Spreading Hope and Fighting Hunger with ProJeCt Easton
Arndt’s Lutheran Church
Submitted By Gerry Burns, Chairperson Advent Food Drive
ProJeCt Easton is a beacon of hope and opportunity in the heart of the Lehigh Valley. With a legacy spanning more than 50 years, they are dedicated to uplifting low-income, at-risk residents through the power of education and community support.
ProJeCt Easton’s Food Pantry has been a community cornerstone for more than 30 years in the city of Easton, PA. The goal of the food pantry is to reduce food insecurity and increase food knowledge by providing high quality nutrient food to low-income, at-risk adults, children, and seniors.
Five years ago, I started a “reverse” Advent Calendar Food Drive at Arndt’s Lutheran Church in Forks Township, PA. Instead of opening a daily surprise on an Advent Calendar, each person collected a different pantry item at home, placed it in a bag or box, and delivered their collection to church by the end of Advent. I provide a detailed list of the items that the pantry needs. I received a Thrivent grant and gift cards from local food stores so I could purchase additional items on our list.
My committee then sorted, checked dates, and packed the donated items into large storage bins ready for transport to the food pantry. Each year, a local trucking company has donated a truck and manpower to transport the bins to the food pantry.
On January 3, we delivered 15 extra large storage bins, plus many boxes and bags of food and personal items to the ProJeCt Easton Food Pantry. I am happy to say that the response from our congregation continues to amaze me! Each year we continue to receive donations from several families in Delaware, who have generously donated outside of their own communities to help us in our quest to fight hunger in Easton, PA. It’s heartwarming to see the generosity of so many helping those in need.
Morgan McKay, Community Relations Manager of ProJeCt Easton and the volunteer staff at the food pantry were amazed at the number of items we provided from their wish-list. With the current economy and high price of food, the donations are flying off the pantry shelves as fast as they are stocked.
Thank you, Arndt's, for your story
Arndt's, Easton
Are you interested in sharing your story?
We would love to uplift and share the work you are doing through your congregation, ministry team or organization. Click the button to begin the process.
