I’d like to tell you how much we appreciate the food items you bring to church and leave with us for our food pantry. This helps me reduce the number of trips to the grocery store for purchasing food. Some have asked me if I preferred cash or groceries. I prefer groceries. Your dollars purchase just as many items as I can with the same dollars.

We have noticed a downturn in the number of people coming in for groceries. This is true throughout the other benevolence agencies in town. Denton’s unemployment is at 4.0%, the lowest it has ever been. We average about 20 families a week needing food. Even though the numbers are down, this is still a lot of groceries coming off our shelves.

The people that come to us are usually embarrassed to ask for help. This is an overall feeling I get from most everyone who comes to us. The large majority of people asking for help are extremely grateful. This should make you feel good to know that what you do is very much appreciated by those who are trying to feed their family during the busy summer’s months when kids are home from school with hungry stomachs and don’t have the benefit of school meals. There have been a lot of grandparents coming in who are helping to keep their grandkids fed while parents work. For a fixed income retiree, doing this without a little help is a huge burden.

I believe one of my major jobs as benevolence minister is to keep you aware of the degree of gratitude among our clients. What we do is worthwhile. We’re not wasting our money or efforts in assisting the people who come to see us. Mathew 25 is the basis and the reason we do what we do. The people that come to us for assistance may come without a lot, but they all leave with the respect and dignity that every human being deserves. All our volunteers understand this and know that what they do is appreciated. I’d invite you to come and visit us Tuesdays and Thursdays during our normal 3-5 pm pantry hours.

Thanks for being a loving church.