November 2020

Hello Parishioners and Friends,

I am hopeful that this letter finds you and your loved ones well.

Wow, what a year 2020 has been, huh? Adjectives that have been used so often to describe these times include difficult, challenging, uncertain, and, for many, despairing.

Many food pantries have temporarily or even permanently closed for a variety of reasons. We at the Giving Bank recognized that our community would continue to need us, now more than ever. Many families have experienced furloughs, layoffs, and unemployment. We have seen our weekly numbers grow, and have seen new clients that were once donors.

We used our desire and purpose as motivation to overcome the many distribution challenges. We have altered the way we serve our clients a couple of times in order to  organize the most effective way to continue to distribute food while practicing social distancing guidelines. We serve daily, and we have a home delivery service for our elderly and for those who are not comfortable leaving their homes yet.

We have had the opportunity to participate in the USDA Farmers to Families program, and we have been able assist over a dozen other organizations with thousands of pounds of food.

Keeping all this in mind, we are proud that we have continued to serve as before and in ways that we had not expected, allowing us to touch many more lives. But more than proud, we are grateful! Grateful for the generosity of our community that has allowed us to continue to help those that need us most. We are a representation of you.

Thank you! Thank you for turning our difficult tasks into manageable ones, the challenges into calm thoughtful decisions, these uncertain times into determined times, and most importantly the despair of our brothers and sisters into hopeful encouragement.

In Thanksgiving,

Marlene Moore

Director of Community Services