The Society of St. Andrew (SoSA) would like to invite your church to take part in this yearís Feed Your Neighbor Sunday. Now celebrating its second year, Feed Your Neighbor Sunday provides a creative, organized way to learn about local food needs, and to share fresh fruits and vegetables within your community.
How does Feed Your Neighbor work?
On a Sunday of your congregationís choosing, congregants will be asked to bring to church with them nutritious, quality produce from their gardens, local farmersí markets, and grocery stores. (For folks who wish to contribute from a farmerís market, itís easy to find one nearest you at www.ncfarmfresh.org.) After the service, church volunteers will deliver the produce directly to a location that SoSA coordinates for you. Locations may include low-income housing, senior assisted living, homes of refugee families, or homeless shelters. You may even decide to share with those in need who belong to your own congregation.
What else doesSoSA do?
Since 1979, SoSA has been collecting and distributing wide varieties of fruits and vegetables to people with limited access to gardens or affordable markets. Some of your congregation members may already have helped us accomplish this goal by gleaning at local farmsópicking produce that canít be sold because of minor blemishes, overproduction, or fluctuating market prices. The food SoSA gathers and gives away is always high quality and would often otherwise be plowed under or left to rot. In fact, this incredible waste is what happens to roughly 20 percent of all food grown in the U.S. The SoSA recognizes this need so we can get down to the serious business of celebrating abundance.
Your congregation can participate in Feed Your Neighbor Sunday on whichever date you choose. Interested churches should email Kate Pattison at sosanc@endhunger.org, or call 919-683-3011 to find out more information.
SoSA will provide all participating churches a support kit including:
Worship guides; to include suggested hymns, prayers, and scripture related to gleaning, food, and hunger;
Childrenís activities;
Location and contact information for delivery of collected produce;
A report form to be returned to SoSA, with produce amounts recorded by weight and type.
The church that collects the most produce will receive a certificate recognizing their efforts, and SoSA will gladly publish the results in our newsletter.
Contact either Kate Pattison or Kristy Nash at 919-683-3011 with questions.