The Open Door Biker Church, at 423 W. Burton St., in Sulphur may look small from the outside, but big things are going on inside.

The church has been feeding people lunch for free for about two years. And as the number of people who need food grows, so does the need of the church’s food pantry.

Pastor Vince Guidry said the program got started when he and his wife, Bridget, saw a need in the community. When they began, a handful of people would stop by for lunch, but now 20-30 people depend on them for a hot meal.

“There are a lot of people hungry and going without, and we want to make sure these people have something to eat,” he said. “There’s a big, big need. For some reason or another so many people just don’t have food.”

Guidry said the church is always in need of donations of anything — meat, canned goods, rice.

The church serves lunch at 11:30 a.m. Monday-Friday, but it’s also making sure people have food to eat when they aren’t at the church by giving them food boxes.

Guidry said food boxes are given to people in need to feed their families for up to a week or even two. The boxes include meat, rice and canned goods.

“Something that’s really great to see is the people who come for a meal and then later on they find work somewhere and they don’t need us to feed them anymore,” he said. “But they will come back and volunteer to help feed those that still need us. It really works so well.”

Guidry said the church calls the food ministry the Valley Food Kitchen.

“Our motto and what we tell people is, ‘It’s only up from here,’ ” he said. “This isn’t a handout; it’s a help up.”

Guidry said the church is also seeking a box-truck for picking up large donations and a walk-in cooler for storage.

Donations can be made by calling 527-7007 and scheduling a drop-off or pickup.

Ken Chapman prepares a plate of food Friday at an Open Door Biker Church in Sulphur. (Michelle Higginbotham / American Press)

Michelle Higginbotham