Community Table

Cornelius UMC officially opened it's Community Table Food Pantry today! We provided food for 47 families (235 people in all) and 20 volunteers from the church and community helped over the past two days to make it happen!


Jenny, Christina, Chrissy and Don next to the quickly emptying shelves:


Marcela and Matilde serving up some samples from the dish Matilde taught people to prepare:


It is a difficult time for so many people and, unfortunately, the need for pantries like ours continues to grow. What gives me hope is the energy and enthusiasm around this vision of a community space and the sharing of gifts and abilities. Though many of us are in need of food (or or friendship or support), we all have something to offer. One man who has been out of work for three months said that he is an experienced painter and would be happy to volunteer his time if someone needs something painted. Many of the volunteers who helped yesterday and today also signed up to take home a food box. With only the occasional mis-communication, Spanish-only speakers and English-only speakers worked alongside one another--such a beautiful thing!

It was such a neat experience to be able to offer a comfortable space where people could stay and rest or visit--and for people to take advantage of it! One older woman, after filling out the basic intake form, sat down with her husband in a couch by the gas fire and sighed, "This is nice." I got to talk with and hear the stories of many people and enjoyed meeting the family of a boy in the second grade class I volunteer with each week.

As involved folks have begun to talk about Community Table with those around them and as we've gotten the word out in town, many opportunities for partnership have emerged. A man who works with the local school bus company has said that he wants to organize a food drive and the folks at Centro Cultural want to donate all the food they will collect at their annual Day of the Child event in April. For the latter event, there will be around 40 booths and 3,000 community members are expected to attend!

What a gift to see this holy snowballing in action!