While most families fill Easter baskets full of eggs, Dynamic Church is hoping to fill the shelves of the Salvation Army’s food pantry with food.
The Hunt to Can Hunger, a community Easter egg hunt and festival being held Friday, April 18, will welcome hundreds of families to find 12,000 eggs – if they’ll donate some food items.
Wesley Odum, head pastor of Dynamic Church, said it’s just a part of the Easter season.
“The season of Easter is about giving life, and instead of just going to church, this is really an opportunity for our church to do this and to give life,” he said.
Last year the church collected more than 1,800 pounds of food for the Salvation Army.
“They told us it was a record day for a food drive in Chattanooga,” Odum said. “So we thought, let’s raise that goal to 2,000 pounds this year.”
The Salvation Army’s food pantry is drained during the winter, as families flirting with poverty are spending money on heightened energy bills and holidays. Last year the Salvation Army’s pantry was completely wiped out, Odum said.
But with help from the community and a little Easter spirit, he hopes to replenish the nonprofit’s supplies.
“The event is free, but we are asking and encouraging people to bring nonperishable food items to donate,” he said. “We’ll have inflatables, pictures with the Easter Bunny and, of course, the egg hunt by age group for fun.”
Odum said it’s best if families preregister online at dynamicchurch.org/hunttocanhunger. Kids will be sorted into age groups with different times to hunt Easter eggs.
The overall event starts at 4:30 p.m. at the Hamilton YMCA, located at 7430 Shallowford Road. The egg hunts begin at 5:30.