The GLC Pantry continues to chug along like a “well-oiled machine.” We are especially happy to see several fully vaccinated volunteers now being scheduled back in to help with both restocking and Thursday distributions, which is a change from the procedures during the pandemic. Before vaccinations, we worked with a “skeleton crew” of pantry leaders and a few other hearty people who felt they were at a minimum risk of infection. In recent weeks, several other volunteers have signaled a readiness to return to participate, and we are thankful.
We are still distributing via drive-through pick-up only. We realize it’s not perfect in that our clients are unable to make the many choices that were available to them pre-pandemic. We are still pre-boxing foods and placing them on a table outdoors for pick-up. We will continue to assess the situation, but we are committed to being cautious given the current uptick in Covid cases in our area.
On Sunday, August 8, former GLC member Inge Knight worshiped with us. Inge has been living in California for several years, to be closer to her children and grandchildren, but she was visiting Champaign-Urbana and we were delighted to see her and catch up with her. Here are a couple of pictures taken in Fellowship Hall after worship. Many of you will remember that it was Inge who began the emergency food ministry at Grace, working with only a metal cabinet and a few volunteers in the south kitchen. That was in the early 1980s! We are blessed to be able to continue the good work that she began, a ministry that now encompasses a warehouse storage area, many cabinets in Fellowship Hall, two commercial freezers, and an additional combination refrigerator-freezer, all of which are typically full of products on Thursday mornings. Praise be to God!
We appreciate your contributions and your prayers on behalf of the work we do together.
PLEASE DO NOT BRING EGG CARTONS AND PLASTIC BAGS AT THIS TIME. WE HAVE AN OVERSUPPLY OF THESE ITEMS. WE WILL ASK FOR THEM WHEN WE NEED THEM. THANK YOU.
Your Pantry Board,
Kathy Bowersox, Jim Fleming, Dale Herrstrom, Karen Krusa, and Royce Wilken
