We want to share a non-profit ministry in Rome, Georgia that is significantly impacting West Rome. It is called Fork, Spoon, And Plate, a hunger ministry serving a need in the West Rome area. We met with the founder of Fork Spoon and Plate, Gregory Greene, for an interview and found out how the ministry got started and how you can help.
Watch the full interview!
What Fork Spoon and Plate does for the community
Fork Spoon and Plate feeds people experiencing homelessness and the less fortunate. They also provide clothes, shoes, blankets, and any necessities they need outside where they live. They offer hand warmers, gloves, flashlights, tents…yeah, you name it. Anything that they request, they try to provide for them.
As well as a hot meal. That’s the main thing Fork Spoon and Plate is about: ensure they get fed, so a hot meal is a top priority. Currently, they serve just on Wednesdays. Gregory would love to do more than one night, but for now, it’s Wednesdays. When he first started, it was just him, but through the years, he said he has had some terrific people help him, and he calls those helpers his teamsters.
The teamsters each bring something different to the table….literally…. they have tables set up where they hand out various items to the people. Gregory’s table does the hot meal, and one table hands out bags of food they can eat later. So when they leave, they have enough food to last at least two days. Another table provides fresh baked goods, blankets, hygiene products, and sometimes pet food for their animals.
How It All Got Started
Gregory is from Miami and grew up in a church where he had opportunities to help and see the homeless in his community. Assisting others made a difference in his life because he liked the feeling of being able to help others in need. He said that when he helped others, he understood they could be someone’s father or grandfather.
After getting in some trouble as a young man, he went to Job Corps and learned a trade. When the opportunity arose to take a job in “Rome,” Gregory was happy to jump at the chance to go. He soon realized he was headed to North Georgia to our home of Rome, Georgia, and not Rome, Italy. Accepting that he was now living in North Georgia and not abroad, he made his life here in Rome, Georgia.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, Gregory was on his way to Harbor Freight and went through the Central Shopping Center. As he passed a homeless person, he felt like God was telling him to stop and talk to them. Like so many of us, he was hesitant initially, but that strong feeling that God was explicitly telling him to stop and talk to this person wouldn’t let up while he was shopping at Harbor Freight. So Gregory told God, “If we make eye contact, I’ll stop.”
Gregory knew it was a God moment when he left Harbor Freight with all intentions of going the opposite direction and ended up going right back by the same person. But when he saw her, her back was to him, so there was no way they would “make eye contact.” Right? No, as soon as he gets up to her, she turns around at the exact moment, and they make eye contact.
Knowing this could only be a moment God fully orchestrated, Gregory exited the car and talked to her. He asked about the help she could get and where she could get food. So many of the opportunities to receive a meal or food are located downtown and only available during the daytime. Only some people that need the services can travel there.
Gregory told her he would return the next day (a Wednesday) and serve a “hot meal.”
Fork Spoon And Plate Is Formed
The next day, Gregory went home and cooked a hot meal for the woman. He brought it to her in the shopping center parking lot, and she was so grateful. Gregory was so happy to be able to help her, and he knew that he had found his calling.
Gregory started serving hot meals to people experiencing homelessness every Wednesday night. He called his ministry “Fork, Spoon, and Plate.” At first, he was the only one serving meals, but soon other community members started to help. He calls these helpers his “Teamsters”!
Fork, Spoon, and Plate has grown into a thriving ministry serving those in need in the West Rome area weekly. Gregory is so grateful for the community’s support, and he is committed to continuing to help those in need.
Since then, he has only missed one Wednesday night serving a hot meal to the homeless and food-insecure population in West Rome. The night he missed was due to the weather. After missing that night, Gregory prayed that he wouldn’t have to miss another night, and a friend provided him with a pop-up tent. They served under tents in the parking lot with tables set up for a while, and since then, they have gotten permission and moved from the parking lot to the sidewalk of the shopping center.
Gregory says that this ministry is entirely the work of God. The people that have come to support this ministry have helped him to grow into what it is today. While Gregory is a local church member, the ministry is not part of his church. He has supporters and donors that help with the cost of food, paper products, and setting up and maintaining this ministry.
With his teamsters’ help, he has three tables to serve the people: one table for hot meals, one for food they take with them for the next couple of days, and one for supplies to live outdoors.
What Makes This Ministry Standout
This ministry is unique in that it goes to the people and services the people of West Rome that don’t necessarily have access to the other programs in Rome due to where they live.
Generous donors and the community fully support this ministry. Fork Spoon and Plate receives no government funding. It is all provided for through the giving of the community.
How You Can Help
There are many ways you can help Fork, Spoon, and Plate. Immediate needs for the ministry include an enclosed trailer to facilitate transporting items to the distribution location and a storage building to safely store donated items such as blankets and coats to be distributed as needs arise. He also said he would like someone to volunteer their time to help him navigate applying for available financial assistance. You can also help in any of the following ways:
- Donate food: You can donate food to Fork Spoon and Plate.
- Donate clothing: You can donate clothing to Fork, Spoon, and Plate.
- Volunteer your time: You can serve meals or help with other tasks.
- Make a financial donation: You can make a monetary donation to Fork, Spoon, and Plate.
- Spread the word about the ministry.
- Encourage others to donate or volunteer.
If you want to learn more about Fork, Spoon, and Plate or how you can help, please visit them on Facebook. You can directly donate through the following links:
- Venmo: @forkspoonandplate
- PayPal: @forkspoonandplate
- Cash app: @forkspoonandplate
- Email: forkspoonandplate@gmail.com
Gregory said he is passionate about helping people experiencing homelessness and wants to show them they are not forgotten. There are people who care about them. He said that he hopes to continue to grow the ministry and help more people in need in new and exciting ways.
Fork Spoon and Plate is making a difference in the lives of people in West Rome. Please consider donating your time, food, or money. Together, we can make a difference.
Watch our video when we went out and witnessed for ourselves the amazing ministry that Fork Spoon & Plate is.
Learn more about non-profits in our local community right here in Rome, Georgia check out Hope 4 Hearts, The Community Kitchen, Or Northwest Georgia Hunger Ministry,
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