For its third straight year, A Time to Share will help provide food for those in need on Thanksgiving at the Hope Hill District Association office on Pettus Street, but there is more to the organization than its work for others on Thanksgiving.

Hope Hill District Association is funded by 16 churches in this area.

A Time to Share provides a means for others to give back to the community through mentoring teens, helping others and providing a Christian example for others to follow.

“It’s about people who want to give back,” said A Time to Share organizer Bradley L. White. “The things that they don’t have around here, we’re trying to make it happen. We’re trying to do a lot of things for our community. We just came together and said, ‘This is what we want to do.’

“We want to make it bigger than what it is. It’s not just our community. We’re trying to start it here until someone wants to see what A Time to Share is all about, and then, we want to bring it to their community. It’s for everybody.”

A Time to Share has made donations to Harriet’s House here in Marengo County and to Hannah’s House in Eight Mile in southwestern Alabama. It has become known for its Thanksgiving dinners at the Hope Hill District office.

“At Thanksgiving, we feed the ones who aren’t able to feed their family or probably aren’t making enough to make ends meet,” said White. “We go around and get donations from the businesses and churches and get the food and take it to nursing homes, too.”

“We need $800, because the hospital is going to do all the catering,” said A Time to Share president Grace Clayton. “Food World was one of our major contributors, but since we lost them, the hospital has given us a discount in cooking all of the food. We still need donations for that. No donation is too small. Last year, we fed 285 people. Our projected goal this year is 575.

“Anybody can donate, and anybody can come. The doors open at exactly 12:00, and from 12 to 3, we make all our deliveries to people who are homebound and those who are handicapped or just not able to get out.”

A Time to Share doesn’t set any boundaries as far as who can join or who can benefit from its deeds.

“Each and every business in Demopolis has taken time out to listen to us,” Clayton said. “Most of them help us if they can, and we appreciate all of the help that we have gotten.”

A Time to Share is looking for a small office area to use as its workspace and headquarters. White, Clayton and Debra Hildreth coordinate the efforts of A Times to Share.

“We have faith,” Clayton said. “We step down on faith. I believe in Him, that if this is in your heart, it can come to fruition. It can come true.”

Those wanting to help A Time to Share can call (334) 654-1619, (334) 654-0400 or (334) 287-3899.