By Christine Piatek, for the Food Ministry

When Food Ministry co-chairs Mike Muccioli and Jackie Thomas recently shared a few end-of-year statistics with the rest of the committee, we were astounded by the reach of our efforts.  On a project-by-project basis, we tend to lose sight of what we have accomplished.

In food drive donations and fundraiser receipts alone, UUCWC donated in-kind food supplies with a total value of $3,031.27. These enthusiastic donations went to Fisherman’s Mark Food Pantry in Lambertville, the Chubby’s Project in Hopewell, the Interfaith Food Alliance in Morrisville, and the Bucks County Opportunity Council in Bristol, Pennsylvania.

The committee’s once-a-month meal for the Monday night HomeFront tutoring program at church cost about $1,600. Donation of eighteen sets of professional chef-knives to graduates of the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen’s Culinary Program, paid for by the Rollie Rahn Fund established by Rollie’s family (Lori Rahn, Renae Rahn, and Natalie Rahn) and administered by the Food Ministry, totaled $1,507. Lori Rahn and others from the committee have attended three graduation ceremonies over the past two years with the added delight of savoring the delicious meals prepared by the new chefs.

These are only some of the projects the Food Ministry undertook this past year with the support of the congregation and the Council for Faith in Action’s Faith Expression Funding Team.  Now in its fifteenth year, the Food Ministry looks forward to continuing its small role in addressing food insecurity in our local communities. Although it sometimes feels overwhelming to acknowledge that our efforts alone cannot fill the insatiable needs of our local communities, we are grateful that we can share the gifts of our time and resources and do our part. We appreciate the congregation’s support and look forward to hearing from members who would like to help in this ministry. Write to the Food Ministry at foodministry@uucwc.org to ask questions or express interest in ongoing projects.