Annual Human Food Chain

There’s no symbol more appropriate for expressing our theological understanding that God is the energy of love and goodwill in the world, and we co-conspirators, than people linked hand to hand against a trouble. And my-oh-my do we have trouble. While Vermont has released emergency funds to partially cover SNAP benefits that have been illegally discontinued by the government shutdown, these funds are limited. Already our Waterbury Common Market has seen an increase in numbers due to worries over the impending crisis. People are mobilizing to help.

And on Sunday, November 9, we will be one such group of people, bearing food down Main Street as a real sign of our sense that we are all in this together, no matter who we are, or what kind of financial lot we find ourselves in. Our hand in hand chain of food from the church to the Common Market will be a statement of opposition to the cruelty of the administrations position and of support for our neighbors.

There are surprisingly large numbers of people, living in Waterbury who face the troubling question of making ends meet this month. An answer, though clearly not the whole solution, is to provide food available for free for anyone in this kind of trouble, be it temporary or long-term. The Waterbury Common Market, aka the food shelf, does this for hundreds of families each month. Please, the next few times you come into the church, bring a little food. We hope to have the narthex filled by November 9. Here’s a list of needed supplies from the director of the Waterbury Common Market:

• oatmeal (plain or flavored)

• hearty soups

• canned meals

• peanut butter & jelly/jam

• baking mixes (pancake, muffin, cake)

• jars of pasta sauce

• dried pasta/noodles

• or simply a check (you can make it out to the church and earmark it for the food drive.)

I hope you can join us on November 9, after worship. It’s simple. And it’s powerful.