- Page 1
- Page 2 - Page 3 - Page 4 - Page 5 - Page 6 - Page 7 - Page 8 - Page 9 - Page 10 - Page 11 - Page 12 - Page 13 - Page 14 - Page 15 - Page 16 - Page 17 - Page 18 - Page 19 - Page 20 - Page 21 - Page 22 - Page 23 - Page 24 - Page 25 - Page 26 - Page 27 - Page 28 - Page 29 - Page 30 - Page 31 - Page 32 - Page 33 - Page 34 - Page 35 - Page 36 - Page 37 - Page 38 - Page 39 - Page 40 - Page 41 - Page 42 - Page 43 - Page 44 - Page 45 - Page 46 - Page 47 - Page 48 - Page 49 - Page 50 - Page 51 - Page 52 - Page 53 - Page 54 - Page 55 - Page 56 - Page 57 - Page 58 - Page 59 - Page 60 - Page 61 - Page 62 - Page 63 - Page 64 - Page 65 - Page 66 - Page 67 - Page 68 - Page 69 - Page 70 - Page 71 - Page 72 - Page 73 - Page 74 - Page 75 - Page 76 - Page 77 - Page 78 - Page 79 - Page 80 - Flash version © UniFlip.com |
Page 18
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
December 6, 2013
Church, Spirit Kitchen Host Community Resource Day
The Worcester County Homeless Committee’s Community Resource Day was held Wednesday at Stevenson United Methodist Church during its weekly Spirit Kitchen offering. Above left, from left, are Spirit Kitchen volunteers Larry Shockley, Ray Stevens, Vicky Nock and Carla Nock. Photos by Travis Brown
By TRAVIS BROWN
STAFF WRITER
BERLIN – A local church and its Spirit Kitchen hosted the Worcester County Homeless Committee’s Community Resource Day this week along with a number of local partner organizations. Stevenson United Methodist Church in Berlin and its Spirit Kitchen was running at full steam on Wednesday as it is each week, but this week it coincided with the annual Community Resource Day, which provides homeless people or those on verge of it individual time with groups that provide housing, counseling, treatment and health care. Founded in 2011, the Spirit Kitchen is organized by Vicky Nock, who has seen her project grow from serving a handful of people to dozens every week. “It’s been truly a blessing for so many people and our congregation as well,” said Nock. The last few years have seen the
church navigating unknown territory with the Spirit Kitchen. When it began, Stevenson did not have any similar programs, and Nock and her volunteers lacked any kind of food service experience. “The first week that we were open we only had 23 people come,” she remembered. But it didn’t take long for the kitchen to flourish through the efforts of volunteers and partnerships with other churches and secular groups. Stevenson’s leadership has always supported the kitchen, according to Nock. When Rev. Ron Schatz took helm of the church last year, he saw no reason to change anything with the program and lent the kitchen his full support. “I think what it’s doing now is helping to spread the gospel through the acts that they’re doing,” he said. As of Nov. 13, the Spirit Kitchen has served 18,435 meals to those in need, given away 3,948 bags of groceries and tracked $35,505
worth of donations. The kitchen provides a meal every Wednesday and the food pantry is open most of the year, closing only for some holidays. Average Wednesday crowds now exceed 100 people and Community Resource Days like the one held this week can draw even larger groups. “It’s quite a bit for this little tiny church,” said Nock. During the Community Resource Day, church partners like Atlantic General Hospital were on hand for free flu shots. Other agencies like Worcester Youth and Family Counseling Services, Diakonia and the County Health Department were also available. “We’re partnered with several of the churches in the immediate area,” said Schatz. “We have volunteers from each of the churches. We partner through other means, other than the Spirit Kitchen, with other groups in the area.” Volunteers and donations are critical for both the Community Re-
Salisbury 701 East Naylor Mill Road
410-677-0350
source Day and the Spirit Kitchen. The seasonal nature of work in Worcester County means that the winter months can be difficult for some families. Add to that recent cuts to things like food stamps and Nock has seen a marked increase in demand in just the last month. Schatz has seen it as well. “It’s a hurting community at this time of the year, it really is,” he said. Nock and Schatz are both optimistic about the future of the Spirit Kitchen, however. “Depending on how this church grows, I would like to see it expand to more than one day [per week],” said Schatz. On Nock’s personal wish list are more holiday meals on the day of the event, like Thanksgiving or Christmas, instead of just the Wednesday before. The kitchen has already seen major expansions in terms of service while the church’s food pantry has also seen recent additions, including buying food through the state food bank, which Nock said is far more efficient than just taking donation money to a grocery store. For more information on volunteering or donating to the Spirit Kitchen, call Stevenson United Methodist Church at 410-641-1137. For more information on Community Resource Day for the Homeless, contact Melanie Windsor with Worcester Youth and Family Counseling Services Inc. at 410-6414598 or Jennifer LaMade with Worcester County Health Department at 410-632-1100, ext. 1154.
FAGER’S ISLAND BURGER NIGHT
Every Wednesday
1/2 Pound For 1/2 Price...
Fresh Ground Beef
Not Frozen... Hand Made.
1/2-PRICE
60TH STREET IN THE BAY 410-524-5500 • WWW.FAGERS.COM
8 GOURMET BURGERS FOR LUNCH OR DINNER
|