A Welcome New Partnership in Our Food Assistance Program
He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
The most fundamental way to love and take care of the people around us is to make sure they have something to eat. That's why churches have food banks for those who are struggling financially. FCC had a food bank, managed by the late Hugh Morrow. After he passed, we continued the food bank, but there were some growing problems. Grocery stores and other reliable suppliers cut back or eliminated donations. Small, local food banks rarely have the space or equipment to handle perishable goods, so our inventory was mainly canned goods, and our aging volunteers were having a hard time lifting and transporting cases of food. Besides, canned goods are not all that useful to people who have no kitchen or no transportation. There are food banks in larger cities that are modeled on grocery stores, where clients pick out what they can use. It's a great idea for both dignity and effectiveness, but we don't have the space, the resources, or the personnel to do that.
So we switched to a different idea. Giving out gift cards from grocery stores eliminated the bulk of the operation, and it enables recipients to select their own food. This allows them to supplement what they get from other food banks with milk, eggs, and other ingredients they need to make dinner. Homeless people can buy what they are able to prepare. And those without transportation can purchase what they can carry. It seems to work well, even if it's only a small help. Still, without business donations, we have to limit the number of gift cards we give out. Most months, we spend more than we have coming in, and we haven't had a specific fundraising event this year for the food program. We are truly grateful to those who donate to make the program possible.
Some time ago, we got a call from the treasurer of the Corbin Presbyterian Church about the program. They also want to follow Jesus' command to feed the hungry, and had switched from a food bank to gift cards for much the same reasons, but then had run into difficulties. I explained our system, our guidelines for recipients, our record keeping, etc. Corbin Presbyterian doesn't have the existing infrastructure that we have. But they had an idea: could they just funnel their donations through our program?
His proposal felt like a beam of sunshine from heaven. A collaboration just makes sense. After all, churches are not competitors. We all want to follow Jesus and spread the good news of salvation. Together, we can feed the hungry and offer all our members the opportunity to give to those in need. We welcome the cooperation in serving others, and hope that the program is a blessing to the Presbyterian church as it is to us.
In October, the first contribution came in from the congregants of the Corbin Presbyterian Church. We are very appreciative of their generosity, and hope that we can continue working together to help our local neighbors who are struggling to afford groceries.
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