Local Ministry Helps Hungry Children and Strives to Find and Meet the Needs of Our Community

Scarlett Rigsby leads Nothing but the Truth, a local ministry dedicated to helping feed hungry children in Gwinnett County and fulfilling the needs of our community by meeting people where they are.

“We started this ministry in 2010, and I am one of the directors that solicits and gets our volunteers involved,” Rigsby said. “We have volunteers from a lot of different churches all over the area. We have several different areas in our ministry. We tie everything we do in the community to the truth. We try to give to our community and follow our mission statement which is to meet people where they are. We go to where the people are and don’t expect them to come to us.”

One of the areas Rigsby and her Nothing but the Truth ministry focus on is the number of children going hungry in our county. They deliver roughly 65 to 75 bags a week to help children at four elementary schools, including Alcova, Lawrenceville, Jenkins and Fergenson Elementary. 

“Our program is geared directly toward the kids to help them through the weekend in case they are living in an extended stay or under other circumstances,” Rigsby explained. “The kids are under the free or reduced lunch program, so the counselors have identified the kids we serve as having a tough time on the weekend with food.”

The ministry’s goal is to engage other churches, believers and volunteers to come along beside them so they can reach out to all of the Title I schools in Gwinnett, starting with the elementary schools.

“There are 36 Title I elementary schools, so if we can help each school with roughly 15 bags each that would be a little over 500 bags per week,” Rigsby calculated. “We are trying to have people tag team with us to reach out in our community and meet these needs.”

After working for the YMCA for 18 years, Rigsby felt the passion to serve full-time. It was on a mission trip to Appalachia Kentucky that the Lord put this ministry on her heart.

“The needs might not be as great here,” Rigsby explained, “but there are certain pockets all around us where there are great needs. We started out, and honestly just prayed about different areas where the Lord might lead us to serve, and He did.”

In addition to the food bag ministry, Rigsby was also led to serve and help families living in extended stays.

“The Lord led us to one school and they told us about the needs at extended stays,” Rigsby said. “We actually heard about someone who was living at one, so we explored that area. We have gone into several extended stays and done ministry there. We are just asking the Lord to open our eyes to the needs around us, and we are letting Him lead the way.”

Wondering where the name Truth came from? Well, Truth is actually a very special golden retriever with a big heart.

“Truth is my ministry partner,” Rigsby said lovingly. “We use Truth as a tool just to meet people and show people God’s unconditional love for them. Truth is very accepting and receptive to everyone she meets, and we know that is how our Lord is. We actually use her at some of the schools too. We have gone into some of the autistic classrooms with her. At one of the food bag schools we have a 'Treat Time with Truth,' where the kids that do receive the food bags get called out of class and get to have a special treat from us and get to spend some time with Truth. The kids just love to love on her and it makes them feel special not just like they are receiving a handout.”

The Nothing but the Truth ministry is dedicated to our community. Rigsby says that they simply try to open their eyes and see where the needs are in our community. They want to be ready to meet people where they are.

“We have been very blessed with the amount of volunteers and churches that have been getting involved with us, but we could still use more,” Rigsby said. ”People can help us by visiting our website and seeing all the different areas we are involved in, and trying to get plugged in where they see fit. Collections for the food bags are always a need, and we need volunteers to help deliver and pack them. We also need volunteers when we help at the extended stays, there are tremendous needs there. Volunteers for after school tutoring is also important. Just spending time with these kids helping them with their homework and providing an after school snack can mean a great deal to these kids. We just need more people to get involved with us to help us branch out into the community.”

For more information on the Nothing but the Truth ministry and additional ways you can help them serve the needs of our community, please click here to visit the website.

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