Community Engagement Food Ministry

Lutheran Community Food Ministry August 2020 Update

The LCFM has left the building.

On March 13, 2020, the LCFM began serving meals outside in response to the COVID-19 outbreak in Atlanta. The LCFM has left the building in more The LCFM has distributed significant ways too. For example, the just over 26,000 to go meals. LCFM has expanded its services beyond its initial mission of offering a weekday meal to include:

• “Market Day” to provide groceries to our senior neighbors at Lutheran Towers • Providing 25 daily meals to Lutheran Towers • Providing 25 daily meals to Wellspring Living • Groceries and prepared food items to GA Tech STAR program • Developing new partnerships in Fulton County through grant funding

Ministry of Transformation

As the LCFM endeavors to be a transformative influence in the lives of its neighbors and volunteers, it has painstakingly overhauled our policies and procedures from within.

Under the leadership of Steven Miles, Redeemer member & LCFM volunteer, the LCFM has made tremendous gains. Steve graciously shared his expertise as a professional caterer to:

• increase the nutritional value and variety of the soup served through his creative use of donated items; • reorganize and clean the kitchen, walk-in fridge, and food storage areas; and • bring the kitchen in Zittrouer Hall into compliance with safe food handling and sanitation standards and train staff and volunteers in these practices.

Our dedicated volunteers, security and janitorial staff have worked diligently to maintain a safe environment to allow our neighbors to continue to receive a hot meal each weekday.

By the Grace of God and with your Support

We are grateful to our partner churches and individual donors who generously donated in-kind gifts via the Amazon Wish List as well as offered monetary support. We need both!

We appreciate the prayers offered on behalf of our neighbors, staff, and volunteers. We thank God that we have been able to continue our service to the Midtown community.

How to Get Involved

Email RedeemerFoodMinistry@gmail.com

Food Donation Pick-Up

The LCFM relies primarily upon donated food that must be picked up on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday mornings and we are putting together a team of dedicated volunteers to make these pick-ups and deliver the groceries to Redeemer.

Serving Team Volunteer

The pandemicforced the LCFM to pivot from our monthly team structure to a simpler set of five teams. If you can make a weekly commitment to volunteer, we need your help. Or, if you have the flexibility to be a substitute from time to time, we’d love to have you.

We plan to reintegrate our faithful partner churches as soon as we can. We miss you!

In-Kind Donations

Important! Because our church building is closed and due to concerns over inadvertently spreading the virus, the LCFM cannot accept any donations beyond those that are mailed to the church. We have suspended the collection of grocery store plastic bags, assorted food items, and used clothing items until further notice.

In-Kind Donations are limited to the following:

• Items ordered from the Amazon Wish List (or similar items mailed to Redeemer)

• NEW (in original packaging) Men’s Socks, T-Shirts & underwear that are mailed to Redeemer.

Monetary Donations

Monetary donations, made payable to Redeemer, are always welcome!

Thanks for the

LCFM Staff

Kitchen

Steven Miles Virgil Lacy Frank Hood (currently on leave)

Security

Stacey Williams, Head of Security Naim Sabree Shawn Droughn Kevin Walker Phil Turks

Bill Pegram

1,000 Pairs of Socks!

LCFM Team

Paul Freudenstein,Chair Marie Cole Lauren Gaia Stephanie Hart, Volunteer Coordinator Mary Howle Janis LeMieux Lisa Wayco Heidi Franetovich, Council Liaison