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Founded in North Port, Florida, 100 Church began offering free community dinners in October 2020, at a time when many churches had paused such activities due to COVID-19 lockdowns.
In a conversation with The Christian Post, Cheryl Reber, who founded 100 Church in 2019, explained, “We're just a small, local church, and we asked the Lord to show us how we could serve our community.”
She continued, “We had just opened, and we were just like, ‘This is what the Lord wants us to do.’ And we’ve been doing it ever since, and He has provided ever since. We have served a lot of people, including during hurricanes when there’s no water, no electricity.”
The majority of those seeking shelter at the church are homeless, accustomed to sleeping outdoors, and often bring their bedding. However, the church still provides bedding and hygiene supplies to those in need, even if only during adverse weather conditions.
Reber explained, “We are in a storefront, so our sanctuary is on one side, and our dining area and fellowship hall are on the other, and we just split it up if we have men and women.”
Word of the church’s efforts has spread through word of mouth and local media, allowing it to expand its reach to others in the community who, though not homeless, require shelter. The church holds free community dinners for about an hour daily, serving between 15 to 35 people, and has a roster of around 35 cooks who volunteer regularly.
“And we have a couple right now who are volunteering for the cold weather shelter,” Reber noted, “And then we have volunteers that come in the morning and serve a light breakfast, get everybody up, get them out of the building, and make sure that it's locked and stuff in the morning.”
Reber, whose role is described as “shepherd” on the church’s website, mentioned that many within the congregation are homeless themselves, thus unable to financially support the church’s mission. As a result, the majority of funding is drawn from the church’s budget, supplemented by outside supporters who view Reber’s work as missional.
Reber expressed hope that her community and fellow Christians recognize the importance of following Christ’s directive to aid “the least of these.”
Discussing how some churches handle their interactions with the homeless, Reber criticized practices like insisting that individuals leave their backpacks outside before entering.
Such actions, she stated, render the church “an unwelcoming place for them.” She added, “Yes, Bible studies and concerts are great, and worship in the park is great, but this is what He told us to do. And if we’re not doing that, then I’m not sure that we’re doing what we’re supposed to do.”