Turning Point Worship Center of Aberdeen undertook again this year its Feed the Children project, sponsored by the church's Operation Outreach.

Braving bone-chilling winds and temperatures hovering in the 20s, a group gathered at the church at 7 a.m. Friday, Dec. 21, and began preparing and cooking food. Outdoor cookers were lined up behind the church, and soon the smells of turkey, chicken and an assortment of vegetables were drifting in the wind.

Volunteers from Turning Point and various churches came and went throughout the day and into the evening hours.

Cheryl Schwarz, of Calvary Chapel of the Sandhills (Aberdeen), said this was her first time to volunteer. Michael Blue, one of the pastors of Word of Truth Christian Church of Vass and a member of that church's Blue Angel Outreach, brought a cooker and the church's van. His church also operates a food distribution program, which recently has seen more requests, due to the economy, he said.

Randy Henderson, Turning Point Worship Center's Operation Outreach leader, said the "economic situation" has affected the Feed the Children project.

"We're doing things a little different this year," he said.

He explained that instead of "making up plates" and delivering them from Turning Point, the "cookers and food" would be taken to locations in Moore, Hoke and Robeson counties and steaming plates of food distributed from each location.

Tami Malouf, also a member of Operation Outreach, said the team of 30 to 50 members goes out regularly to minister to communities.

The final phase of the 2012 Feed the Children project began on Saturday, Dec. 22, at 8 a.m.: Food was loaded into trailers and the group divided into three groups. Not even an overheated truck radiator dimmed the excitement in the air; the limping truck just pulled out of line, and another truck filled in.

By 10:45 a.m., the enthusiastic group had loaded up into vans, and the caravan of trucks, trailers, vans and cookers headed to their designated locations, waving to those left behind to clean the church.

Around 4 p.m., the last group returned to the church, having fed approximately 750 people.

Food and monetary donations were made by Food Bank, L.C. Hayes of Hamlet, Randy Henderson Construction, Henderson Construction, Turning Point Worship Center, and by individual contributors.