Community Action Feeds 400+ in 90 Minutes

On Wednesday, November 19th, Cheri Bailey and a network of volunteers hosted the Friendsgiving Soul Food Buffet at the Mableton Banquet Hall, feeding over 400 people in just the first 90 minutes, over 540 in total.

It was a free, no-questions-asked event that offered hot meals, pie, and cocoa.

The mission was simple, as Cheri stated: "We wanted them to have some real good, home cooked food, and to give 'em love."

The Power of Being Led by the Spirit

When asked why she started, Cheri explained "Because God told me to. It's all Spirit led." This core belief removes all barriers to serving, ensuring the focus remains purely on meeting the community's need.

If God is love, just love people. No strings attached. "Oh, they got four or five plates?" I don't care. If the point is to feed people, feed people!

The record turnout proved her core belief is addressing a severe and urgent need among our most vulnerable neighbors.

The Power of Showing Up When the Community Needs You

The urgency of the need was visible from the moment the doors opened. As Cheri noted, the first people arriving at both her events were often seniors on fixed incomes.

The fact that the first people through our doors the last time, and this time were all seniors, that to me is alarming. That means our older people are not eating.

Cheri emphasized the brutal choice many face: "They're on fixed incomes and everything is increasing in price, but their income is not. They're going to pay their rent, their lights, but what's going to go? Their food!"

This crisis became deeply personal when a woman, Ms. Ivy, a heart patient, came to the event. Cheri shared the heartbreaking reality: "She said, 'I haven't ate in three days,' and she wanted to take her medication. That kind of stuff shouldn't be happening."

This event created more than full bellies; it proved that local commitment can and must address systemic issues. It validated Cheri's final, rousing question to the community: “Are you going to talk about it? Or be about it? We're the ones we've been waiting on.”

When The Community Shows Up, Mableton Gets Fed

The success of the Friendsgiving buffet was a direct result of the swift, collective response of Mableton's community members and leaders.

When Cheri put out a post on Facebook asking for a venue, the answer was immediate.

Chef Denise, one of the partners at The Mableton Banquet Hall, responded with an instant "let's do it," offering the entire venue and jumping into the kitchen to help cook.

As the turnout surged beyond expectation—surpassing 400 people in 90 minutes—local leadership quickly stepped in to ensure no one went hungry.

State Representative Terry Cummings and Chef Paul reached out, asking, "How can I help?" and promptly purchased extra chicken and food to supplement the turkey and ham.

This vital action was quickly echoed by others across the community: Mableton Councilwoman Brown offered valuable assistance, and Ms. Sheila Zackery, a community sponsor from Atlanta, provided pies and baked goods. Additionally, other local organizations and faith groups contributed further baked goods for distribution to people experiencing homelessness, ensuring the generosity reached beyond the banquet hall.

Looking ahead, Cheri and Chef Denise are planing a Christmas fish fry to remind the community of the "reason for the season," focused on giving love and distributing toys to children, all with that same "no strings attached" philosophy.

The lesson here isn't the challenge of feeding 540 people; it’s the powerful act of starting and taking responsibility for the most at-risk members of our community.

Cheri's Spirit-led vision proves that when one person decides to stop waiting for a complex solution, the entire community will rise to meet them, turning compassion into immediate, measurable relief for our neighbors.

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