Feed Store celebrates anniversary
By Sam Waller
The Feed Store is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its grand opening on Thursday, Aug. 25 (today) but has already begun a full slate of fall programs.
“We will have some acknowledgment throughout the month,” Feed Store director Tisha Wilkins said.
This year’s programs began Tuesday, Aug. 23, with the first Tuesday Lunch for Albany High School juniors and seniors.
“We had about 45 in attendance, which is a great turnout,” Wilkins said. “It was the first week, so we’re hoping to see more next week. It was good to see the new faces of the juniors, and we’re ready to get kicked off.”
Wilkins said the genesis of The Feed Store was in 2006 when Tuesday Lunches began being held in Matthews Memorial Presbyterian Church’s Fellowship Hall.
“Trey Little was the pastor at the time, and when he saw how that was received, he had the vision that Albany needed a place for their youth,” she said. “A fundraising campaign was started, the money was raised, the land was donated, the building was built, and an endowment was set up. We opened the doors in 2012, and we’re continuing the Tuesday Lunches because those are the backbone of our mission, feeding youth physically and spiritually.”
Wilkins said the facility has been used for everything from Fifth Quarter to Super Bowl parties.
“We’ve had Bible studies, worship nights, a large variety of events,” she said. “We do lots of outreach with our different organizations through school to try to extend love to the kids of Albany as much as we can.”
In addition to its programs, The Feed Store serves as a venue for several organizations in the community. The Albany Ministerial Alliance holds its monthly meetings there, as does Shackelford County 4-H (third Tuesday of the month).
Albany Church of Christ Youth in Action meets at 6:30 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays of each month with First Baptist Church’s sixth grade group meeting at 6:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays.
Friendship Baptist Church pastor Paul Johnston will conduct weekly Bible study at 6:00 p.m. Sunday, starting on Sept. 11.
Albany High School’s Ragin’ Red Band uses the facility the first and second Tuesday of each month.
One big event on The Feed Store’s calendar will be See You at the Pole on the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 28. That will be followed by Saw You at the Pole that evening.
“We did this a couple of years ago and wanted to bring it back,” Wilkins said of the evening program. “Surrounding communities will be invited to join us.”
