Midsummer Tower Echoes: Outreach Update
Food Bank Update: Recent Increases Noticed
Here’s an update from PRLC food bank mission team member Colin Ferguson:
I want to let everyone who volunteers with and donates to our food bank know the immense good they do everyday for the people in our community who do not have the luxury of food security. Throughout the pandemic, as I have prepared the reports for the various agencies, I get to see the whole picture of our food bank’s impact in the number of people who we help each month. For the last year, we have never served less than 200 people in a month with the average number around 250. This translates to around 3,000 lbs. of food that goes out the door in any given month. In the month of March 2021 we served 390 people, and in the month of April 2021 we served 414 people. Over 5000 lbs. of food was distributed each month. This is almost equal to November and December when special distributions for the holidays lead to an increase over normal monthly numbers. Of those served in March and April, one third were children under the age of 18. April is the first month I can find in our records that more than 100 children were served that is not a special holiday distribution.
I want to write something cheery, but our increasing numbers are not something to be celebrated. They are a stark indication that all is not well even as we get our vaccinations and plan summer reunions with friends we have been too long separated from. I am grateful for everyone who has stepped forward to serve our neighbors in need. God calls us to love our neighbor as we love our self, and we are God’s hands in the world.
Colin
I asked Colin for some context around the recent increase in food bank numbers, and he sent me monthly totals for 2018-2021. While our numbers remained pretty consistent even through the first year of the pandemic, March and April this year show a significant increase in people accessing our food bank. In all three categories—weight of food, households served, and individuals served—March and April 2021 showed an increase of 41-53% over the average of the three previous years. We’re not sure what to make of this as it could be the result of many factors, but needless to say, the work of our food bank volunteers and those who donate to the food bank are as important as ever during this unstable time. Thank you!
Race & Equity Team Survey Results
Thank you to all who filled out the recent survey presented by the PRLC Race & Equity Team. Our goal was to assess how we’re doing in our effort to confront and end inequality wherever it appears, and gather data to help us discern and plan our journey ahead. Some results were clear: people have found the adult forum times the best for interacting with new ideas and speakers. We’ll be careful to focus our efforts on more engaging forum opportunities. People who participated in some of our book groups also found those to be fruitful and worth the commitment. Watch for more groups down the road.
Some responders expressed a desire to build a relationship with a black church community. This is an understandable desire, and one that comes from such a good place. Our R&E Team discussed this at length and thought we should examine our motivations more before we might be ready. What do we mean by a “black church?” Do we envision an authentic relationship, or are we entering into this with expectations that primarily our needs will be addressed, or our guilt assuaged? We want to be sure we’re not objectifying the idea of a black church, which would only do harm to the complex human beings we encounter. Let’s move forward together as we seek God’s guidance in this area.
These conversations are not easy for any of us. We stumble, make mistakes, and choose comfort over courage all too often. But just like our toddlerhoods, we will keep trying, learning, and growing into the people of God we are called to be. It’s ok to feel uncomfortable. Change is hard. Many of us are guided by the discovery that the history of race-based inequality makes us more uncomfortable than surrendering to the holy upheaval of internal growth and societal change. We can do this! Thank you for helping us discern from the Holy Spirit how to proceed.