ACTS staff members, Weaver said.
Tickets are $5 and are available now from board members and at the ACTS facility, located at 201 S. William St.
Tickets also will be available at the door; children 12 years and younger get in free. Weaver said empty pots and pans will be circulated through the audience during the concert for a love offering. Pots and pans because, well, ACTS is a soup kitchen and food pantry!
In 2023, Weaver said the soup kitchen served up 46,257 plates at lunchtime from 11 a.m. and 12 noon. The pantry also prepared an additional 552 boxes of food that to help provide food to 1,442 individuals, which represents about 30,000 pounds – 15 tons – of food distributed to people in need.
An additional 11,000 plates of food was delivered to seniors/disabled in the community through their Mobile Meals program. And 25 backpacks were delivered each week to L.B. Yancey Elementary as part of the Backpack Buddies program.
It’s a huge volunteer effort and Weaver said she’s usually there every day during the week, but there’s always a need for more volunteers.
“I try to be there most days,” she said. “We have a lot of good people who come to volunteer – we couldn’t do this without the volunteers.”
In addition to cooking meals and boxing food items for distribution, volunteers also pick up food from all county Food Lions, as well the local Chick fil a and Starbucks and Strong Arm Baking Co. in Oxford.
Thankfully, they don’t have to purchase much food, Weaver said, adding that they do buy ingredients if the kitchen needs them for meal preparation.
What they do need is donations of canned beans like black beans, black eyed peas and pinto beans, and any canned vegetables EXCEPT corn and green beans, which they have in plentiful supply.
Canned meats like chicken and tuna also are needed.
Non-food items like bleach and that Dollar Tree staple Awesome! also are on the wish list.
Visit https://www.facebook.com/ACTSofHenderson/ to learn how you can help, from dropping off donations to becoming a volunteer. Or call 252.492.8231.
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