“We did it!” declared Pastor Andy. “5,000 items collected and probably a few extra.”
At the end of July, Pastor Andy Arnold at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, closed his sermon by commenting upon the unexpected ways that God works in the world. The sermon had referenced a New Testament story that tells of Jesus feeding 5,000 people out in the wilderness. In the biblical account, Philip, one of 12 apostles, wondered how he could possibly save enough food to give each of these hungry people a small amount to eat. A young child came forward with five barley loaves and two fish. After Jesus blessed the food, there was enough for the 5,000 to eat, with many leftovers as well.
“Is it a manageable goal?” Pastor Andy wondered. “Maybe we should collect 5,000 items to donate to the Maple Valley Food Bank. Let’s capture our imaginations by seeing how quickly we can collect 5,000. Let’s see what our loaves and fishes can do to fight hunger in our community.” As soon as he finished the sermon, a parishioner came forward with three cans of fruit and vegetables and one jar of jam. A few days later, Amazon delivered a few boxes of canned food to the church’s front door. Since then, the church has been tabulating donations given “to feed the 5,000”.
It took four Sundays to reach 1,312 items. By the second month, the total was 2,078. At the end of September Pastor Andy wondered aloud if the congregation could “up the ante” and donate sooner rather than later. By the end of October 4,056 items were tallied with 944 items left to reach the 5,000.
Just as recounted in the biblical story, a little boy then stepped forward. Henry Freisen, who is almost two years old, came rolling down the aisle pulling his red wagon toward the altar. It was filled over the top with donations. Henri’s participation and his family’s contributions reiterated recent sermons and biblical references that emphasized the importance of including children. By November 7, after 15 Sundays of donations, the items topped out at 4,988, 12 cans short of the goal. Lori Lyon, who had assisted with the tabulating, ran to the local grocery store –mission accomplished, 5,000.
Executive Director Lindsey Habenicht, at Maple Valley Food Bank, said that on average, clients choose 11 cans of food per visit. This is in addition to fresh food items and frozen goods. She estimated that SVLC’s 5,000 canned items will benefit over 450 families. That is about one quarter of the families served at the Food Bank during November and December.
