Grace United Methodist Church
Thursday, September 09, 2010
Gifts of Grace

 
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink…[and Jesus said] just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”  Matthew 25:35 & 40
 

 
Mission:  To redistribute food from those who have “extra” to those in need.  Truthfully, there is plenty of food in this country;  no one should be going hungry, but we can’t always get the food that is in excess to the people who are in need.  That is the mission of this ministry:  we’re kind of in the transportation business.

 

First we get the food…

We get our food through donations.  Our donations come from places such as:

 
  • Members of this congregation.  The food items you place in the white pantry go directly to individual families in need right in this community.
     
  • Some small groups within the church have made this ministry their ministry also.  We also have Grace Can on the first Sunday of each month. People bring their canned goods for the pantry to church with them where the food is then blessed by our pastor.
     
  • Another, lesser-known source though is businesses throughout this community.  Giant Food, Big Apple Bagel, Starbucks, and Kentucky Fried Chicken all contribute enormous amounts of leftover perishable food to our ministry.  We get about 60 dozen bagels (that’s 720 bagels!), about four grocery carts full of breads and desserts from Giant Food, about six shopping bags full of muffins and pastries, and buckets of chicken from KFC each week.  This is all food that was headed for the trash can before Gifts of Grace moved in and started to redistribute.
How can I help add to this food?

 
·         The best way is to continue to contribute to the program.  We try to give each family the ingredients for a full day’s meals:  cereal, peanut butter and jelly, pasta and sauce…..so those items are critical to us. But we appreciate any non-perishables that you can spare. 

 
·         In addition to food items, we can always use the following:  brown paper bags, large trash can bags and large zip-loc bags for packaging food, and non-food items (we love your travel size shampoos and soaps!)

 
·         If you are part of a small group within the church who is looking for a place to serve, please consider donating food items as a group (or, we can find some other capacity for you to serve—just ask!)

 
The food in this community is plentiful—we are very blessed.  We just need to work to share that “plenty” with those are less fortunate.

 

Then we distribute the food…

Once we have collected all of this donated food, it goes into one of the two freezers on the Lower Level of GUMC.  Then the food gets distributed in a number of ways:

 
  • One week of every month, all of the food stays here for our in-house Gifts of Grace program.  Individuals/families in need come here to pick up food for themselves and their families.
     
  • One week of every month, all of the food stays here for use in Helping Hands - a program which goes into York city to distribute food to individuals and families.  Contact Katrina Sandbeck for more information about this ministry.
     
  • One week of every month, all of the food is taken to New Life for Children, a local Christian shelter for mothers and children.
     
  • Many of the bagels are taken to a variety of programs and ministries throughout southern Pennsylvania and northern Maryland.
     
  • In the remaining week(s), when the freezers are full (within about a week the freezers are full), volunteers load up their cars and distribute the food in York to places such as Helping Hands, Our Daily Bread, Rescue Mission, and the YMCA .
How can I help distribute this food?

 
·         We need volunteers to help set up and oversee the in-house program on the second Monday of every month (see below for more details).

 
·         We can always use drivers to transport food to York.  We can use drivers who want to be on a regular schedule (as in “I can drive to York on the third Wednesday of each month) or drivers on an as-needed basis (we’ll call when the freezers are full and see if you are available to help out that week).

 
·         We are always open to suggestions of other agencies who might be able to use this food.

 
·         We also will always open our doors to individuals in need.  We have no “requirements” or “qualifying criteria” for use of this food.  Our freezers are always open to anyone in need.  Contact a member of the church staff if you know of someone who needs help.

 
Again, this community is very blessed.  We have plenty of food here, and no one should be hungry.  Help us make that a reality here in Southern York County.


 
So what exactly happens on the second Monday of each month in the Gifts of Grace ministry in-house?

 
On the second Monday of each month, we open our doors to local families in need who are welcomed into our building for food pick-up.  Getting ready for this event takes a little planning and preparation. 

 
Prior to the second Monday

 
  • The food collected from our local Giant, Starbucks, Big Apple Bagel, and KFC during the week before the second Monday is stored in the freezers in our church basement.
     
  • Someone shops for any non-perishables that have not been donated for the food bags.
     
  • Someone or some group within our church packs about forty bags for distribution.  Each bag contains the non-perishable “fixins” for one day’s meals:  breakfast (cereal or pancake mix and syrup), lunch (peanut butter and jelly or macaroni and cheese), and dinner (pasta and sauce).  Each bag usually contains some other non-perishable items in addition to these - an assortment of canned fruits and vegetables and other packaged foods.
     
  • The room is set up and the frozen food is brought out and made available early that Monday morning.
Monday morning, (9:00 -11:00)

 
  • During this time our doors are open.  Word has spread via advertising and word of mouth that anyone who is in need of food, is welcome here.  We ask for no details about anyone’s life nor do we have any criteria for our clients (that is between them and God).
     
  • Members of the church circulate, encouraging folks to take one of the bags of non-perishables and anything else at all that they need (bagels, baked goods, fried chicken, baby items, children’s clothes).  Whatever is there, is available to them. 
     
  • A great deal of time is spent simple chatting with the folks who come in.  Many have a deep seated faith that God will take care of them in their difficult times, and they view this ministry as proof of that. Others see this as a first sign that God is looking out for them. They are incredibly appreciative and much faith is shared back and forth.
     
  • After 11:00, whatever perishable food is left is packed up and transported to other agencies for distribution.
How can I help?

 
·         Your continued food donations are vital to this ministry.  Our most needed items are the ones mentioned above (and for some reason, we always, always, always need jelly!). Many thanks for the surge in donations that we have seen.  If you have been into the room in the basement of the church, you may be amazed at the food there, but, trust me, we go through a lot of food too - and very quickly!

 
·         Anytime you notice the pantry in the welcome center overflowing, feel free to help load it onto a cart and take it downstairs to room 104 to be shelved.

 
·         We can use people willing to keep an eye on supplies and shop once a month if needed (money is available for this).

 
·         We can use volunteers to pack the bags once a month.

 
·         Anyone is welcome to join us on the second Monday of the month starting at about 8:00 as we welcome the folks who use this ministry.
 

 
We would like to say Thank You to all of the servants in this ministry.  Whether you help with food donations, prep work or with distribution - bless you and thank you all!