“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.”

Matthew 25:35

Food Ministries at Aldersgate

We have recently expanded our outreach in food ministries, and the following is meant to explain things more fully.

Our most recent Brown Bag Sunday benefited two local ministries with a total of over 500 lbs. being almost equally divided between the Greece Food Shelf and Mission Share Outreach.

Almost everyone is familiar with the Greece Food Shelf, and we have a history of supporting them with two or three Brown Bag Sundays every year in addition to the amount donated weekly in the blue box behind the welcome table. In 2008 we collected 1509 lbs. of food and $471.12 from donations specifically earmarked for their ministry. In addition, Aldersgate raised over $250 for them from our participation in the 2008 Crop Walk. So far in 2009, we have collected 722 lbs. of food and close to $400 from this year’s Crop Walk. You have provided a significant source of food and financial help for this important community agency and every year we receive a certificate thanking Aldersgate for our help.

Mission Share Outreach Center has been in the local news recently because of the grand opening of their facility at 10 Cedarfield Commons in the Town of Greece. They have a food shelf and clothing ministry stocked with donations from area churches and a community food drive. They also hope to offer other services such as crisis pregnancy counseling, bereavement counseling and other help as well. Since they are a faith-based ministry, they have an opportunity to witness God’s redeeming and transforming love through Jesus Christ, and this is done in a sensitive way without forcing belief on the part of the recipient of help. Gretchen Hughes and I toured their facility and attended the grand opening and were impressed with what we saw. There are opportunities for volunteer service here as well as at the Greece Food Shelf, where some members of our congregation are already helping out. We see these two agencies as complementing each other’s work rather than being in competition. As the needs have increased in the present economy, it is good to have several options to offer people seeking temporary help. In order to initially stock Mission Share’s food pantry, each participating church was asked to bring three specific items, and we donated 26 bottles of syrup, 103 boxes of macaroni and cheese, and 60 lbs. of rice.

While we divided our last food drive between the two agencies, we are scheduling another Brown Bag Sunday on July 26th specifically for the Greece Food Shelf.

While our food connection with Mission Share is new, our association with them has been going on for several years, mainly through our White Gifts outreach at Christmas. We have gotten names of families from them in addition to the names provided by Catholic Family Service and last year from the social worker at English Village School. We have appreciated the fact that the agencies cooperate in screening recipients of help, and also are thankful for their follow up in helping those in need. Through White Gifts we provide food and Christmas gifts for families who often would not be able to do this on their own. Mission Share also started providing school bags for needy children and they are planning on donating 500+ filled school bags to needy children in the Greece area in August. Again, the families are screened prior to receiving aid. Last year we took a supply of crayons and other items, and this year we will collect school glue, black or blue pens, and 2-pocket folders at the same time that we start collecting supplies for UMCOR kits in July. We try to take advantage of the back to school sales, which seem to occur earlier every year, which is why we put the collection bins out in July. Last year we filled 150 school bags, which were made by our UMW’s Sew ‘n Sews group, another way of saving money and being able to help more children as a result of wise stewardship.

This last portion was not about food, but it explains some of the intertwining of UMW and missions.

Angel Food Ministry: The third food ministry is another new effort and is part of a nationwide ministry that gives people an opportunity to buy a basic box of food for $30, enough to feed a family of four for a week, and is at least half of what the food would cost at retail. It is an important means of helping people stretch their food dollars, and the neat thing is that there are no requirements other than a desire to eat. They also have a senior convenience box of frozen meals for $28 and with the purchase of a basic or senior box, you can also purchase other boxes such as fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, etc. Food is pre-ordered and can be picked up at Hope Lutheran Church, the host site, on the 3rd Saturday of the month. Members of our missions committee have observed and volunteered at Hope during the delivery and ordering times and we will be starting to take orders soon.

Again, this is another opportunity to volunteer and get to work with our brothers and sisters in Christ.