Christmas/Hanukkah Hunger Program Info

December 7th, 2009 | Uncategorized

This time of year encourages us to pause and be thankful for all the blessings in our lives. At the soup kitchen and food pantry, we are especially grateful for the wonderful outpouring of support that has helped us feed countless numbers of people this year. Thanks to an incredible group of volunteers and the generosity of many donors, between 70 and 80 people are able to enjoy a delicious, healthy hot meal every Wednesday night. The food pantry continues to grow, with the line of people waiting for food often extending down the block to Franklin Street. But as the demand for emergency food continues to grow, it continues to be met thanks to an amazing response from our entire community.

To celebrate the holidays we are hosting two special events:

Wednesday Dec. 23 from 6-7pm – Turkey dinner with all the trimmings.
* Volunteers are needed any time from 2-8pm.
Thursday Dec. 24th from 3-5pm – Food Pantry
* Volunteers are needed from 2-5pm.

For those of you reading this who are in a position to help with the effort to feed hungry people in North Brooklyn, we are asking for monetary donations. Because we are members of the Food Bank of New York, we are able to purchase donated food at a steep discount. For example, with $50 we can purchase 200 boxes of cereal. Of course, we will always accept donations of canned and other dry goods (and these can be left in the donation bin on the church steps). But if you are going out and purchasing food specifically for the pantry, your money will go a lot further by donating it to us to purchase food through the Food Bank. And as a special bonus, the Food Bank even delivers right to our door. Donations can be made through PayPal or Facebook Causes.

There are some things that we cannot purchase from the Food Bank, and we have a new wish list:

* Large 12″ heavy duty Chinette paper plates
* Coffee
* Iced tea mix
* Ziplock bags (both freezer bags and sandwich bags)
* large heavy duty garbage bags (preferably big drum liners)
* heavy duty clear recycling bags
* three new heavy duty round garbage bins
* a hand washing sink (and someone who has the expertise to install it)

They are especially in need of additional volunteers with the following special skills:
* Polish language
* marketing and publicity
* web design and maintenance
* electrician
* plumber
* interior design/organization/storage/space usage
* big, strong, burly people who can act as a loving, yet forceful security-type folks

Thank you all again for your love, care and support. We wish you all a very happy Hanukkah and Christmas, and hope to see some of you at these great events.

Announcing the Greenpoint Interfaith Food Team

April 6th, 2009 | Uncategorized

We are very excited that Greenpoint’s synagogue, Congregation Ahavas Israel, and mosque, the Greenpoint Islamic Center are partnering with us to help combat hunger in North Brooklyn. Together, we are creating the Greenpoint Interfaith Food Team (GIFT) a new 501c3 corporation (pending New York State approval) that will operate the soup kitchen and food pantry.

What does this mean? For now, there is not much of a difference in the way that the food programs run. Because of kosher and halal requirements, it is easiest for the soup kitchen and food pantry to remain based in our church. But, we will no longer be serving any pork products.

With our three faith communities working together to combat hunger, we have a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate to those around us that Christians, Jews and Muslims can work together to care for others. It also provides us with a chance to get to know one another, to deepen our friendships and to learn about each other’s faith, history and tradition.

Soup Kitchen Wish List

November 14th, 2008 | Uncategorized

Give a gift of hope and help your local soup kitchen obtain items that are really needed. Each week we serve a hot meal to over 80 Greenpointers. With the downturn in the economy, we’re feeding increasing numbers of people. Here’s what we need to get this job done:

    A new stove – our old stove is over 60 years old and sadly needs to be replaced.
    An industrial dishwasher.
    A new sink.
    Paper plates, paper cups, paper bowls, napkins, forks, spoons and knives.
    Iced tea mix.
    Coffee.
    Paper towels.
    Toilet paper.
    You can also make a donation to help pay for the heat or electricity

We also need to repair the basement so that we can serve our overflow crowd downstairs. This means installing a new floor, painting the walls, installing some kitchen base cabinets and improving the lighting. We’re starting a fund to complete this work, and would welcome any donations toward the project. We are also looking for construction/DIY people to volunteer for the project. If you are interested, please send an email to pastor {at} greenpointchurch {dot} org. Thanks!

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