BEDFORD – Ten years ago, Janice Nickeo-Pendergrass lost her mother, Bertha, namesake to Bertha’s Mission. God led her to begin a mission of her own, and within a very short time, Bertha’s Mission was born.
Saturday afternoon, Bertha’s Mission held its annual Uncover Hunger dinner simultaneously with its 10-year anniversary.
Held at First Baptist Church in Bedford, where the first fundraiser took place, the event featured heartfelt stories of growth and community, keynote speaker Kim Burgess, dinner, a silent auction, and honored the many individuals who put so much time and love into feeding those in need over the years.
Some of those individuals have been with the Mission since or before its conception. March Phillips, Vickie Rainey, Janet Jackson, Ray “Boomer” Christy, and Marilyn Langley are among those individuals, and each share a unique draw to the mission.
Vicky said her involvement with Bertha’s mission was a “god-thing” as so many of the members of the mission kept saying.
Vicky retired in 2013, and she said she had three things on her bucket list. The first was to watch TV in her pajamas with a hot cup of tea every day. The second was to serve at a soup kitchen. When she began looking, Bedford didn’t have one, until a few days after she retired. Around September 15th she read about Bertha’s Mission opening up, and she showed up to help.
When she arrived, March and Janet met her, and together they began a long-lasting friendship and partnership in service of the community.
March Phillips had a slightly different story. “She [Janice] called me one day,” she said “and wanted to talk about starting a soup kitchen.” March was involved with the Limestone Ladle beforehand, so it made sense she would call for advice. However, after talking with Janice, she asked when she wanted to open it, and she said August.
March said she and Janet looked at each other since it had taken a year for March to help begin the Limestone Ladle.
But they banded together, went to look at other soup kitchen operations, and came back to start their own in 2013.
“It was just one of those things where everyone worked together,” explained Janet.
“There was very little to work with,” Vicky told WBIW “In the beginning, there were only two or three spices.”
If the kitchen needed something, one of them just went out and got it with their own money.
Janice and the others always pointed out miracles that happened for the mission, including times when their needs were met.
One time, a veteran walked in after the Mission stove quit, explained he had a discount at Lowes, and asked which of the ladies wanted to go pick out a new stove.
Another time, the mission needed potatoes, and when they prayed “a truckload of potatoes showed up.”
A farmer would butcher a beef and donate half of it, or a truckload of sweet corn would be dropped off, and they sat outside for hours shucking fresh corn.
“Things like that just happened whenever we prayed – and we prayed before serving every meal,”
“You don’t have to give much to make people feel good – to give them some dignity.” Janet Jackson explained, saying they treated the mission as they would a restaurant, going out to those who came in and taking their orders.
“It was a time in our life,” March said “I think that really made better people of us.”
People think that they don’t have enough to help and that it takes so much to support. But they need to understand, as the wonderful women said, “If everybody gives a little bit, it all adds up.”
The anniversary dinner was a beautiful event that celebrated community service and the goodwill of so many generous people who just want to help those around them. It makes you think that maybe the world isn’t so hopeless after all.
