ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Johnny
Hudgens is one of thousands of Southern Baptists who have become involved in
the “Buckets of Hope” project that has resulted in more than 132,000 buckets of
food to feed earthquake victims in Haiti.
Hudgens works the night shift as a grill cook at the local Jack-in-the-Box
restaurant. But he does not have a car, so he walks everywhere, including his
faithful mile walk to Cornerstone Baptist Church in Corsicana, Texas.
BP photo Each bucket contained staple items to help people in Haiti. |
“Today, Johnny made that mile-long walk carrying a 30-pound, food-filled
bucket,” said his pastor, Paul D. Carter. Johnny had heard Carter speak from
the pulpit about the need for buckets filled with rice, beans, peanut butter,
flour and other food items designed to feed a typical Haitian family of 10 for
a week.
“He said his arms were hurting by the time he got to the church, but Johnny
wanted to make sure his ‘family’ in Haiti got their food,” Carter said. Knowing
that Hudgens works only about 30 hours a week at a minimum-wage job, Carter
asked him what motivated him to fill a Bucket of Hope.
“The Lord wanted me to help someone else who doesn’t have what I have. God
doesn’t want me to be selfish,” Hudgens said.
That spirit is rising up among Southern Baptists — in large churches and small
churches alike — from California to Texas to Georgia, as thousands of Buckets
of Hope continue to be collected at state convention receiving sites.
From the collection warehouses in Jacksonville, Fla., and Shreveport, more than
132,000 Buckets of Hope will be shipped to Haiti in staggered shipments over
several months.
Other states collecting Buckets of Hope include Alabama, 8,300 buckets;
California, 1,100; Florida, 30,000-plus; Illinois, 1,250; Indiana, 1,000; Iowa,
300; Kentucky, 15,000; Louisiana, 7,000; Michigan, 800; Mississippi, 4,000; New
Mexico, 2,438; North Carolina, 12,000; Oklahoma, 2,650; South Carolina, 6,520;
Tennessee, 14,000; and Texas, 9,250.