October is a month of abundance. It marks the end of the growing season—the time to gather and store the last fruits of the harvest and to celebrate. It also brings the first nips of cold and reminds us that winter and its hardships are coming. Living in central Virginia and Charlottesville with its myriad festivals and fares—the Heritage Harvest; Veggie Fest; the Apple Festival—it’s easy to sense the abundance of the year’s harvest. The pride that local producers take in their work is palpable; as is the passion of local diners—this is after all a foodie town evidenced by a plethora of great restaurants and gourmet shops.
Yet despite appearances, the abundance of our food supply does not reach everyone’s table. This has been, to me, one of the great ironies of living here and working day to day with people who struggle to make ends meet. Charlottesville still comes out above average in food insecurity compared to the rest of the Commonwealth. One in five children in our city is food insecure—meaning they qualify for free and reduced price lunch.
I have been heartened by a Presidential campaign that has made income inequality a banner issue. I am hopeful that on a local level we come to a time where everyone makes a living wage and no one goes hungry. Yet in the meantime our neighbors and our peers are hungry. It’s up to us as a congregation—particularly one with a social justice mission—to help. And one of the many ways we do this is by housing our very own Food Pantry.
The TJMC Food Pantry provides critical assistance to anyone in need. Open on the first Friday of every month, we feed 107 families (275 people), all on a budget of $200/month. In addition to our regular work, the TJMC Food Pantry will give $1,000 at Thanksgiving for turkey gift cards. And during the holiday season, we give food gift cards to many of our own members.
The Food Pantry depends SOLELY on church contributions for its work. So, on Sunday, October 15, please give whatever you can at the Social Action Collection.
–Stephanie Jones