Bethany taking trek to Helpline House on Saturday
From Pastor Paul
Good morning. I hope you are finding places of joy and hope in these extraordinary times.
September is the month when we usually are involved as a congregation in the Bainbridge Island CROP Walk, a time to walk together to acknowledge the problem of hunger both locally and internationally. It is a walk to support local food agencies, like Helpline House and Fishline (Poulsbo), and also to support the work of Church World Service globally. Each year the money raised is matched by a local donor, so it has been quite a boost to these hunger efforts.
In this unusual time, we are conducting "virtual" CROP Walks, leaving it up to each household to devise a walking plan that will help them reflect on the concerns of hunger near and far. To enhance this, I have planned a "physically distanced walk" from Bethany to Helpline House (about one mile) this Saturday, September 19th, following our drive-in worship service, so we should begin at about 6pm. (If the smoke persists, we will most likely cancel this walk, as we cancelled worship last Saturday). The idea is to have each household walk a bit apart from others, but all with the same destination. And, if walkers would like to carry non-perishable items to Helpline, that would be all the better. We also hope to have produce from the Bethany garden to carry over, thanks to Mary Douglas.
Here are the items requested by Helpline House:
Pull-top soups, cans of fruit
Single serve items for the kid's pantry (boxes of individually wrapped granola bars, fruit cups, goldfish)
Ready-made meals (rice-a-roni, mac and cheese, etc.)
Please know that in these complicated days I want to be careful not to invite people into any situation where they may feel uncomfortable, or to place unhealthy expectations on them. We would love to have a good representation, but certainly understand how that may not be wise or possible for many. Just know that you are enthusiastically invited. We will plan on taking sidewalks because we have some individuals who will benefit from that surface.
Again, I hope that you and your family are finding ways to not only cope, but thrive in this crazy time. God bless you, and please be safe and healthy.