CHESAPEAKE — The need for food in the county keeps growing. That is the story the statistics show about those who turn to the Community Mission Outreach for help each month

“Last month they had 2,000 people,” the Rev. Charles Moran of St. Ann’s Church, said. “This month it is 2,000 again.”

To help those who do the helping is the mission of the annual Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service sponsored by the churches of the village of Chesapeake.

Started eight years ago as a fundraiser for the CMO headquartered at the Chesapeake Community Center, the service will be at Big Branch Church Sunday starting at 6 p.m.

“We go to the church because it is a sacred place and that we should experience that within all denominations,” Moran said.

This year the Rev. Charles Case, the new pastor at the Chesapeake United Methodist Church, will give the message. Festival singing will be offered by the Big Branch Choir.

An offering for the mission will be taken up.

“This really helps because we go through everything for Christmas,” Moran said. “This gets us for after Christmas.”

The Community Mission expects to give away 600 baskets this Christmas. Already 480 families have registered for food that comes from the mission’s pantry and food donations from the churches that support the CMO.

This year if all of the churches that are providing food for the baskets purchase the items from Save-A-Lot, that Chesapeake store will put a $5 gift certificate in each basket.

In 2010, the CMO fed 12,344 with about a third of those children. That was about 300 more than the year before. This year the totals stayed under 1,000 until September when the number of people helped was at 2,020.

Among the churches supporting the CMO are St. Ann’s, Big Branch, Defender Methodist, Chesapeake United Methodist, Chesapeake Church of the Nazarene, Church of Christ, Getaway Church, Chesapeake Christian and Burlington Baptist.

A supper of finger foods will follow the service.

“The good Lord asks us to be part of his body with him as the head,” Moran said. “The Lord asks us to let our works be shown so others will give praise to God the father.”