“No man, woman or child should go without basic human needs. It takes an Army of Angels to meet the greater need,” says Rhonda Miller. Born in Alabama, raised by a single mother, in a house with seven siblings, Miller experienced all too well the pangs of hunger. One of her most impactful childhood memories was when local high school students came to her house to deliver “bag after bag of groceries” right before Thanksgiving. Miller was 10, but she understood that the community had come together to help them. This event, years later, would inspire Miller to open a food bank for the community in McDonough – United Food Force, Inc., and add the tag line, “Uniting Forces to Combat Hunger.”

In March 2013, she filed for 501c3 for United Food Force and signed a lease for the 13,000-square-foot distribution center. Unexpectedly, Miller was diagnosed with Stage 3 endometrial uterine carcinoma, and not given much hope for survival. God had different plans. In November of the same year, after winning an eight-month battle with cancer, Miller launched United Food Force.

That year, United Food Force started a weekly food program that served 72 families. Today, they serve over 2,000 families in need every week, serve non-profit partners like Haven House, A Friend’s House, Operation Lunchbox, Connecting Henry, and Our World at H.O.P.E. Park, and continue to supply emergency food boxes for those who find themselves in sudden need.

With 1 out of every 5 households being food insecure, Miller’s vision is to open community food banks across the United States. Following that vision, Miller opened a second food bank in Odessa, Florida in October 2017, Florida Food Force, serving 3,000 families per week, and was anticipating a third opening in Daytona Beach, Florida in the fall of 2022. This last plan is currently unrealized, as a diagnosis of Stage 4 liver, small intestine, colon, gall bladder and stomach cancer entered the picture for Miller. She was given no hope for survival. But it appears, nearly two years later, that God has different plans once again.

Miller will tell you that she will be done fighting against hunger when God decides to take her home, and not a second before that.

Throughout the years, Miller and her team at United Food Force have depended on the “army of Angels” to which Miller refers often. Those angels are the generous donors, the wonderful volunteers, the amazing community partners, the Board of Directors, and the staff at United Food Force. Some people say it takes a village; Miller will tell you it takes an army of Angels. To those Angels, she will always be grateful!

Emergency food boxes are available Monday – Wednesday, 9 A.M. to 3 P.M. with photo identification at United Food Force, located at 1463 Highway 20 W in McDonough. Ask about the weekly food program while you are there. There are no income or geographical restrictions.