The New Testament book of Matthew explains why all Christians should be interested in community food programs. In this gospel, Jesus tells his disciples in a parable that when the Kingdom comes, we will be judged on how we fed people (and tended them when they were sick or in prison) as though we were feeding God himself.
That’s a pretty weighty responsibility to bear, but we carry it gladly! And we give you thanks for your generous donation of time or treasure to our efforts.
Currently, Galilee has three main ways of reaching the food insecure. You can help with any and all of them:
LOUDOUN HUNGER RELIEF
We collect fresh produce for Loudoun Hunger Relief on the last Sunday of the month. You can find a shopping list here or look out for our bag distribution after the service on the second-to-last Sunday. In addition to our monthly fresh food drive, we collect canned goods throughout the month and at special events (like Feb 5’s Souper Bowl Chili Cook-Off). Look for drop off carts in our lobby. Both fresh and canned food donations help feed thousands of people through area food pantries.
Just this week, we delivered 754 pounds of food to our community partners at LHF.
BACKPACK BUDDIES
Galilee’s award-winning Backpack Buddies program serves nine local schools and reaches more than 500 students every week with free weekend meals. These students participate in the county’s free or reduced lunch program and may face hunger at home where the school program doesn’t reach, especially on holidays and weekends.
In addition to providing food to students, this program also serves as a great way to provide volunteer opportunities. From scouts, to seniors, to community groups, to special needs classes—all find in the Backpack Buddies pantry a place to come and to serve. You can, too! Listen up for calls to join us in packing food, usually on the first and third Sundays of the month.
GALILEE GIFT GARDEN
The Galilee Gift Garden was created to grow vegetables and to “feed hope into lives” by supplying produce to local food banks. The garden is the creation of Vini and Jane Short and their charitable organization DeShong’s Gift Back. Located in space on Galilee’s property near Route 7, the garden is used to grow swiss chard, peppers, yellow squash, zucchini, tomatoes and more. There’s always work that needs done, from planting to weeding, harvesting, and more. Work begins in late April/May. Click here to learn more and to volunteer.
We appreciate our many volunteers and donors who help our neighbors thrive and who help Galilee advance the word of God in our community through action and service.
