words & photography by Becky Taylor
Seeing smiling faces is all worth it to Tony McBrayer , who heads the Peanut Butter and Jesus weekend routes , dropping off bagged lunches to those in need .
“ Every Saturday , it blesses your heart ,” he said of the program that has been running for nearly seven years in Tifton . “ I say it breaks and blesses your heart at the same time ,” Mc- Brayer clarified , about seeing the need in his community .
“ A lot of people need hope and we feel like we ’ re providing hope and showing love when we ’ re out there ,” he said . McBrayer feels even more obligated to keep the program going because it has been such a staple for so long .
Each week ’ s lunch bags contain the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches , of course , a drink , a snack and a Bible tract . “ At least those four things ,” he said . Sometimes , different donations allow them provide something else . They were able to add apples during the spring . Sometimes , it ’ s candy .
The many years of the program have seen McBrayer and crew learn a few techniques , especially planning ahead when it comes to bagging the lunches .
Arrangement of the bags is another . The bagged sandwiches are the last to go in the paper bags .
“ We drop the sandwiches last , so they ’ ll be on top and not be smashed ,” said McBrayer . Much prep work goes into each week , but “ it ’ s unreal how fast it comes together .”
There are many volunteers involved in the process . Mc- Brayer said he comes in Friday or early Saturday each week to use a commercial mixer for the peanut butter / apple jelly combination . One mixing fills three bowls , and from each of those bowls comes 75 sandwiches .
Even the bread itself is down to a science ; loaves produce 12 sandwiches .
The optimum number of volunteers needed each week is 25-30 , he said . That includes those needed in the kitchen , those filling the bags and those in the vans , out on the routes .
Saturday mornings start at approximately 7 a . m . prepping the bags . Delivery starts a couple of hours later and usually lasts until noon . McBrayer estimated the volunteers make 100 stops among the five routes .
There is a big reason why calculating the exact number of stops is difficult . “ We take it directly to their home ,” McBrayer said . Sometimes a stop is in between stops . “ We have people chase us down in cars ,” he said , “ because maybe they didn ’ t get outside in time when we went by their house .”
Usually , everyone has plenty of notice the vans are coming . Speakers on top of the vans play familiar Christian songs , not much different than the music of an ice-cream truck .
Perhaps the biggest lesson the crew has learned is how much need there is . McBrayer remembers topping out at 1,825 bags one week , 125 more than their usual amount . The numbers are even more eye-popping considering that Peanut Butter and Jesus began with 141 bags a mere six years ago ..
JULY 2024 | TiftonScene 23