Dear Beloved Siblings,

A few months ago a participant in the young adult Conscious Caring Community shared a mission moment about the Community Food Box Project which she began five years ago. The Outreach Ministry Team decided that offering a community food box on the campus of Friedens United Church of Christ would fit well with the mission that God has given Friedens to share the love of Jesus with children and youth in the community. Another young adult picked up an old newspaper box that the Community Food Box Project provides. She delivered it to the southside. Then a family from Friedens picked up the box and brought it to the church building where the Friendship Girls coated the box with its first layers of paint provided by another Friedens family who had also cleaned the box. Then a high schooler from the Perry Meridian High School Key Club painted beautiful designs on the box. The leader of the Buildings and Grounds Team, Heidi our office administrator, and the new Friedens Moving Outward Ministry Team have been working on the logistics of how food will be gathered, stored, and restocked. What a beautiful experience to witness so many people working together to share the love of Jesus in a way that Jesus shared God's love - by providing for the physical needs and nourishment of people! You will have an opportunity to join this ministry of providing to people who are facing food insecurity and hunger. You can bring non-perishable small-packaged nutritious food items to the inside entry way of Hayden Hall. If you'd like to be involved in checking and restocking the food box, please let us know. The food box will be located outside of the Hayden Hall doors for people from the community to access 24-7 with no questions asked.

Thank you for your continued sharing through the weekenders, for your advocacy to understand and address the underlying causes of hunger, and for your advocacy for support for measures to help people who are hungry through www.bread.org. If you have questions, please reach out to the Friedens Moving Forward Ministry Team or me. Thank you for your prayers as we seek to serve and love as Jesus invites us and calls us to do.

With care and gratitude for you,

Sarah

"... ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’"

Matthew 25:37-40