WYOMING, Mich. (WOOD) — A husband and wife carried on a family tradition Saturday, handing out more than 100 holiday meals to those in need.
Bishop Eric Barnes Sr. and Pastor Lisa Marie Barnes, who are with Royal Priesthood Ministries Full Life Center in Wyoming, are continuing a tradition that’s been in the family for decades.
“It started off with my aunt,” Eric Barnes Sr. told News 8. “She started this thing a long time ago — we called it care packages in the ’90s.”
He explained that his aunt would put together items like toiletries, then hand them out on her block.
“After she passed, I carried it on — me and my wife, we carried it on,” Eric Barnes Sr. said.
Aiming to give back to the community, they started taking items from house to house in 2015 and are now continuing the tradition on a larger scale.
“We are excited,” Lisa Marie Barnes said. “This is our first Christmas — we call it Blessings in a Box.”