Second Presbyterian Church and Grace Presbyterian Church will begin a partnership to provide a second food distribution day at Grace Presbyterian Church on Thursday, August 1. This is an exciting and hopeful venture for both of our congregations. The Outreach Ministry of Second and the Mission Committee of Grace have been working together for several months to move towards providing more opportunities for volunteers to serve our hungry neighbors.
Grace has been offering a Food Pantry for several years. The church is located at a bus stop which aids in helping folks come to the Food Pantry. The church sign is in good sight of the bus stop, so the days and times of the Food Pantry can be noted by those who ride the bus, as well as others who drive or walk by the church. There is a special room in the church which is used for food storage and distribution.
Second Presbyterian has been financially undergirding the Food Pantry ministry at Grace for several years. The financial support is used to purchase food at a highly reduced rate from the Arkansas Food Bank. Following a Sunday School class devoted to hunger issues, the Outreach Ministry began discussing ways that folks at Second could help address these concerns in our community.
The partnership between Grace and Second is a great pairing of human and financial resources to meet a deep need in our community. Both churches bring needed assets to provide a second food distribution day at Grace. Each month the Food Pantry will be serving people from 6:00-7:00 p.m. on the first and third Thursdays of each month.
Grace already has a committed group of volunteers who serve our patrons with hospitality and welcome, registration, and food distribution. Volunteers also pick up food at the Food Bank on a regular basis, as well as pack the bags for distribution. The volunteers at Grace are looking forward to welcoming new folks from Second to help establish this second distribution day. There are a variety of ways to work to ensure the success of the Food Pantry.
If you are interested in serving our hungry neighbors through time given for the Food Pantry, please contact Lindy Vogado if you attend Second, or Karen Akin if you attend Grace. We give thanks to God for this new thing God is doing in our midst!
Lindy Vogado
Karen Akin