SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WLIO) – Spread the Love Ministry from Faith Christian Church is celebrating one year of working to ensure no child goes hungry in Lima.
In August 2024, Spread the Love members traveled to Marion, where they learned about a peanut butter and jelly ministry operating in central Ohio. Spread the Love Director Laurie Camper and two others returned with that knowledge and launched their own free peanut butter and jelly meal routes in February. Over the following months, Camper and an increasing number of volunteers continued venturing out to fight food insecurity in Lima.
“Since we started distributing meals, which was only in February. As you remember, it was cold, and we were out with the van in the first time, 2,200 meals. We started with 60 a week. We quickly grew to 80 a week, and now, we're up to 120 meals a week and hopefully still growing,” says Laurie Camper, Program Director, Spread the Love.
Spread the Love’s youngest volunteer is 8-year-old Levi Eilerman, who shared why he chose to get involved.
“Because my grandma just asked me to, and I was like 'okay!' I think I’m doing a really good job. You should really do it, and it's really fun,” says, Levi Eilerman, 8-year-old volunteer with Spread the Love.
The ministry now has routes in all wards across Lima.
