COVINGTON, Ga. — Nearly 43,000 meals were provided to residents of and around Newton County on Thursday, Aug. 13, thanks to the efforts of Emmanuel Community Church in Conyers and its community partners.

Originally, Pastor Eric Suddith believed volunteers at Newton High School would be able to give away approximately 20,000 pounds of food to families impacted by COVID-19. Shortly before the giveaway began, that number more than doubled.

“We were able to give away 50,000 pounds,” he told The Covington News.

The Newton County Sheriff’s Office assisted Suddith’s church and other volunteers. The sheriff believed the giveaway may have been one of the largest in the county’s history.

“We met the needs of a lot of people,” Suddith said. “Some people stood in line  for three hours ... We closed down in four hours and 45 minutes, and afterward, we still had people calling to see if we had anymore food.”

The food was purchased from the Atlanta Community Food Bank and transported with the help of the Sherwin Williams Corporation.

Families received a box of food that includes canned fruits and vegetables, beans, rice, cereal, pasta, peanut butter and meats.