Feed the People
Close your eyes. Think back to a time when you felt like you were starving. Can you think of it? Do you remember the hunger pains in your stomach? Do you remember only being able to think about what delicious thing you were going to chow down on as soon as you were able? Do you remember the satisfaction of taking that first bite?
All of us have probably had a time where we felt ourselves getting hungry to the point of feeling those stabbing pains in our stomach. For some its because we rushed out of the house in the morning without grabbing breakfast and by lunch time we were just famished. For others it might be a scheduled medical procedure that required fasting prior to the appointment. And then there are those times when work, life, and other stressful things get in the way and stopping to eat just isn’t really a possibility in that moment. No matter what the situation may be hunger is something we have all experienced at one time or another. But for most of us it isn’t a long term problem. Hunger is a mild inconvenience at best that will quickly be remedied.
However, this isn’t the case for everyone in our community. According https://www.feedingamerica.org/ 1 in 7 people in the state of New Mexico struggle with food insecurity. Breaking that down even further 1 in 4 children struggle with hunger. Almost half the state population that is is on SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) have children in the home. For most of these children the best nutrition the receive comes from the free breakfast and lunch they are provided in school. The problem is even with the assistance and the free meals provide it often times still isn’t enough.
When the Covid-19 health pandemic shut down business and jobs were terminated the hunger problem in our state and local communities only grew. Through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act the USDA partnered with local growers, dairies, and other producers to purchase more than $6 million in quality food. These food items were then packed in family sized boxes and distributed to local food banks, community and faith based organizations, and other non-profits serving the communities.
We here at The Well had the opportunity to be one of those faith based organizations that was able to come along side those in our community that were in need to provide these family sized boxes. The program began in May of 202o. We began with 10 boxes of fresh produce to give to the members or our small congregation. Within a month we were acquiring 150 boxes to distribute to our community. The program has continued and with it the number of families we have been able to help and support has only grown. Just in the month of April alone our small congregation distributed close to 2000 boxes of produce, dairy, and protein to people in need in our community.
I will be one of the first people to tell you that this has not been the easiest community outreach program but boy has it been one of the biggest blessings we have ever been a part of. The program has been continued through the end of May and we will be distributing food to those in need until then.
Matthew 25:35 “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me”