JOHN COFFELTEditor

Tullahoma’s Experience Community Church has recently committed to donating a year’s worth of boxes that the Storehouse Food Pantry critically needs to fill with food each week for those in need.

Laurie Campbell, Storehouse vice president and volunteer coordinator said the donation is significant because the boxes are expensive for the nonprofit to purchase at more than $1 each, and about 330 are needed each week.

“(This donation) means a relief – being able to know that we’ve got boxes, and know that we’ve got somebody that supports us on a yearly basis,” Campbell said. “We’ve been praying for getting a sponsor for these boxes.”

Experience Community Campus Pastor Joe Thompson said that the church looks for local nonprofits to serve, and 30% of the congregation’s tithes are donated to nonprofits.

“There’s a lot of good people – a lot of good people serving,” Thompson said.

The Experience Community Tullahoma Campus has only been open for about six months, and it has been supporting nonprofits already in existence in its community, rather than starting up its own food pantry or clothing shelter.

Development Pastor Fred Mindach said that setting up community is very important, and it begins in church with small classes that aim to help people know who God is. Something he said helps the connections between members also grow.

“We are making sure that we are going out into the community, changing the community for the better, and not just in our church or in our homes,” he said. “We want the community to become better.”

John has been with the Manchester Times since May 2011. John has won Tennessee Press Association awards for Best News Photo and placed in numerous other categories. John is a 1994 graduate of Tullahoma High School, a graduate of Motlow State Community College and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University. He lives in Tullahoma, enjoys painting, dancing and exploring the outdoors.