At one of the Bible Study sessions, deacon Jamie Cunningham shows a young chef in training how to pour pancake batter onto the griddle.
The Board of Deacons of the McVeytown Presbyterian Church received Hunger Funds in 2018 from the Huntingdon Presbytery. These funds supported two different forms of outreach implemented by the board.
The deacons partnered with the local Head Start center, which serves low-income families with young children to identify families struggling with hunger. The social service staff provided the deacons with a list of families needing assistance. In the fall, Thanksgiving meals were provided for these families, and then in the spring, an Easter meal was delivered. In 2018, the deacons purchased a total of 28 meals for families feeding a total of 148 people.
A single mom support group meets twice a month in Mifflin County. Several churches work to bring single moms together to support each other and do a Bible Study together. Churches take turns hosting these sessions. The hosts prepare a meal for the entire group to enjoy together. Then after the meal, the children go to another room to enjoy a Bible lesson and fun activities while the moms meet. Leftovers are packed up and available for families to take home with them when they leave. The deacons from McVeytown Presbyterian hosted three sessions of the support group in 2018 and will be hosting another session soon. Approximately 135 meals were prepared for these sessions.
The Hunger Funds were an important resource that enabled the Board of Deacons to reach out and help some of the most vulnerable children and families in our community.