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"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'" -- Matthew 25:44-45
As a small academic institution preparing the next generation of Christian leaders and workers, Orangeburg's Southern Methodist College used its staff and students this week as a physical manifestation of its guiding principles. What began as a fund-raiser for the college's general fund started by an online student in the Charleston area turned into a tasty meal for three local charities on Tuesday.
Dr. Vic Reasoner, Southern Methodist's academic dean, said students started selling tickets for the barbecue dinner, but it was the generosity of those who purchased the tickets that gave rise to what happened next.
"We sold tickets within the denomination and the community," Reasoner said. "Alumni jumped on this as a way of supporting their alma mater. People all the way out to Louisiana bought tickets and obviously couldn't come, but they donated their tickets back to SMC.
"We began to think about what we could do creatively to use that donation. First, we committed to feeding everyone at the Samaritan House, and that's when we didn't have that much in donations, but we made the commitment anyway. But the money kept coming in, and we expanded our meal donation to include CASA, the domestic violence and sexual abuse shelter, and the Connie Maxwell Children's Home. It's just our way to try and give back something to the community to let them know we care."
Reasoner said the college was able to provide a total of 55 barbecue meals to all three local charities, although the college was prepared to deliver twice that many. Several of Southern Methodist's 23 students took an active role in delivering and serving the meals.
Bryant Hill of Columbia was part of the volunteer team delivering meals to the Samaritan House.
"The homeless people need food, and I had a few hard times in the past in my life," the Biblical studies student said. "The homeless people need help, and I was almost there myself. Jesus told us to take care of the poor, and that's what we're doing here."
Luke Van Loenen of Sandersville, Ga., said he isn't sure where he is headed yet, but he is certain of his faith and the importance of being part of the college's outreach.
"I'm still just taking basic classes," Van Loenen said. "But I think everyone should try and help those who cannot help themselves as easily as we can. As far as my faith, God told us to treat your neighbor as you would want to be treated. If I were in this kind of situation, I would want someone to help me."
Samaritan House Executive Director Vertelle Pondexter-Jamison said it's important that the community embraces her organization.
"We provide three meals a day, and sometimes, finances are a little low," the social worker said. "So, with Southern Methodist College providing this food for us, that tends to keep a few extra dollars in our pocket that we can spend on something else. And Southern Methodist has always supported us with various resources and referrals, and we are very appreciative of that."
Reasoner added, "We recognize that serving one meal does not end world hunger, but the greatest impact of (Tuesday's) outreach may be the impact on the students themselves."
Southern Methodist College was originally founded in 1956 in Greenville. It moved to Aiken in 1958 before settling in Orangeburg in 1961. SMC is situated on the 50-acre Broughton Street campus that was formerly the Frederick A. Adden estate.
For more information, visit www.smcollege.edu.
T&D Staff Writer Phil Sarata can be reached by e-mail at psarata@timesanddemocrat.com or by telephone at 803-533-5540. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.