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We use the funds we receive from you through this Social Action Collection for everything we call, “Food Ministry.” Currently we use this money chiefly for the Food Pantry but we also use it for hosting Pacem, for “extras” for the Soup Kitchen, and for grocery gift cards for our own members.
The Food Pantry has 25 volunteers who distribute food received from the Food Bank each first Friday of the month. We spent an average of $140 for 1200lbs of food per month from the Food Bank. We also buy cleaning supplies and toiletries averaging $150 per month and pick up a donation from Whole Foods of fresh vegetables (about 6 cases). This year, after our audit from USDA, we purchased a freezer and two ice chests to store our frozen foods ($626). We served an average per month of 90 individuals from 24 families. Half of our individuals served were children.
In addition, we purchased 50 gift cards worth $25 each and some $35 cards for our own congregants. The gift cards to Food Pantry clients are in lieu of turkeys in November. We provide our ministers with gift cards for church members who struggle with their basic needs. These are distributed at Thanksgiving and Christmas and throughout the year.
We also use this collection when we host our homeless guests of PACEM by purchasing paper products and drinks and snacks for the entire 4 weeks we host. As a congregation, we feed the guests for about 10 nights, with our partners from Ebenezer, the Islamic Society and the ladies of the VFW. Other congregations in the area feed the guests the rest of the nights they are with us. This effort involves about 50 members of our congregation.
There are 6 teams of volunteers from our church (about 60 individuals) who use their own money to prepare lunch each Sunday at the Haven, to serve about 60 people. We use your donations to buy “take away” containers and occasionally napkins or anything else we all may need to serve lunch.
Adding those things up we spent about $7500 this year for Food Ministry.