By Miryam Smith
Christ Church Cranbrook’s service week of Lighthouse provides all of us with the blessing of being able to provide meals to individuals and families who are less fortunate than most of us. Not only is nourishment given, but also kindness, caring, and letting someone know they matter and that their needs are seen.
When delivering a meal, you see the reality of the struggles these people face in life. It is, of course, often much more than hunger that these individuals face, but why not take one worry off their list of challenges? I always ask myself: Have I ever faced a day when my family and I had to agonize over where the next meal would come from? Can anyone imagine that need?
With all the work that needs to get done to feed these families during that one week, many hands are needed, and if anyone in this congregation could help with supplying time or effort with even just one task … as a community we can make it all come together!
On your grocery run, pick up an extra item and bring it to church. Or, come help put breakfast and lunch kits together. These kits are brought to the families at the beginning of the service week to help them with the breakfast and lunch meals. Or, help out with preparing one of the daily hot meals in the church’s kitchen. There is so much to wash, chop, mix, and divide in portions. Or, come help package up the prepared hot meals so they are ready for delivery. Lastly, there are opportunities to assist with driving and delivering the meal packages to Lighthouse and Micah 6.
To me, helping out with any of the tasks above is doing the Lord’s work. And, at the same time, volunteering is an opportunity for me to show gratitude for the many blessings God has bestowed on me in my life. On top of all that, the camaraderie experienced during the service week is deeply felt, and it is beautiful and meaningful to work with your fellow parishioners towards a common goal.
To donate food items or funds, click here.
To serve, click here.