DALLAS, Texas — In just about every community, churches are more than places to worship, they’re places to serve.

Faithful Missionary Baptist Church has become a source of support during the ongoing government shutdown, which has now stretched into day 32.

Keio Gamble and Congressional Candidate for TX-30 Everett Jackson are using this church to help fill a need.

“In most Black communities, the church is the cornerstone,” Gamble said. “It’s where you’re spiritually fed, and we also want to feed you physically.”

This Sunday, Gamble and volunteers will serve up a Texas-sized meal to anyone who shows up, no questions asked.

“We may not be able to feed everyone,” Jackson said, “but we’re going to try to feed as many as we can.”

The menu includes barbecue chicken, green beans and baked beans, a meal meant to bring comfort and connection to those who need it most.

Their goal is to feed between 300 and 500 people.

The shutdown has left federal workers without paychecks and caused funding for SNAP benefits, the federal food assistance program, to run low.

A federal judge recently ordered the Trump administration to keep SNAP funded, and President Donald Trump has said he’s asking government attorneys how to restart funding as soon as possible, legally.

But for Gamble, waiting wasn’t an option.

“I didn’t want to wait around to see what that looks like,” he said.

Gamble said hosting the event at Faithful Missionary Baptist Church just makes sense. For decades, the church has been a pillar in Oak Cliff, a neighborhood where many rely on community resources, especially during tough times.

“Charity begins at home,” Jackson said. “And this is our home. This is home for us.”