The wait was long Thursday at the Lafayette County Multipurpose Arena as cars lined up out of the parking lot and onto F.D. “Buddy” East Parkway with hundreds of local folks waiting patiently to receive fresh fruit, produce and milk.

Once a month, volunteers from area churches, the Feeding Hearts Food Ministry and the Mid-South Food Bank come to Lafeyette County to distribute food to those in need.

Organizers estimated that about 700 people benefited from Thursday’s outreach.

“There’s such a need in Lafayette County,” said Feeding Hearts executive director Delia Reid. “Our goal is to serve as many as we can.”

Lena Jones is a regular volunteer with the Mid-South Food Bank.

“What we try to do is put faith into action by giving tithe, talent, or time, and today I’m giving time,” Jones said Thursday. “We are in a ‘Take of Two Cities’ – Oxford is prospering, but who is left behind is who we are here to help.”

The kind of food given out during each distribution day changes with whatever is made available through the Mid-South Food Bank.

There are no income limits or credit checks. Those receiving food are asked to fill out a short form so the group can keep records and know how many are helped and prepare for the amount of food needed. No one is turned down, regardless of what kind of car they drive or how fancy their clothes are, Jones said.

“You never know someone’s situation,” she said.

The Rev. Sandra Wilson, the pastor at Providence United Methodist Church in Abbeville and Buford Chapel United Methodist Church in Oxford, brought members from her congregations Thursday to lend helping hands and support the word of Feeding Hearts.

“I want to be visible to the community and let them know we’re here to serve them,” Wilson said. “Regardless of who they are, regardless of their economic background … We’re here to serve God’s people, and we would love for more people to come out and volunteer as well.”

The distribution days are announced on Reid’s Facebook page.