feed620

As you know, we have been working together throughout the month of November to support Food for the Hungry which impacts families throughout our local community. We set a goal to Feed 620 families and make a real difference in their lives this Christmas season. We’ve been updating our progress throughout the month here at feed620.org and it’s been exciting to engage in the various activities as a campus community working toward our goal.

Thank you so much for your continued support of our campus community FEED 620 initiative. Our goal was to FEED 620 families, but you have continued to give above and beyond that! Our current total is more than 1000 families! And we’re not done yet.

There is still time to give. For Online Giving Options, go to: http://mvnu.edu/univadv/giving.asp.  Select “Food for the Hungry” under Gift Type. For tax credit, your contributions must be clearly marked “Food For the Hungry” and checks made payable to “Food For the Hungry.” Don’t miss your chance to help out!

It’s the holiday season and you’re going to hear a lot of messages about giving to others.  There are many stories of families in need – needs that we may never see or experience ourselves.  Let us tell you about Ruth.  She volunteers once a week in a local Interchurch office.  Ruth lives on a modest social security income and depends on the rental dollars from a small home that she rents out.  Unfortunately, her tenants have fallen on hard times and have not paid their rent for several months.  The Interchurch food pantry is a blessing as she strives to stretch her social security dollars to cover her own living expenses.  Many families in Knox County have hard choices to make just like Ruth. The good news is that we have a choice, too. We can make it a little easier for them.  That is what the Food for the Hungry drive is all about. Food For The Hungry – Working together to care for our neighbors.  Visit the Feed 620 store.  Our cash donations go a long way to feed our neighbors in Knox County.

On Monday, November 21, Pioneer Catering Services is partnering with MVNU to help us understand the difficult choices involving food that our neighbors make daily. You have the opportunity to SIGN-UP and experience the reality of soup kitchen dining. As you enter the cafeteria, STAY LEFT and go through what is normally the SUB line for soup kitchen dining, or the regular lines on the right for everything else.

The Soup Kitchen menu will be soup, bread, cookies, coffee and water. Soup Kitchen customers will be dining on the north side of the cafeteria. This area will be clearly marked.

Please note that unlike soup kitchens across our country, there will be an option of two different kinds of soup, one being gluten-free, vegetarian soup. Also note that most soup kitchens do not offer cookies for dessert.

You may wonder why we are doing this? It is in the hope that this event will help us identify with those who have little to no choice concerning food. They are dependent on the compassion of others for something as simple as a bowl of soup.

The FFH committee realizes that you can choose to view this is a hassle and an inconvenience. To some extent, that is how Jesus’ disciples looked at the hungry multitude when they told Jesus to send them away. Jesus said to his followers: you feed them. It is a command.

So, let us take this opportunity to better understand what it is like for someone else to make food choices for us. Pioneer Catering Services will be making a contribution toward our FEED620 campaign for each person who signs up.

1.    SIGN UP (send an email to laura.short@mvnu.edu or sign up at the FEED620 Store)

2.    STAY LEFT

2.    EAT SOUP KITCHEN MENU ONLY

You may wonder what happens to your contributions toward Food for the Hungry. Over the next few days, we’ll share a few stories answering that very question. Like this one:

“A couple came into the Salvation Army office for food assistance on a dreary rainy day. They were given a food box. They shared that they were waiting for their first check from the husband’s new job. This first check would be used to pay rent.  Later that evening the  police department called to report a couple was sleeping on the benches on the square.  When the Salvation Army staff found them, they were drenched. They were provided lodging until the paycheck came in a few days. They now are in an apartment.  Thanks for your contributions to Food for the Hungry.”  Food For The Hungry – Working together to care for our neighbors.  Visit the Feed620 store.  Our cash donations go a long way to feed our neighbors in Knox County.

Thanks to the creative folks at MVNU’s SGA for this amazing video. Let’s feed 620!