By Adam Smith

The North Jefferson News



A Gardendale restaurant is again teaming up with local ministries to feed impoverished and homeless people in Jefferson County.

Last year, Hamburger Heaven began a “Hamburgers for the Homeless” project, which distributed food to the Jimmie Hale Mission, Jesse’s Place and the Lovelady Center in Birmingham.

While last year’s campaign focused specifically on feeding those staying in homeless shelters, this year’s project is called “Hamburgers for the Hungry.” The restaurant is teaming up with local ministries The Basement, The Storehouse and Hayden-based Verse 7 Ministries.

As part of the campaign, the restaurant accepts donations from patrons who want to give a cash donation or actually purchase a hamburger for the cause. For each hamburger purchased for the homeless or impoverished, Hamburger Heaven triples the donation.

Hamburger Heaven franchisee Allen Folse then provides the meat and buns to Verse 7 Ministries, which takes the supplies and a grill to impoverished areas of Birmingham. The hamburgers are grilled and given out to whoever wants one.

Not only do ministry members hand out hamburgers to impoverished residents, they also share the gospel to whoever may be listening.

“They need food and the Word of God,” Folse said of the people the ministry is reaching. “It’s a joint effort between me and this ministry and we hope it will turn out better than last year.”

Last year’s campaign provided more than 19,000 hamburgers for the homeless.

Scott Rodgers of Verse 7 Ministries said there are children in poor parts of Birmingham who get off the bus daily and may not get another meal until the next day at school.

“We take our pull-behind grill down to East Lake or other areas, fire it up, cook the hamburgers and give them out for free,” Rodgers said. “We’re using it as a tool to pass out free Jesus as well.”

He said the ministry has been warmly received in the neighborhoods they visit and have even had churches in those neighborhoods bring out tomatoes and condiments for the hamburgers.

He said his ministry would continue to feed the hungry as long as Hamburger Heaven is able to provide the resources.

“The Word says true ministry is about taking care of the orphans,” he said. “A lot of these people may not be orphans, but they can use our help.”

Rodgers said though Hamburger Heaven provides the food, the ministry could use volunteers to help hand out the food in the neighborhoods they visit.

For more information about Verse 7 Ministries, visit myspace.com/verse7ministries or call Rodgers at 965-0929.