Gwinnett Daily Post

LILBURN -- Today, The Faith Center -- and, by extension, Berkmar High School -- might as well be a grocery store.

A free one.

The Faith Center, a Lilburn church operating out of Berkmar High, is canceling its regular service today and instead dishing out more than 100,000 pounds of food to needy families.

"Last time it was so phenomenal," Pastor Vincent Campbell said this week. "(This year) we have everything from Gatorade to chicken to bananas, 2,000 pounds of diapers, Similac, granola bars, dried food, canned goods, all types of juice. We're almost a grocery store."

The Faith Center and its relatively small congregation of about 250 began handing out food during annual "Be the Church" days in 2009. That year, the goal of 10,000 pounds of food more than doubled. It climbed to more than 60,000 pounds in 2010 and will grow to six digits this time around.

The food is all purchased by the church, Campbell said.

Though some other volunteers will chip in starting at 11 a.m. today, the work is done by "98 percent" congregation members. They're expecting at least 2,000 needy folks to stop by, most of whom have already signed up through local food banks, Campbell said.

"We believe that the community is going to be impacted by the love that we show on this special day of service," Campbell said.