Communion Sunday is Food Bank Sunday
As part of our Communion Sunday monthly celebration, we collect food donations for the Kent Foodbank. This is how we express our love for Jesus as we care for our neighbors. Please join us by bringing food donations and placing them in the basket in the church's narthex. Other food donations are always appreciated.
Drop off your donations in the Kent Food Bank basket in the Narthex.
All donations collected will go to the Kent Food Bank.
Save the Date for the Letter Carrier’s Food Drive—May 10
The federal government has slashed funding for food banks, and states are also struggling with funding. We need community support more than ever. Please load up a bag of unexpired canned, boxed, or otherwise unopened shelf-stable packages of food and put them by your mailbox. Prepare your bag early so you can put it out on May 10. If you are not around on the 10th, ask a neighbor to put it out with theirs. Ethnic foods are especially appreciated. Find out more.
The Kent Food Bank Needs You!
Food Bank Board Position Available
KUMC currently has a standing seat on the board of the Kent Foodbank. Positions are for three years. Sandra Durbrow has been our designee for the last three years, and the food bank has asked if, instead of her leaving, someone else might like to also join the board. The work is very light. They meet monthly on the 2nd Thursday via Zoom from 2 to 3 p.m. Once a quarter and in an additional meeting once a year, the group meets in person at the food bank on Harrison Street near Kent Station. There are very few requests throughout the year for reviews of topics outside of the meetings.
Additionally, a brand new offshoot group of the board focused on short-term and long-term fundraising. Three KIMC members are participating: Susan Adams, Lillian Borst, and Sandra Durbrow. We are brainstorming ways to increase food and financial donations. We will begin implementing ideas quickly for short-term projects and spend more time developing long-term projects as the board determines long-range plans for the food bank to meet anticipated community needs. We are meeting every other Monday from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Our next meeting is on May 5.
If you would like to know more about either of these opportunities, feel free to contact us.
Let’s Get Growing!
If you’re paying any attention to the news, you’ve seen the hard cuts that the federal government is making to food banks. Additionally, our state is struggling with its budget and making cuts. This leaves food banks, including Kent, with minimal dollars to buy the needed produce, meat, and dairy products. How can you help? Plant fruits and veggies for the food bank! The KUMC Outreach Beyond Our Walls Committee invites our members to share the bounty of their gardens with the food bank. If you don’t already have a garden, you can pot one or two plants to help. Even herbs are a gift. Soon, we will start collecting produce at church weekly and delivering it to the Kent Food Bank. We’ll also have berry picking events later in the summer. Watch for more information about this exciting program. Together, we can grow solutions.
Grocery Store Collections
In early June, we will collect food donations for the food bank at a couple of grocery stores in Kent. We are currently confirming those dates and times. Our goal will be to collect breakfast items to help kids as we move into summer with unknown budgets for summer meal programs. We partner with food bank volunteers and Indivisible Covington for this program to multiply the impact and help connect with our neighbors. We especially hope to see families with school-age kids at these collection events, given that we are targeting foods for kids, and it’s an easy way for our kids to participate. Again, watch for more information.