Bread House Week 30

Destin Harvest visited the Bread House Thursday, providing meat, bread, and vegetables for the community that we serve. Our weekly focus on foods needed at the Bread House remains the same. Canned meat, canned soup, canned vegetables, dried beans, personal care items, snacks, and pantry items. The Bread House is open Monday-Wednesday-Friday from 9:00 am until 12:00 pm. Donated items can be dropped off at the Bread House during these hours. To meet the needs of the families that we serve, people can only visit one time per week to receive food. It is important that we are able to sustain the program during the pandemic and beyond. Those families in need of additional assistance are referred to Sharing and Caring. You are welcome to join us at the Bread House Monday-Wednesday-Friday from 9:00am until 12:00pm.

NOTE: If you cannot bring items to the Bread House, you can donate gift cards from local grocery stores or make cash donations to SUMC. In the MEMO section of your check, write Bread House or COVID 19 Relief Fund. The distribution of gift cards is tracked in order to ensure accountability and that we provide the cards to as many different people as possible.
If you have any questions about the program, please contact Janet Norris, Donna Whitney, Sandra Brown, Bill McBroom, Phil Richter, or Pete Peters at 703-395-2437 or email fpeters1@cox.net.

Week 30 Numbers
Bags Collected - 285
Bags Given Out - 251
Gift cards Given Out - 0
Members Served - 208

Total Numbers
Bags Collected - 8344
Bags Given Out - 7601
Gift cards Given Out - 170 (over $7225)
Members Served - 4862

1 Peter 4:10 - "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms."

Last month my five-year-old granddaughter said, "I miss God." Bewildered by her statement, I reassured Maddie that God is in heaven watching over her and that Jesus lives in her heart. It wasn't until several days later that I realized that she thought God lived at First United Methodist Church in Crestview, where she went to preschool over a year ago.

Have you missed God during this Covid-19 pandemic? In Psalm 139, 1-10, we read that God is all-seeing, all-powerful, and everywhere present. "God knows us. God is with us, and his greatest gift is to allow us to know him. "With everything going on in the world, I found that I missed God. Listening to daily devotionals online reminded me that God knows us and continues to be with us. Those words touched my heart and soul on a daily basis and reassured me that God was definitely on his throne. On April 1, my sister, Janet Norris, and Mary Jane Robertson, asked me to serve with them at Blessings for Children. Their passion for those with children in need during this time made me realize that God was working through this ministry, and I wanted to join them. Janet and Mary Jane invited me to participate in the Shalimar United Methodist Church food drops and the food drives that lead to the food pantry, known as the Bread House. I saw the genuine compassion of the members of SUMC to provide the basic essentials to those with food insecurities and nowhere to turn.

As a Team Lead at the Bread House, I encounter people searching for food and personal care items on a weekly basis. One of the kindest customers I have met is a wonderful lady, Katia, from Russia. She and her father typically stop by every week. Her husband lost his job and is waiting for his security clearance to be validated to start his new job. She is genuinely embarrassed to ask for help. Katia shared that they have two daughters who attend Liza Jackson Preparatory School. She is thrilled when we can provide fresh produce and meat for her family. Your generosity supports the Shalimar United Methodist Church Bread House and enables us to serve Katia once per week and those less fortunate during these difficult times. Thank you for allowing us to continue to serve others through this vital ministry for our community!
Submitted by Sandra Brown.

*Focus items you can help us with this week!
Canned Meat: Chicken, tuna, and ham
Canned Soup: Chicken Noodle, Tomato, and Cream of Mushroom soup
Canned Vegetables: Corn, green beans, mixed vegetables, baked beans, and Beanie Weenies
Pantry: Bread, Jelly, fruit cups, raisins (small boxes), peanut butter crackers, rice, granola bars, Mac & Cheese, and snacks
Dried Beans: Black, White, and Pinto Beans
Other Items: Paper towels, toilet paper, toothpaste, and toothbrushes
Snacks: small size bags of chips, cereal, fruit, health bars, etc. are always needed.

A special thank you to all our volunteers who dedicate themselves to this important mission each week!