Food Drive for Local Food Pantry

by Debbie Hamrick

St. Michael’s (Gainesville, VA) supports the Haymarket Food Pantry as a local mission. Back when we worshiped in person, people would bring in donations each week, and one of our parishioners would drop the donations off at the food pantry the next day. Once the pandemic kept us from worshiping together, the collective donations weren't happening either. With the holidays approaching in November, I offered to do a collection at the church office parking lot. We had a very positive response: 271 pounds of goods plus a cash donation!

We collected again in December. We collected 337 pounds of goods and a cash donation. We collected again in last week and received 151 pounds of goods and another cash donation on a cold a windy day in the church parking lot.

Times are still very challenging for many, so we are going to try to keep up a regular schedule and do a collection on the third Friday of each month until we are able to worship in person again. It has proven to be a lovely way to give to those less fortunate and offers a nice opportunity for some socially-distanced fellowship between our parishioners. We all miss that very much.

Debbie Hamrick is a parishioner at St. Michael’s Anglican Church in Haymarket, VA.