And the disciples advised Jesus to send the multitudes back to the villages to find food. But Jesus said no, you feed them. There were only 5 loaves of bread and two fish.

But as we know Jesus fed 5,000 men besides women and children.

Jesus knew what was possible, to feed the hungry. The disciples only saw what was there, the 5 loaves and 2 fish.

Christ Episcopal Church opens its doors to its Food Pantry 2 Saturdays per month. Never knowing how many will appear, though, given the level of food insecurity in Monroe County (30%), it is safe to say, many will appear, and none will be turned away.

Fr Bruce appointed Debby Campbell and Peggy Walck to run the Food Pantry. Each of them plays a distinct role in the administering of this ministry that has grown, since March, from feeding 35 families to the latest stats of 209 families. This food pantry cannot run without volunteers. That numbers currently around 30 but others have joined in and participated who are not on Debby’s email list. (Perhaps you’d like to join us, too.).

Debby is the voice and moving force of the Food Pantry. But no organization runs without someone who knows how to make all the moving pieces fit together. Peggy calls herself a worker bee. Quietly and with great organizing skills, Peggy knows where everything is and where it needs to be so that the food is distributed and leaves the pantry and is made available each day of distribution.

In order for there to be two Saturdays of official distribution, there has to be a Friday of reception. This is when the truck arrives, twice, from Second Harvest. This organization provides the fresh food in one delivery and the non-perishable food in another.

You may have arrived on a Sunday morning and seen the pallets lying at the back of the church and large piles of torn down cardboard. That is the residue of the delivery and distribution of the food.

If you were fortunate to be a volunteer you had seen the families arrive on Saturday morning, some so early they are forming a line to get in.

Christ Episcopal Church ‘s Food Pantry feeds them all. With the grace of God, believing in Jesus to feed us too and with the hands of the Holy Spirit guiding this work, this is a sacred ministry. If you feel called to help in it, please contact Debby. If you feel called to donate money to it, please use this link. https://christchurchstroudsburg.org/outreach-3/food-ministry/ If you feel called to donate non-perishable food, please bring it to the narthex.

Just as our church feeds us with the spiritual food to go out and proclaim the Good News of Jesus, we feed the hungry as part of our baptismal vows.

 Author: Deborah Emin