If you've been in the church, you'll have noticed the south aisle looks a little different, well, actually a lot different!
Where there once used to be pews, and then lots of AV equipment, a piano and a harpsichord, there is now a lot of shelving that looks almost like a small grocery store.
What is all of this?
As most of you know, a small food bank operates here at St. John's serving our immediate community. It began as an "emergency food service" to meet the needs of those who just needed a hand up for a short time. The food bank operated for many years, and it currently serves about 300 households per month with made-to-order hampers of staples, fresh fruits and vegetables, and hygenic items -- or smaller bags with ready-to-eat items avialable for our guest with not fixed address.
On Saturday, September 10th, a team of hearty volunteers undertook the relocation of food bank supplies from downstairs to the south side of the nave as a tempory location while the lower hall receives new flooring and perhaps a new coat of paint (both of which are long overdue and much needed).
It takes a lot of people!
It takes a small army of people to make the Food Bank at St. John's work. We have people who shop, who pick-up and deliver purchases, who retrieve fresh items from a central warehouse or from a local generous farmer, who breakdown larger quantities or supplies into individual portions, who stock our shelves, who register our guests, who prepare hampers, who greet our guests and assist them with fresh items, who prepare made-to-order hampers, and who handle the back-office work. Various members of the team are present most Mondays, Tuesday, Wednesdays and Fridays. Some jobs require going up and down stair, some do not. Some involve interaction with our guests, most do not.
The Food Bank at St. John's is an important ministry to our community. It costs about $50K per year to operate, but nearly 100% of donations go to the purchase of food or hygenic items. It couldn't happen without your generosity.
If you'd like to get involved, please contact Joel Hefty directly or through the church office. The Food Bank team would love to have you join them!