Trinity Teams With Tree of Life on Securing Needed Food

Trinity Teams With Tree of Life on Securing Needed Food

By Bob Appenzeller

The continuing pandemic has wreaked havoc on folks from all walks of life, and particularly those who may be food insecure.

Tree of Life volunteers David Augenblick (left) and Jim Gemmer at Upperville Trinity Church packing lunches for local distribution.

Photo by Leonard Shapiro

I’ve learned after serving in the Outreach program of Trinity Church in Upperville, there are plenty of gaps right here in Loudoun County. Like so many places in the state, there is food insecurity due to the economic downturn and glacial movement of the Virginia Employment Commission to issue unemployment benefits.

I was introduced to Tree of Life (TOL) early in the Covid-19 crisis while searching for well-established local charities making significant progress in reaching those facing uncertain food resources.

Several are operating out of Leesburg and points east, but finding a local faithbased organization that had a need for Trinity’s support was where Tree of Life gained the support of the church’s Outreach Committee and parishioners.

Tree of Life Ministries is a not-for-profit organization. In 2008, Purcellville Baptist Church committed to set aside 10 percent of all annual giving to meet the needs of the poor in their western Loudoun community. From there, the Tree of Life Ministries was born.

The need for a Leesburg-based food pantry also become clear in recent years, particularly in 2020. The number of individuals served with food donations from TOL has climbed 300 percent last year alone.Last March, TOL increased its food distributions from once to twice weekly, and now serves more than 50 families weekly.

They also partner with local churches in Leesburg and Purcellville to provide support to its five branches of service. That includes food assistance and a food pantry; life skills, including English language instruction and tutoring services, subsidized housing; healthcare vouchers; and other relief services. TOL has handled 900 percent more financial relief requests since the pandemic hit.

Jim and Katherine Gemmer now lead the team from Upperville’s Trinity Church, which provides 30-plus meals every other month and seems likely to increase that to monthly. There are 20 church volunteers involved in preparing the food, packing it up and delivering it to a facility in Purcellville behind the W0&D train station.

“They have a drive-up there,” Jim Gemmer said. “People come through and they ask how many meals they need that day. It might be two, it might be ten. There are other churches also providing food, and everyone gets fed. It’s a wonderful program.”

Most of the church volunteers consider what they do a “giving back” effort. For TOL staffers like Kristen Hickman and Rebecca Edwards, the Tree of Life communications and community kitchen directors, it’s a full-time commitment and a passion.

I’ve also toured the food pantries in Purcellville and Leesburg. Watching Brenda Zavaleta coordinate the delivery of 30 days of groceries (including frozen products) to families in need looked effortless.. Connie Franz oversaw a recent To-Go meal operation in Purcellville and was supported by a Boy Scout getting a merit badge and neighborhood group from Round Hill.

At Tree of Life, clearly it’s all about the staff and volunteers doing whatever it takes to make certain food insecurity is a thing of the past.