Page 22 - Annual Meeting, 2022

2. Food for those who lack transportation to get it. We draw clients from Caroline,
Essex and King George counties. These people often pick up food for neighbors so that
only one car has to make the trip to St Peter’s.

3. It provides benefits for those at St. Peter’s as well:
• Giving us the opportunity to practice generosity our of gratitude for our
blessings.
• Enriching the volunteers at St. Peter’s who help with the distribution.

Four quotes from our volunteers highlight their role:

“I enjoy being a part of a team in our mission “To Do God’s Will”. “I think that our community
is learning that we at St. Peter’s CARE and desire to share God’s love with our neighbors.”

“I help with Village Harvest because we get to know the people we help. These folks become
friends not just a number. It just makes me happy that we can help in some small way to make
things a little easier or better for them.”
“I help because we are called in the Gospel to feed the hungry.”

“Helping people to have access to fresh vegetables, fruit, meats and other necessities is
important to me and our church. It is what Jesus asks us to do.”

4. Social and community benefits

It also provides another a role for the church in the community. People who are not
members are coming here for food. I like to affectionately call the Village Harvest our
“second congregation. ” This is a missional opportunity.

This gathering time gives people a chance to see one another and socialize a little. We have
had the opportunity to pray with people who are facing serious health issues. One woman
who has had one cancer surgery and is facing another said, “Sometimes I feel that every
time I get back on my feet, something else happens and knocks me back down again. This
food is a real blessing in my life. Thank you all for doing this.”

The Village Harvest also serves as a clearing house for information. We have let people
know about the Port Royal library and the services it offers, the Port Royal Fishing Days,
and also provided information about the Central Virginia Health Services in Bowling Green.

All the good works need to be funded. We fund Village Harvest through special gifts on
Giving Tuesday and gifts from individuals throughout the year. On Giving Tuesday in 2021,
we raised $899 which will cover 4 months of expenses for the Village Harvest food
ministry. We exceeded our goal of $500.

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