Some of you may know that I regularly volunteer at the Brookside Center. The Brookside Center is primarily a food center that serves hundreds of families each month on the westside of Cleveland and in our southwestern suburbs of Parma, Independence, and Seven Hills amongst others.
Last Friday, I went down into the basement storage area and was amazed what I found:
 |
When I asked Cathy (the staffer who orders food) about the scarcity, she indicated that food was just getting more and more expensive and that resources are tight. While they have not yet had to turn people away, I worry how much longer they can keep this up.
Thus, I'm asking for your help! The Brookside Center is one of the vital safety nets that helps to keep the most vulnerable people in our neighborhoods from starving. Though Brookside will accept all forms of non-perishable foods, they are completely out of canned fruit and also are in desperate need for one-dish meals. The Brookside Center is located at 3784 Pearl Rd. Cleveland. They receive donations Monday-Friday between 8:30-3:00 (come before 2:00 if you need help carrying them in). If these hours don't work and you can get the items to the church office (216-524-6054), we will make sure they get to the right place. You can also send checks payable to WSEM-Brookside to the above address.
The prophet Isaiah declared that God desires you to
"share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?...If you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday." (Isaiah 58: 7, 10)
May we respond generously to God's call.
Pastor Jared
No comments:
Post a Comment