NASHVILLE, Tenn. — 250 families in select Middle Tennessee communities received a special delivery Sunday.

It’s part of a growing annual outreach effort by South Nashville church The Village.

On Sunday at the Village, 11-year-old Natalie Barfoot and her mother Elizabeth were looking for delicious treats.

Both boxes packed to bring to a Tennessee family facing food insecurity this winter.

“It’s kind of like a Christmas present and it’s filled with things like cans of soup, crackers, bread, anything like that,” said Natalie Barfoot, a member of the congregation who is 11 years old.

It’s all part of the Village’s special Go Serve Sunday program.

“Each family gets three boxes and a bag, so hopefully that will be two weeks of groceries to help them through the season,” said Pastor Travis Garner, senior pastor at the Village.

This marks the 9th year of the annual tradition.

“I think we had about 20 families that first Christmas and we loved it,” Garner said.

This year, that number increased to 250.

Offerings from the congregation pay for groceries, and the church connects its members with those in need.

“We worked with our local partner schools and that’s where we got the families’ names from. So we’re delivering to those families today,” Garner said.

For Elizabeth Barfoot, it’s an opportunity for her daughter Natalie to experience the joy of giving at a time when many children are used to receiving.

“We can actually deliver the boxes to the family that needs them, so they can hand-deliver them and see the reactions on their faces,” said Elizabeth Barfoot, a member of the Village Church congregation.

Even if the service lasts only a short time, the lessons learned from the donation last much longer.

“If someone is going through a hard time or needs extra help, I know how to do it and I know what words to say,” Natalie Barfoot said.

The Village organizes two Go Serve Sundays per year.

Church leaders said they also offer a special backpack program to help give food to children in need.

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