STEUBENVILLE, OH — The Quinn Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church in Steubenville celebrated its “Food of the Land” event on Sunday.

The event celebrated the traditional foods that their ancestors ate and that they still prepare and eat today.

“Our ancestors sacrificed a lot to get us to where we are today. They didn’t have the ability to buy their food; they grew it themselves. They paved the way for us to enjoy the food of the land and everything else. They shared with us different recipes and ingredients that we could use,” said Eloise Curington, president of the Quinn Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church.

The event featured a wide variety of foods including sweet potatoes, vegetables, cornbread and more, all homemade.

“We all cooked ourselves. We delegated different tasks to make sure we had everything for the day. I especially like candied yams, so I made those. They were popular back then,” said Soundra Palmer, trustee of the Quinn Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Pastor Buena Smith Dudley of Quinn Memorial AME Church said many came to celebrate, pray and enjoy good food, but most importantly it was to bring people together to celebrate the history of the church.

“It brings the community together. It helps us remember where we came from and realize that we stand on the shoulders of ancestors who have endured so much to make sure we are healthy, wise and equipped in every way to move forward. We love celebrating our history,” said Pastor Buena Smith Dudley.

For next year, the organizers will explore other ways to celebrate the “Food from the Country” event.