Peace of Bread Community Kitchen continues to reach out to our community in exciting and amazing ways! From Bible Study, Peace of Music, Food Pantry donations, Clothing Room donations, Christmas gift donations, hand sewn Easter & Christmas dress donations, free tutoring & homework help, kids craft time & of course the delicious weekly dinners served by our faithful volunteer groups…there is so much going on at UPCW on Wonderful Wednesdays! This past year in particular God has truly blessed our ministry in countless ways, both large & small, even more than usual. (And that’s really saying something!)
Looking ahead it is hard to believe that summer is not that far away after our recent “extended into spring, weird winter weather.” So many people look forward to summer and all that it represents…sunshine, warm weather, relaxation, & yes, school vacation! It is a wonderful time of year for many people.
For many folks though summer is a very stressful time. Families with children to feed especially feel the stress of trying to feed their children without the help they receive from the free & reduced cost school breakfasts & lunches. The thought that children, right here in our community, are looking ahead to summer knowing they will be under fed & just plain hungry, is so sad. It’s an awful concept isn’t it?
We try as best as we can at Peace of Bread Community Kitchen to assist anyone who needs help feeding themselves & their families, especially over summer school vacation. Our small food pantry is a huge help to many people. An average of 40 people/families a week are able to get a large grocery bag full of food staples when they come to dinner on Wednesday nights. Families with children get extra help from our annual Summer Brunch Bag program.
Due to the very generous donations we received from many wonderful people & organizations in our community, through the Unibank sponsored $30 Challenge two years ago, we still have enough funds to fully support our Summer Brunch Bag program again this summer! We are so grateful for this.
During the ten weeks of summer school vacation we provide a brown paper grocery bag filled with kid friendly breakfast & lunch items to every family with school age children who comes to Peace of Bread. We usually give out 20-25 Brunch Bags a week. It is a pretty big undertaking in addition to all the regular weekly work at Peace of Bread, but it is something we strongly believe in, knowing what this program means to so many people.
So as we all look ahead to the joys of summer, please keep the Peace of Bread ministry, & particularly our Summer Brunch Bag program, in your prayers. We appreciate all the support from the amazing volunteers who serve at Peace of Bread so faithfully, as well as all who pray for us and donate to our ministry.
It is because of God’s amazing love for us that we serve and remain “United in Christ to feed His people, body and soul.”
Laurie Sabourin