1981-1993:
The Bus Ministry
Betty was called by God to drive a bus to pick up children in Columbiana to take them to the local church, The Church of the Nazarene. She began to cook breakfast for them and initiate games and contests to encourage attendance in church and the invitation to their friends. She added more churches to her bus route, in Alabaster and Jemison.
1993-1994:
Columbiana Antique Store
Betty opened an antique store in Columbiana in 1993. This was her first official foray into the world of retail, and she found she had a passion and gift for identifying antique and vintage items.
1994-1999:
Jemison Antique Store
& Transition to Food Ministry
Betty purchased a building on Main Street in downtown Jemison to move her antique store to this historical location. She constantly shopped auctions in Alabama, often “stepping out in faith” with purchases made on credit.
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As the store grew, her relationship and compassion for the people of Jemison grew. People in great financial need would approach Betty, asking if they could pawn their possessions in exchange for food. This is where the seed of her food ministry was planted.
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The most memorable moment of her ministry was when an older women came into the store with an average, common rock. The local woman asked Betty for $40 in exchange for this “antique” rock. Betty was moved to tears by the event and gave her the funds. She says: “The rock is what did it.” Her food ministry was born.
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As more and more people reached out to her for assistance with basic needs for food and shelter, Betty decided to sell her antique inventory and begin her ministry work in earnest.
2004:
The Son Light Center
& Beginning of Food Ministry
After selling her antique inventory, she purchased property on Bibb Street in Jemison. In cooperation with the local church, she received the leftovers from their food outreach and fed 10 families. This was the very beginning of her food ministry. She formed a Section 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and named it The Son Light Center.
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She then focused on expanding her reach, requesting food from a Clanton grocery store and other local establishments. The food ministry was very small and modest in the beginning. In the Jemison building, there were no chairs, so guests sat on milk crates. Betty invited local pastors to have church services in the building,
where she would feed
them afterwards in a loving community setting. The ministry grew to serve 150 families each week, where her spaghetti and chili were often featured.
2005:
The Homeless Shelter in Jemison
The food ministry in the Jemison building on Bibb Street transitioned into a homeless shelter for women and children. The residents would help Betty cook and serve meals to the local community in exchange for room and board.
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When a state government agency pleaded with her to house a man living in the van in the summer, she began to use a second building on Bibb Street to house men. This shelter grew to house up to 15-20 men at one time.
2010:
Expansion of Food Ministry by
Donation of Truck
A generous man from First Baptist Church in Pelham who used to live in Jemison, Butch Collum, heard about Betty’s ministry. He purchased a truck for her which enabled her to pick up significantly more food donations and serve many more people. Betty had been told by God that she would be serving in Uniontown in Perry County and Camden in Wilcox County. This truck enabled her to do just that, and she continues to serve those communities faithfully up to this day.
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The men from the homeless shelter would go with her on her food delivery rounds, often accompanied by a local preacher who would be on the back of the truck. One day on a trip to Wilcox County, Betty felt a strong pull from the Holy Spirit to stop in a community of trailers. When the preacher asked who would like to be saved, all 33 people in the trailer community moved forward “like a wave”. Everyone in the group was in tears, full of joy at the miracle they were witnessing. This was another reminder to Betty that “you can’t plan everything”; sometimes, you just have to let God lead you.
On another visit in Camden to Yellow Bluff Park, the group pulled up to a very impoverished community with 27 turkeys donated by Publix. Because there were 50 people or more in the community, Betty decided to draw numbers for who would receive the turkeys, and it was quite chaotic as the turkeys were passed out. No one understood how everyone in the community ended up receiving a turkey, as the 27 turkeys seemed to miraculously multiply into 50 turkeys.
2014:
Expansion to Selma &
Partnership with Pastor Grayson
Betty then met Pastor John E. Grayson, head pastor and found of The Gospel Tabernacle Church in Selma. Betty and Pastor Grayson began working together to serve the Selma community, giving out food every Saturday.
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Her house in Jemison burned down during this time, and she lived in the homeless shelter she operated for two years. She began receiving treatment for breast cancer in 2015 and had back surgery. It was a challenging time, but her ministry never faltered.
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Around this time, Walmart began a long-term partnership with The Son Light Center to donate housewares, appliances, toys, and seasonal items. This relationship has continued to this day. These items are distributed to those in the community that are in need, whether victims of local disasters such as tornadoes or home fires or families trying to get back on their feet after homelessness or domestic violence.
2017:
Never Forgotten Treasures
Thrift Store in Selma
Betty & The Son Light Center purchased a building down from The Edmund Pettus Bridge in 2017. Although Betty had to finance the building and was always short on cash flow, she knew God would provide. Judy Knight joined the ministry at this time to serve alongside
Betty in the Selma community. This is when she realized the focus of her ministry would be Selma.
2019:
Food Center in Selma
Betty & The Son Light Center purchased a warehouse in Selma on Oak Street to serve as the location of her food outreach ministry. She was able to finance the purchase with an investor she had met in Jemison. Betty believes it is a testament to God’s greatness that she acquired this building right before the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020-2022:
The COVID-19 Pandemic Years
In 2020, The Son Light Center received and distributed $13.9 million worth of food alone. Donations were received from many partners, including The Montgomery Food Bank, The Selma Food Bank, Merchant’s Food Service, Bud’s Best Cookies, Christian Service Mission, Feed America First, Farms to Families, Bimbo Bread, and Barber Dairy.
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In 2021, over $11.3 million in food was donated and distributed in the Black Belt counties. These were years where Betty and her team worked around the clock, week after week. It was a time of bountiful blessings, but also a time of very hard work!
2024:
Selma Roots
Betty moved the location of the thrift store to Citizens Parkway.