Fighting Hunger
“Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food?
“Just as you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me.” ~Mt. 25:37-40
Our Newest Hunger Initiative:
A vegetable garden to feed the hungry
Members and friends broke ground on April 25, 2009 for Abundance Acres - a vegetable garden on the church lawn with its entire harvest going to feed the hungry in our midst. Read more about it here.
Food Cupboard Notes
Thank you to all who donated to the food cupboard recently. Your generosity allows our office administrator, Lynda Bernays, to buy grocery certificates and 5-ride bus fare cards. However, we continue to need donations of canned goods. All contributions are welcome, especially hearty soup, tuna and salmon, canned pasta, peanut butter, jelly and crackers. (Note: If you buy groceries to donate and give Lynda the receipt she will give you a letter stating that it was a donation to the church.)
Food that arrives on Sunday is often gone by Monday afternoon, especially late in the month, and Lynda doesn’t always have time to get to the grocery store. Special thanks to the Trailblazers class for making chili to freeze and donate, and for using money they earned to buy food to donate so that people who come for help can be given food.
Grocery Certificates
Every Sunday after worship, grocery certificates to area stores are sold in Fellowship Hall. When you buy a certificate to use like cash at Giant Eagle, Heinens and Zagaras, the stores contribute a percentage of the sale to Forest Hill. These proceeds support programs such as Forest Hill Mission Trips, but 10% of the grocery sale profits always goes to support the FHC Emergency Food Cupboard.
In 2009, the Ministry of Justice & Mission has allocated 90% of the profits from July – December 2009 to Bread for the World, a non-profit Christian educational and advocacy group in Washington D.C. Bread for the World educates the public about hunger issues and advocates for changes to policies and programs that allow poverty and hunger to persist here and around the world.
Hunger Sundays
The first Sunday of every month is Hunger Sunday at Forest Hill. Any cash or checks placed in envelopes marked “Hunger” are used 100% for support of local hunger programs. Each month the money collected is divided into thirds and distributed to the Heights Emergency Food Center, the Cleveland Food Bank, and the Hot Meals Program at First Presbyterian Church, East Cleveland.