Fisher Street United Methodist Church in Jonesboro hosted its sixth annual National Night Out event on Tuesday, offering free meals and resources to local residents. Located at 301 N. Fisher St., the church distributed 500 plates before running out of food. The event concluded earlier than its scheduled 7 p.m. finish due to the high turnout.
In addition to dinner, the church held a raffle for a bicycle and provided tables stocked with resources from various organizations. Rev. Dr. Charles Coleman emphasized the importance of connecting the community with essential services.
“A lot of these people in this community, even though we have a bus system here, they can’t get to places,” Coleman said. “And so we have these tables lined up here and over here of people that come from different industries to come in and have their information they can give, especially health.”
The church surpassed last year’s total of 400 meals, achieving its goal of serving 500 plates during this year’s event. Organizers highlighted the event as a way to build community while meeting practical needs.
National Night Out is an annual campaign promoting police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie nationwide, with many local organizations using the event to connect residents with services and outreach programs.