Men march off to prayer boot camp

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Over 200,000 people live in poverty in Central Indiana. The number of people seeking help at area food pantries is up 36-percent over last year. Those pantries are struggling to keep up with the need.

So a group of men are on a mission at Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church. They're having a spiritual boot camp. For 21 days, more than 60 men have been meeting every day before dawn singing, praying and preparing to serve.

"We thought 5:45 a.m. was a radical time and we would get some brothers that would be dedicated," said Rev. Melvin Fleming, one of the boot camp leaders.

The men meet for an hour of singing, praying and Bible study.

"After we recommit and dedicate ourselves unto God, it's important for us to be active in our communities," said Fleming.

And the men are certainly committed, participating in a variety of community projects including food collection and distribution in the Indianapolis Colts/WISH-TV Hoosiers Helping Hoosiers food drive.

The food they collect will meet the needs of people like those living at Third Phase Christian Center, a homeless shelter and food pantry in Noblesville.

Many of the pantry's shelves are bare.

"It really does speak to the needs. We haven't had a whole lot of canned goods come through at all," said Ruth Thalman, director of the center.

Third Phase provides food for 50 families a day, 250 families a week. Each week, new families show up looking for help.

"Which lets me know there's more and more people out of work that are in need of food," said Thalman.

It's been difficult to keep up with the needs. That's why men attending the spiritual boot camp are praying for their community and doing more than that. They're putting prayers to action.

You can still give at all of the city's 38 IFD stations through Friday evening. Visit the Hoosiers Helping Hoosiers Web site for locations.