Every year the Wooster, Ohio, Grace Brethren Church (Robert Fetterhoff, pastor) seeks to make a difference in the lives of needy people in its community by giving away a box of food during the Easter season. It’s called “Feed the Need” and this is the program’s third year. More than 300 families were served during the weekend before Easter this year.
Ivanildo Trindade, associate pastor of outreach ministry at the Wooster church, says, “In Ohio there are 329,000 people who are dealing with hunger every day, 129,000 of which are children. These numbers alone, let alone the thousands of biblical injunctions to help the poor, should drive every Christian to do something about the issue of hunger wherever it may be present.”
The uniqueness of “Feed the Need,” Trindade says, is that not only is the church family asked to provide the food; they are also asked to make contact with the family they are serving, to go in person to deliver the food, share the resurrection story with them, and pray God’s blessings upon the family.
He says, “This allows people from our church who have, by and large, lived a life of abundance, to be inside the homes of people who are ‘the last and the least of these.’ It represents a true cross-cultural trip right in our own county, an eye-opener for those who don’t know anyone who struggles to simply survive in this environment that for most of our people is one of plenty and waste.”
As one family put it, “Diana almost cried when we delivered the food to her. She was overwhelmed. Her cupboards were empty.”
Another person, seeing how distressed the home where she delivered food was, exclaimed: “It’s amazing that even in Wooster people are going hungry!”
Doing “Feed the Need” has helped Wooster people see the fields in their own area. As one lady said, “Looking at the neighborhoods, at the places we visited, and talking to people, reminded us that we have a real mission field and many needs right in our own county. Wayne County needs the Lord!!”
Trindade says, “’Feed the Need’ for us is another avenue to help our people stay ‘on mission’ for God. I hope you will consider doing something to help alleviate the suffering of people around you who are struggling to make ends meet. They need hope, a little touch of kindness, and lots of love in the name of Christ. The church should specialize in that kind of stuff.”
For more information about “Feed the Need,” feel free to contact Pastor Ivanildo Trindade at itrindade@woostergrace.org.