It’s a grim fact. During difficult economic times when families are most in need of help, donations decrease. Perhaps the most poignant example of this phenomenon is the food bank that struggles to serve those looking for help, but can’t keep enough food on the shelves. No food bank wants to turn anyone away.

One Sunday this fall, the Heretics Sunday School class was discussing this very topic. We’re a fairly new Sunday School class on the timeline of Embry Hills Sunday School history, but we’ve been meeting for a few years now. We range in age from eighteen to eighty and we’re known to have some pretty lively discussions about some pretty challenging topics! We honor the fact that we don’t all think or believe the same things. But this particular Sunday, we discovered one thing that we all passionately believe is the pinnacle of Christianity; Jesus said we should help those in need.

We decided, as part of the church-wide emphasis during Lent on outreach, to sponsor a food drive. We named it “Food for Thought.” We hope all church members, young, old and in-between, will journey with us in not only collecting a huge amount of food, but expanding our understanding about why hunger and poverty exist in our local communities. Here are some highlights to look for during the months of February and March.

Wednesday Night Supper, Feb. 24th, Kick-off Event: Hunger is a complicated problem that cannot be solved by food donations alone. Bring family and friends for a time when all ages can come together to learn about what hunger is, why it happens and what we can do to solve it. Activities will be hands-on and self-paced.

Sunday, March 21, Sunday School Can-Struction Event: Sunday School classes will collect canned goods throughout Lent, culminating in a “build” on Sunday morning. Children’s Sunday School classes will pair with adult classes for a friendly competition. Each pair of classes will create a structure out of the food they have collected. Structures will be judged on their merits and in good fun.

Saturday, March 27, Delivery to Food Bank: Bring the kids and help load the pick-up trucks to take all the collected goods to the food bank. See their shelves fill back up!

Look for more information in the Sunday bulletin and in your Sunday School rooms. We hope you “can” help!