Luke 3:11--In reply He said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” (NRSV)
In the fourth quarter of 2012 the ZUMC Emergency Food Pantry (EFP) assisted 172 local households with approximately 543 people residing in them. Those households received 325 emergency food boxes that included meat and bread. These numbers were nearly identical to the fourth quarter of 2011. Thanks to the generosity of many at ZUMC several of those people left the pantry with warm winter outerwear too. It is less difficult to predict how many families will turn to our food pantry each month thanks to a database provided by the Rappahannock Area United Way through the Fredericksburg Area Food Bank. Based on figures for second quarter 2012 we anticipate distributing approximately 300 emergency food boxes to 150 separate households this April through June.
Our EFP is now in partnership with the ZUMC Community Garden to provide the nutrition of fresh, in-season garden produce. This new ZUMC ministry provides yet another opportunity for fellowship and the sharing of your God-given gifts. We are also seeking volunteers to provide a prayer room for our clients on the third Thursday of each month.
Please be in prayer for the EFP ministry to provide physical and spiritual strength for its clients and volunteers and should He call you to volunteer, respond.
The ZUMC EFP is thankful for partnership with the Fredericksburg Area Food Bank. Please check out http://fredfood.org/ for information about our area food bank's operations and to learn how you can help. The food bank featured ZUMC EFP in recent newsletters.
Thank you and God bless everyone who volunteered their time and talents to the EFP in the fourth quarter. So many tasks were made lighter by the Christian fellowship of many hands. Praise God for EFP clients who saw a need and returned with donations. Each month there is shopping at the food bank, storage of pantry items, packing of approximately 100 emergency food boxes, distribution on the third Thursday of every month, the merciful receiving of each client, and countless other niceties that add to the joy and peace that come through serving in The Name of Christ.
