Ingathering and food needs in our community
What is the difference between the two posts from Sue Bird below, the first being from the recent post in December’s newsletter and the second from October’s?
December: A total of 314 items were donated to the Tri- Town Pantry since the November Newsletter was published. The “Greatest Needed Foods” for the month of December are: canned soup, canned tomatoes, pudding or fruit cups and apple or cranberry juice.
November: A total of 69 items were donated to the Tri- Town Pantry since the October Newsletter was published. The “Greatest Needed Foods” for the month of November are: boxed stuffing, canned cranberry sauce, instant mashed potatoes, canned gravy and canned vegetables.
The answer I’m looking for is the number of items donated increased significantly as a result of our Thanksgiving ingathering. The ingathering event each year is yet another vital mission of our our church, not only for what it provides for those in need in our community, but also the fact that it connects the children of our church to our collective missions. We all know that children learn much more from doing than from being told. I truly believe that what has motivated me to participate on so many community activities is rooted in my participation in activities such as the ingathering when I was a child.
The timing of the Ingathering was particularly appropriate this year. Nearly 424,000 Connecticut residents whose Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits were cut on Nov. 1. as discussed in the linked article: Snap Cuts. The need grows, yet our government is not stepping forward to assist, but is in fact retreating. Therefore, our community and our church need to step up the these additional needs. Wouldn’t it be nice if the 300 food items we collect in November could be matched (or even exceeded) in December! How about in each month of 2014? For those of you with children, involve them in this mission. When you are at the grocery store with your children (I remember how fun this was!) ask them to take a couple of items off the shelf, have them place them on the conveyor belt, and ask the bagger (if any still exist) to put them in a separate bag. Have the children carry them to the car, and have them bring them into church on Sunday and place them in the collection bin. Let’s turn an annual teaching event into one that lasts year round. And for those of us that are fortunate not to have to bring children to the grocery store, we are all children of God. Follow these same steps, and perhaps you will find the child-like joy in your heart as well.
God is Good!
– Dave