“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
Matthew 25: 37-40
Hunger in the suburbs exists and it is growing. According to the U.S Census Bureau, over
5,000 people in Hunterdon County live below the poverty level. Sometimes, hard working adults cannot make
ends meet due to underemployment. The effects of hunger on children are
devastating and can have lifelong consequences.
Proper nutrition is essential for the growth and development of young
children. Lack of adequate nutrition can
lead to delays in language and fine motor skills. Students, who go to school hungry tend to be
irritable, tired and have difficulty concentrating. A child whose learning is hindered by hunger
is more likely to suffer from poverty as an adult.
Zion responds to Christ’s call to feed the hungry with several of our missions.
Flemington
Food Pantry
The mission of the Flemington Food Pantry is “to provide food to eligible citizens of Hunterdon County.” Zion supports the Food Pantry’s efforts monetarily and by semi-annual food drives. Our Fall Food Harvest collects non-perishable items and is delivered to Flemington so that the shelves can be stocked in time for the Thanksgiving Holiday. The spring food drive took into consideration that Federally Funded School lunch programs are suspended during the summer break. For some families providing that extra meal to growing children can be difficult, so we focused on collecting “Family Friendly” items such as peanut butter, jelly, calcium enriched puddings, 100% fruit juices, fruit cups, canned tuna and chicken, canned pastas, and cereals.
Open Cupboard Food Pantry
Open Cupboard is a local food pantry and thrift store. In 2010, Open Cupboard moved to a new location in Clinton New Jersey, where they adopted the tag line “Neighbors helping neighbors”. Their increased visibility brought more donations and new clients. The number of people seeking help from Open Cupboard is at an all time high – they now consistently feed over 400 people monthly. Open Cupboard continues to find those who could benefit from their services and plans to extend pantry and shop hours in the future. Zion supports Open Cupboard’s missions with monetary donations and grocery deliveries. Some of Zion’s members regularly donate clothes and home goods to the thrift shop.
Good News Garden
When Janis Mays-Holder was at Zion completing her ministerial internship, she started the Good News Garden. Everyone remembers Janis’ passion and green thumb. The garden became a multi-generational project. Young Sunday school students nurtured seedlings, older students helped plant, and not-so-young folks weeded and watered. Everyone came together to harvest a great bounty of vegetables that eventually made its way to the Flemington Food Pantry. Janis’ inspiration for the garden came from Jesus’ command to Simon Peter to “Feed my flock”. As a former High School teacher, Janis saw the effects that hunger and poor nutrition had on her students. The fresh vegetables from the garden go to local families in need.
Also learn more about Zion’s dynamic partnership with Trinity Lutheran Church and Faith Kitchen in nearby Dover, NJ.