Ashely Strickland, a resident of the Manning, South Carolina area, and her husband, David Strickland, are giving out free BBQ plates on Saturday, April the 23rd. They plan to start giving out plates at 11 a.m. and stay until they run out of food. Ashely is the granddaughter of Charles Allen Ridgeway, who was the mayor of Summerton for about twelve years. There is a park in Summerton, dedicated to Charles Allen Ridgeway where the family plans to distribute the food to the community.
“So when my husband and I had this idea to try and spread some of God’s love to our community, we felt that would be a great place to hold it,” said Ashely.
When asked what she enjoys about giving back to the community, Ashley said, “It’s fun to just get out and see each other and feel that love.”
The family had this idea and wanted to give back to their community in some way, so they decided to host a dinner/lunch that began in 2021 and was successful.
In 2021, the family gave out hotdog plates to the Summerton community. They provided the community with 200 plates and plan to do so again this year.
“People just love it; it puts a smile on their faces,” said Ashely.
For this year’s plates they will have BBQ that Ashely’s dad, Charles Ridgeway JR, and many other family members will help prepare, along with other food items such as green beans.
“This is just us trying to spread God’s love to the community,” said Strickland on the reasoning behind this upcoming event.
The family’s goals for this day are for the community to feel loved, to see the good in the world, and to become a light in someone else’s life.
