The Messenger
November 5, 2012 Volume XXII, No. 11 Nationalchurch.org
Help Us End Hunger Somebody asked me recently why I had joined Metropolitan. Back in 2005 I found myself church shopping and noticed an announcement that there would be a symposium on homelessness at Metropolitan on the following Saturday. It turned out to be sponsored by Friendship Place which I had never heard about despite having been on the Martha’s Table board for many years and having worked on issues of homelessness and hunger in Washington for quite a while. In the Lord’s mysterious way, I found myself seated between Dick Schleicher and Ann Michel, founders of Metropoitan House as well as Friendship Place. For me the rest is history. Our church’s commitment to shelter and feed our less fortunate neighbors is what drew me to our church. Metropolitan’s long commitment to Friendship Place, the managing of three shelters and the opening of the St. Luke’s Mission Center are central to the mission orientation of our congregation. It is so fitting that our member Leigh Rollins recently received the Ben Cooper award from Friendship Place. She lives a life of witness to Jesus instructions for the Christian. One day I got into her car to find it filled to capacity with cereal. She explained that Giant had a big sale and she took advantage to buy supplies for DC Central Kitchen. This is only one example of one member’s proactive commitment to feed the hungry. For over a year our church has actively engaged with the Salvation Army’s Grate Patrol program. This activity engages us all: Metropolitan, Crossroads, Wesley. We shop, make soup and sandwiches, engage the children in this work, deliver the food into the neighborhoods of Washington and extend hospitality to our neighbors. Recently, Elizabeth Byam said to me, “Suzanne, I love the Grate Patrol Ministry.” Our team operates like an improv jazz group…last weekend, we had two emergencies…and in a matter of minutes, these folks were replaced by willing hands. For over 20 years the Metropolitan Congregation has provided meals for the guests in our shelter. This work is coordinated by Kent Weaver who serves as “the air traffic controller” for countless meals. Generally, the group to be fed numbers 5 including our guests and the volunteer shelter worker. Through the wonderful tool, LotsofHelpingHands, cooks can check and see what types of food have recently been served, learn about preferred menus, e.g. no pork products, please. Last year the St. Luke’s Mission Center opened a community garden. There are ten plots – 8 are available for the community and Crossroad members; another is available for residents
at the St. Luke’s shelter to plant, tend, and harvest. The Crossroads community maintains a plot for its own dinners and also for donations to local food ministries.
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Rev. Kate Murphy master minded the Campus Kitchen Project activities. Campus Kitchen Project, DC is part of a national network. Housed at St. Luke’s Mission Center, students from local universities help recover food, prepare meals and delivery once a month. Like Grate Patrol, this ministry uses helping hands. Volunteers from the National Cathedral as well as the College students participate in this work. I recently learned how much food was made available for food ministries through gleaning! John Long has pulled together teams from across the congregation to travel to Clagett Farm several times a year to help pull weeds in the spring and harvest in the fall. The harvest is distributed across the city to food ministries. Each spring members of the United Methodist Women come together for a Great Day of Service. The work that is done serves all of these ministries. It is a shock to go out on the Grate Patrol van and see that in sight of the White House, center of power of the richest country in the world, lines of folks waiting for the bags of grace prepared by members across our Cooperative Parish. With all of these wonderful ministries, it’s easy to get involved. Join us on Sunday, November 25 as we recognize the hungry and learn about the many things you can do to help. - Suzanne Forsyth
Serve Now! Sign up for our many ongoing parish service activities! It is easier than ever for you to get connected with our online volunteer scheduling system at nationalchurch.org/servenow!
2012 Tyler Rusch Homeless Walk - Sunday November 18
This annual fund-raiser is the principal source of funding for Metropolitan House. Just as importantly, the walk is a time for all of us – young and old alike -- to demonstrate our ongoing support for our ministry with the homeless. The event is held in honor of Tyler Rusch, an 18-year-old member of Metropolitan and a dedicated Metropolitan House volunteer who died in a tragic automobile accident in 2003. There will be two start times: 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. So you can walk after either church service. The registration fee is $25 for Adults and $15 those age 25 and under. See page 4 for registration form.