Shared Bread
Shared Bread is an extension of our church that helps families, The Disabled, And Senior Citizens Who Live within the Kent School District boundaries.
Our primary focus is offering financial help to stop evictions and to stop utilities (heat and lights) from being shut off. People are eligible for assistance once every 12 months. We usually help close to 600 individuals per year. We have volunteers on Mondays who schedule the interviews for the clients at church for the following Wednesdays. During the interviews, we can assist our clients with additional help for many of their various needs.
Shared Bread Corner—Beyond Our Doors
A big thank you to all who helped make our celebration of 1 million dollars of giving to our neighbors in need such a success. Please take a moment to think about all the cases we helped and will help, which were reflected in our poster stories. Last week, we helped a grandmother who was coming out of the hospital, who takes care of her son with kidney issues, and her grandchild, who stayed in their apartment as they were close to eviction. We were her lifeline.
I am following the policies coming out of the Federal government that want to cut 43% of the funding for housing assistance. If successful, this could have significant effects in Washington State with Section 8 housing, subsidized building for housing, and vouchers. People needing help in that area could triple.
Last Wednesday, I attended the Renton Community Foundation Gala at New Beginnings Church along with 250 community organization members. It was a great evening with a roomful of people focused on different areas to help people. They raised $150,000 that evening. Next week, the Shared Bread Team will assist the Coeur d’Alene Methodists in starting an emergency program via a Zoom meeting.
We are touching people beyond our doors in our work every day. Together, we can be there to throw a lifeline to all our neighbors. And as the hymn goes: “they will know we are Christians by our love.”
Shalom,
Leslie Hamada/Shared Bread
Kent UMC reaches $1 million milestone for assistance program
Kent United Methodist Church is celebrating a remarkable milestone! Over the past 25 years, the church's Shared Bread Program has surpassed $1 million in donations, providing vital rent and utility assistance to local families in need. Discover how this community-driven initiative continues to make a difference.