WELLBORN — Christine Whitmore is a 71-year-old retiree. For 30 years she has been a foster mother and currently has five foster children ranging from 2 to 17 years old living in her home. She has adopted four of her foster children, and six have gone on to college.

With all those children, Whitmore needs help, which she gets from Wellborn United Methodist Church here. And that help is made possible by a grant from the conference’s Church and Society ministry team.

The $600 grant awarded to the church last month was provided through the annual budget of the Church and Society ministry team, which is part of the Conference Council on Ministries and receives its funding from connectional giving, or apportionments.

The church is planning to use that money to expand its FoodSource program.

Once a month Whitmore goes to the Wellborn church to pick up a FoodSource package of food. For $20 and a pledge to perform two hours of Christian community service a month, she receives a package of food containing cereal, pancake mix, fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, and juice.

Church member Jinny Wilson said the 50-member church is currently distributing almost 50 food packages each month to people in the community. She said the distribution is across racial and religious barriers since the predominately Anglo congregation is providing food to a number of African-American families and working with the 10 Baptist churches in town to identify other needs.

The grant money will be used to expand that distribution by giving newcomers to the program their first food package for free. Wilson said she hopes the offer will attract new people who are in need, but don’t believe they can pay for the food or do the two hours of service.

She said the Christian service qualification is easy to meet. "It’s anything you do for anyone not in your family and that you’re not doing for pay," she said.

For some people who need the help, but are unable to do physical work, Wilson says she encourages them to pray for the community. "We have shut-ins or people that get stuck. I say, ‘If you keep up with your prayer time, you’ll see that’s enough.’ "

Whitmore gives more than two hours of service back to her community, according to Wilson. She distributes FoodSource packages to other families and drives a van to shuttle children to and from the church’s after-school program, which serves as many as 32 children.

Whitmore said her involvement in the church’s ministries has helped her find direction and motivation. "I’m a different person," she said. "I don’t have to sit at home since I’m retired. I know I can make a difference in another person’s life. I can’t sit down as long as there is a child in need…"