Feeding the Body and the Soul: How Hands of Hope Is Making a Difference in Kannapolis

Every Thursday evening, volunteers at Hope Chapel serve hundreds of meals — and offer compassion, prayer, and connection to anyone who needs it.

Jeremy Cook distributing meals as part of the Hands of Hope food ministry. Photo credit: Chris Miller.

The dozens of volunteers who gather at Hope Chapel in Kannapolis every Thursday evening are making a tangible difference in people’s lives — one hot meal, one smile, one human connection at a time.

Hands of Hope, a food ministry based at the church at 1540 Old Earnhardt Road, was started two years ago by John and Ellen Tretow as a way to support community members in need — not only of food, but also of spiritual nourishment. Their goal: to reach people who are often overlooked or struggling.

The ministry is an offshoot of God’s Supper Table, a feeding program that began in 2005 at Trinity United Methodist Church across from A.L. Brown High School. That long-running program continues to provide sit-down meals for anyone who wishes to attend.

Cars waiting in line for the meals. Photo credit: Chris Miller.

Cars often begin lining up around the Hope Chapel parking lot by 5 p.m., even though meals aren’t handed out until 6. Some guests also walk to the church carport to receive their meals.

“We share Christ’s love with no judgment whatsoever,” Ellen Tretow told The Cabarrus Compass during the Oct. 9 outreach, as volunteers passed containers of chicken spaghetti, salad, and bread rolls to waiting cars.

It doesn’t matter whether someone attends church or identifies as Christian — if they need food, they can come.

“Anybody and everybody is welcome, with no judgment,” Ellen emphasized. “The people who are volunteering here are 110% on board with that.”

Ellen and John Tretow started Hands of Hope in 2023. Photo credit: Chris Miller.

While guests wait in their cars, a volunteer — often Peggy Rivera, or sometimes Charles Farabee — stops by each vehicle to offer prayer.

“Every single car gets prayed for,” Ellen said, noting that it’s not a requirement, but most people accept the offer.

Farabee has volunteered since the ministry launched in 2023. He begins each evening by setting out cones to create the traffic lane, then stocks a large cooler with bottled water to hand out — especially on hot summer nights.

As he makes his way from one window to the next, Farabee chats with people and asks how he can pray for them.

“When you pray for them, sometimes their face will just light up,” he said. “It’s nothing that we do; it’s just God and the Holy Spirit working through us for them.”

Volunteer Charles Farabee says praying with people waiting in their cars is the most meaningful part of his work. Photo credit: Chris Miller.

Many of the people who receive meals have been coming to the ministry since it began in 2023. Over time, they’ve formed close connections with the Tretows and other dedicated volunteers — relationships strong enough that many now feel comfortable sharing personal stories, from health challenges like cancer to other struggles they’re facing.

“We have all walks of life here,” Ellen said.

Volunteer Sandi Billings, who has helped since the ministry’s start, calls Hands of Hope “a wonderful outreach.” She tracks the number of cars and meals distributed each week, carefully jotting down the figures to help monitor the ministry’s reach.

Hands of Hope is the highlight of Billings’ week.

“This is one of the best ministries in Cabarrus County,” she said.

Sandi Billings keeps track of the number of meals that are distributed each week. Photo credit: Chris Miller.

Ellen and John Tretow, who attend Hope Chapel and serve as LifeTeam leaders with the food ministry, founded Hands of Hope after feeling called to create a program modeled after God’s Supper Table.

“We came to this church because the Lord told us that this is the place to run a food ministry,” Ellen said, noting that the couple first volunteered with God’s Supper Table before launching their own outreach.

The first two years of Hands of Hope have been funded through grants — initially from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and later from the Cannon Foundation. As of now, no grant funding has been secured for 2026.

Volunteers serve hot meals but they also have cold meals, which include peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Photo credit: Chris Miller.

The food ministry began by serving about 100 meals each week but has steadily grown as word spread through the community. Today, Ellen said, Hands of Hope serves an average of 230 hot meals every Thursday to roughly 55 people. Guests are welcome to take as many meals as they reasonably need.

To ensure no one goes hungry, the team also prepares about 50 cold “backup” meals — typically peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with chips, ravioli, cookies and a fruit cup — to hand out when demand exceeds expectations.

A small group of volunteers usually arrives at Hope Chapel between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. to prepare meals, while another team handles distribution later in the evening.

Volunteers prepping the meals. Photo courtesy of Ellen Tretow.

Each Tuesday, John and Ellen shop for ingredients at Walmart and Sam’s Club. Once a month, a group of volunteers known as the “Freezer Fellowship” gathers on a Saturday to turn those ingredients into ready-to-serve meals. The dishes are then frozen and stored until the week they’re needed.

For Ellen, the meals are simply a means to something greater — connecting with people. The real ministry, she said, happens through the hugs, fist bumps, and friendly conversations that follow.

“The food is huge, but the food is not who we are,” Ellen said. “The food is to help, but it’s about relationship-building. You can’t help somebody unless you get to know them.”

Too often, the people who come to Hands of Hope — some of whom have experienced homelessness or are facing other hardships — go unnoticed, accustomed to being overlooked. Here, though, they are seen and valued.

“Here, they get called by their name and that lights them right up,” John said.

Many members of Hope Chapel help with the ministry, including Jeremy and Wendy Cook.

Wendy and Jeremy Cook have been volunteering with Hands of Hope since 2023. Photo credit: Chris Miller.

“We just enjoy seeing the people and spending time and helping,” Jeremy said. “We’re spreading the word of God through meals.”

For Jeremy, the smiles and hugs from those he serves make every Thursday worthwhile.

“I love seeing these people just light up,” he said. “Maybe for the first time today.”

For Wendy, Thursdays have become her favorite day of the week because of the joy she finds in serving others. “It makes me happy to make everybody else happy,” she said.

Anyone interested in volunteering or contributing financially to the ministry can contact Hope Chapel at admin@hopechapelnc.org or 704-934-2266.