ORANGE PARK – Families lined up from Kingsley Avenue all the way to the back of Celebration Church early Saturday morning, as volunteers from the church, in partnership with Farm Share, handed out grocery bags of food for free.

“We have food for 400 families,” said Megan Ballard, the church’s back to school outreach leader. “We are here to show that there is hope for people, to let them know they’re not alone.”

In addition to food, volunteers also handed out hundreds of backpacks stuffed with school supplies, hot dogs, snow cones and even free face painting.

Near the entry, the church also set up a dunk tank with a rotation of young church volunteers taking their turn on the chair, getting dunked relentlessly by the perpetual line of willing participants. Kids with snow cone-stained lips jumped in excitement after sending the church volunteers into the ice cold barrel of water.

The church is a hotbed for outreach events, but this day was a special event for several reasons.

Saturday was Serve Day, a national campaign where churches around the country organized cleanups, block parties, prayer walks and outreach programs like the one in Orange Park. Celebration Churches, based in Jacksonville, all participated in their own way.

The church campus in Orange Park chose to make a food giveaway their Serve Day event as a preview of what’s to come.

“We’ve been working on this with Farm Share for a couple of months,” said Christina Mireles, the church’s outreach coordinator. “This event will open the door to our public food pantry which will open in four to six weeks at the church.”

The church will be opening a USDA-approved food pantry on its campus where it will offer free food to Orange Park residents on a regular basis.

“We give out about 1-million pounds of food every month, and we don’t charge anything,” said Joy Mier, the USDA manager for Farm Share. “There’s a need [for food], groceries aren’t getting cheaper and more families are struggling.”

Mier’s organization does its part in solving this problem by partnering with farmers who donate their excess produce, fruit that might have a bruise or two, or some discoloration. According to Farm Share, just because the food doesn’t meet the aesthetic standards or quality required for sale in grocery stores doesn’t mean it can’t be eaten.

Farm Share also receives donations of other food items, ranging from potato chips and doughnuts to staples such as milk, water and canned foods. All donated items are either nearing an expiration date or damaged in some way, but still completely safe and edible.

Prior to the event, church volunteers worked tirelessly to get the word out. They hit the streets and advertised the event all over the area to spread the word and help people in need get some free food.

“I saw a flyer at our apartment complex,” said Orange Park resident Mar Ei Larose, who had just received free food for her and her five children. “This is very good for us, very helpful.”

The event didn’t require any eligibility for government assistance, or any financial information to be eligible for the free food. It also helped spread the word to those in need that a food pantry is coming.

“This day has been very humbling,” said Gerald Sweatt, Farm Share’s facility manager. “Events like this help you to appreciate what you have.”