UM Men provide food for hungry families

By Wade Mays

2020 was a challenging year for millions of people around the country. The number of families struggling to put food on their tables doubled since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Families that managed to scrape by each month before COVID suddenly faced an unexpected crisis as layoffs, furloughs, and unemployment wrecked their carefully balanced plans.

The pandemic and its effects have not gone away. In fact, the number of families experiencing hunger is increasing. Lower-income families are the most vulnerable. There’s a new wave of people who managed to make ends meet each month, before the pandemic, who are now struggling to put food on the table for their children. These families must make difficult decisions daily to give something up to pay for food. For some families that something might be electricity— for others, it might be clothing or medicine. To make their food last until the next paycheck, parents add an extra cup of water to soup, water down milk, or give children soda because it’s cheaper than milk. waste in the United States. Hard to believe, isn’t it? Yet, it is an astounding fact that more than 263 million pounds of food is wasted every day in this country. What makes that waste even worse, is that every day millions of Americans struggle to get enough food for their families to eat. It must break God’s heart to see so much waste in the face of so much need.

Bridging the hunger gap

Fortunately, however, UM Men are working every day to bridge the hunger gap in the United States. Some volunteer to help in soup kitchens. Others go into farmers’ fields after harvest to pick up leftover food and deliver it to those in need. Still others help out at food banks and local pantries that serve the poor. All across this nation, the Society of St. Andrew (SoSA), with the support of UM Men, is doing something to address hunger in America. I truly hope the men in your fellowship are so engaged.

Many UM Men reached out to SoSA looking for ways to help get good food to families in their communities. Even though many groups weren’t meeting during the COVID-19 pandemic, they saw the need and wanted to help. This is the heart of UM Men— a heart for serving and caring for their neighbors. We have seen it time and time again around our country as needs have arisen.

Food waste

In the time it will take you to finish reading this, 340,000 pounds of perfectly good food will go to

Wade Mays is director of Meals for Millions and Hunger Relief Advocates for the Society of St. Andrew.

Action in St. Louis

One UM Men leader saw the rising need in his community in St. Louis. Mark Shrader recognized the need and went all in to share nutritious food with families in his community. He saw the need and God

prompted him to help make sure that the hungry were fed. Mark also put us in touch with The Urban League. By partnering with SoSA at just the right time, we provided truckloads of food for that community. UM Men hosted Saturday feeding events that served more than 5,000 families.

New York responds

Another group of UM Men in the Upper New York Conference wanted to put their faith into action and assist others in need. John Conklin, Dean Burdick, Buddy Heit and Mark Jones led men all over the conference to host multiple potato drops to help feed those in need. The dedication that these men showed in spite of some challenges was inspiring for so many. They helped to share over 1 million servings of food to the hungry in the last half of 2020.

A call for prayer and action

Let us remember there are still people whose greatest blessing would be simply having enough food on the table for everyone to eat. Will you pray for these families struggling with an unthinkable burden? Please, pray that this ministry seeks to glorify God as He empowers SoSA’s mission to harvest and share healthy food.

There are countless ways to continue helping to reach out and serve those in need in 2021. Please reach out and I will help to get your group involved and on mission to feed the hungry. Thank each of you for helping to assist others during their time of need. Our hearts are full knowing the dedication and commitment that UM Men have shown in putting others ahead of themselves. May God continue to richly bless you.

Northern Illinois provides funds

Still others led the way financially to help SoSA deliver food. The Northern Illinois UM Men led by George Groves and Steve Nailor once again stepped up in a major way to help fund Meals for Millions. The COVID-19 pandemic forced their fundraising concert to be cancelled but that didn’t stop the Northern Illinois men. They stepped up and found a way to help provide over 3 million servings of food.

Thousands of others

There’s also no way to forget that thousands of people, just like you, stood up in the darkest moments and answered the call to serve others and share abundance. Your story may not be shared here but we have heard and seen the impact that your generosity and heart for mission have made on those in need.

We have a common-sense solution to an unprecedented crisis. Neighbors have reached out to help their neighbors and bring people together when hunger is at its highest. Bringing people together to help serve others is what SoSA and UM Men are all about. We all envision a world in which physical and spiritual hungers are met through God’s grace and abundance in Jesus Christ. We also seek to bring people together to harvest and share healthy food, reduce food waste, and build caring communities by offering nourishment to hungry neighbors.