Celebrating Easter with friends and family—what a wonderful tradition. Shopping for special foods, planning a special menu with certain favorite foods, perhaps even preparing your own “ethnic favorites”—another wonderful tradition.
This year the Mission Team of Christ United Methodist Church is asking you to figure out what your Easter meal actually costs…costs for the food…costs for the time spent shopping and preparing. The memories you will have that day are priceless, but some costs can be determined. This though is the Mission Team’s challenge: Are you able to match part of these costs by spending money on food for homeless veterans? Can you match the costs of your own Easter meal, or perhaps the meal of your household? Can you spend more? We ask you to pray about what you can afford to give this month. We believe feeding the homeless is a way of “inviting Christ to be a part of our Easter celebration.” We hope you share this belief.
Once each year, during the month of April, the church family of Christ United Methodist Church collects non-perishable cans of food. We particularly need protein foods: canned tuna, sardines, chicken, beef. (Much to our surprise canned sardines are very popular.) We also need canned fruits and vegetables, dish soap, paper towels and other essential non-edibles that are not covered by food stamps.
Tom and Tobey Sroga will be delivering this month’s food donations to TLS of McHenry County. TLS has two sites—a rehabbed former motel in Hebron which has been converted to small studio apartments, and a drop-in-site where there is peer support, employment counseling and a small food pantry. For the TLS Veterans who are homeless, this is a critical time because PADS sites provide dinner, breakfast and a packaged lunch—and PADS sites close at the end of April.
If you just plain hate shopping, or if would rather make sure that TLS food donation is exactly what these veterans need, then this month we have another choice. You can give cash on the last Sunday of April, (April 30th) on “Get Your Can to Church” Sunday. You may also write a check. Checks need to be written to “Christ United Methodist Church, and on the memo line-“TLS Food”. The Mission Team has arranged with the Church Finance Team and with Tom and Tobey Sroga for them to purchase food with the monetary donations during April. You may turn in checks any Sunday in April, as long as they are clearly marked on the memo-line “TLS-Food.” Cash donations will be collected only on April 30 th. (Questions should be directed to Tom or Tobey Sroga, or Mission Co-Chairs—Bonnie Dodge or Maylo Hranac.)
CUMC Mission Team