Rev. Melissa Self Patrick posted on April 03, 2012 11:07
Dear friends and supporters:Thank you for supporting Urban Ministry with your donations, volunteerism and prayer this March-April.
As always, your gifts are important to our shared work. In addition, through the end of April,
The Feinstein Matching Funds Campaign increases the value of your contributions, as Urban Ministry will receive a proportional match from Mr. Alan Shawn Feinstein’s $1 million effort to fight hunger in the U.S.
You’ve surely heard by now that we live, work, and minister in a city where over 80,000 people are food insecure. People experiencing poverty often develop a “taste for necessity,” meaning they prefer processed and convenience store foods that provide more calories for less money. Urban Ministry is deeply committed to working hard to end food insecurity and hunger in our community. One of the ways we do this is through our
WE (West End) Community Gardens, which is working to change the culture and habits of our community’s cooking and eating. Together with community members, we’re creating food security by building sustainable food institutions.
Another way that we address food insecurity is through our
Community Kitchen, which fed over 25,000 meals to hungry people last year. By all accounts, it appears we’ll serve at least that many meals this year. Just last week, the dining room filled up quickly as children were out of school for Spring Break and parents needed to stretch their family food funds.
Finally, our
Food Assistance ministries help hundreds of people each year with emergency food boxes.
As we approach Holy Week, I find myself focused on bread. There is bread in the grocery carts in our hallway, which provides daily bread for many people who visit us on a weekly basis. And from those carts each Wednesday morning, I choose a loaf of bread to bless and break and serve to Table of Grace house church, as we remember Jesus’ invitation at the Last Supper to “Do this in remembrance of me.” I’m also reminded of Jesus’ declaration in John’s Gospel, “I am the bread of life.” Bread. Ordinary bread. Holy bread.
Thank you for being part of nourishing the larger body of Christ. May God richly bless you and your family in the coming weeks, and may you have a blessed Easter.
Peace,
Melissa