Downloads & Free Reading Options - Results

People are hungry in our local communities, surrounding neighborhoods, counties, states, nations and the world. This is no secret to the average person, who follows current events and world history. The average individual on the street knows this to be so by listening, reading, observing and experiencing extraordinary hunger in a personal way. Hunger has no categorized boundaries. Poor people who live in the Appalachians Mountains are hungry. Poor people who live in urban ghetto cities are hungry. People who live in poor and rich nations (wealth) are hungry. (Yes, people are hungry in rich nations, such as the USA because of unequal distribution of food commodities). Therefore, a rich nation/country does not equal fill stomachs. Well-fed people anywhere in the world equal full stomachs, no matter what the nature of the economic level/status. I became aware of the depth of this widespread epidemic, as I researched materials for this Demonstration Project. As I visited food pantries and read materials about the state of hunger in the United States and the world, I realized that relief from physical hunger alone could not answer the problem of spiritual and mental wholeness that people need in order to feel dignity and self-worth. Most food pantries that I visited and read about during my research, such as Long Island Council of Churches, just gave a pre-packaged assortment of food items to customers in a bag and sent them on their way. Through this experience and process, I realized that people could not live adequately by bread alone. Consequently, I begin to think that there is a better way to give out this physical food and meet the other needs of the customers in spiritual and inspirational ways. I think that this is a necessary ministerial area that should be explored to find ways to a holistic approach to ministry. In such a ministry, food becomes not only the means for physical and social survival, but also the basis of dignity in food choices, and a spiritually enhanced hospitality that is meant to comfort people where they need comforting. These things have been taken for granted in food pantry ministries, because Christians tend to take food pantry ministry, along with other one-dimensional ministries, as a ‘do good’ ministry. A questionnaire was given out to a number of food pantry volunteers and the customers who were being served at Holy Ghost Upper Room Filling Station Ministry, Inc. to raise their awareness about the need for an expanded food pantry ministry that included referrals to community services, nutrition education, food choice selection and enhanced hospitality. Workshops and awareness meetings were held, regularly, every Saturday (with few exceptions) from January 2008 through August 2008. One hundred and sixty-seven (167) volunteers attended eight (8) different proposed workshops, from May 3, 2008 through August 2, 2008. Certified VFP workers provided subsequent hands-on training for new volunteers. The response of a core group of volunteers was commendable and encouraging, given that my research informed me that the hardest obstacle to overcome in operating a food pantry ministry is keeping dependable volunteer workers on a regular basis. Hence, recruitment was a constant variable in this Demonstration Project.

People are hungry in our local communities, surrounding neighborhoods, counties, states, nations and the world. This is no secret to the average person, who follows current events and world history. The average individual on the street knows this to be so by listening, reading, observing and experiencing extraordinary hunger in a personal way. Hunger has no categorized boundaries. Poor people who live in the Appalachians Mountains are hungry. Poor people who live in urban ghetto cities are hungry. People who live in poor and rich nations (wealth) are hungry. (Yes, people are hungry in rich nations, such as the USA because of unequal distribution of food commodities). Therefore, a rich nation/country does not equal fill stomachs. Well-fed people anywhere in the world equal full stomachs, no matter what the nature of the economic level/status. I became aware of the depth of this widespread epidemic, as I researched materials for this Demonstration Project. As I visited food pantries and read materials about the state of hunger in the United States and the world, I realized that relief from physical hunger alone could not answer the problem of spiritual and mental wholeness that people need in order to feel dignity and self-worth. Most food pantries that I visited and read about during my research, such as Long Island Council of Churches, just gave a pre-packaged assortment of food items to customers in a bag and sent them on their way. Through this experience and process, I realized that people could not live adequately by bread alone. Consequently, I begin to think that there is a better way to give out this physical food and meet the other needs of the customers in spiritual and inspirational ways. I think that this is a necessary ministerial area that should be explored to find ways to a holistic approach to ministry. In such a ministry, food becomes not only the means for physical and social survival, but also the basis of dignity in food choices, and a spiritually enhanced hospitality that is meant to comfort people where they need comforting. These things have been taken for granted in food pantry ministries, because Christians tend to take food pantry ministry, along with other one-dimensional ministries, as a ‘do good’ ministry. A questionnaire was given out to a number of food pantry volunteers and the customers who were being served at Holy Ghost Upper Room Filling Station Ministry, Inc. to raise their awareness about the need for an expanded food pantry ministry that included referrals to community services, nutrition education, food choice selection and enhanced hospitality. Workshops and awareness meetings were held, regularly, every Saturday (with few exceptions) from January 2008 through August 2008. One hundred and sixty-seven (167) volunteers attended eight (8) different proposed workshops, from May 3, 2008 through August 2, 2008. Certified VFP workers provided subsequent hands-on training for new volunteers. The response of a core group of volunteers was commendable and encouraging, given that my research informed me that the hardest obstacle to overcome in operating a food pantry ministry is keeping dependable volunteer workers on a regular basis. Hence, recruitment was a constant variable in this Demonstration Project.

lowlifespider and millergirl15 are back in never alone collecting owls and swimming through frigid waters to bring you The Cold Truth and Swimming Through History achievements.

lowlifespider and millergirl15 are back in never alone collecting owls and swimming through frigid waters to bring you The Cold Truth and Swimming Through History achievements.

lowlifespider and millergirl15 are back in never alone collecting owls and swimming through frigid waters to bring you The Cold Truth and Swimming Through History achievements.