Baldwinsville teens recently delivered hundreds of meals to the Baldwinsville Community Food Pantry.
The Word of Life Youth Ministry, also known as Latter Rain, participated in an international effort known as Convoy of Hope. The mission was part of a three-day youth convention held Easter weekend (Thursday through Saturday). Held at the War Memorial, nearly 5,000 youth packed 5,000 bags of groceries, which were then distributed to families, churches and food pantries throughout Central New York including the BCFP.
The convention had two components – a fine arts festival and active mission. The Convoy of Hope was the active mission designed to help families in need on Easter weekend.
According to Word of Life’s Youth Pastor Jeremiah Poulson, the youth raised money to pay for tractor-trailers to transport the food “all in an effort to communicate the word of Christ through active mission.”
Forty-five members of Latter Rain delivered 480 bags of food to the Baldwinsville Food Pantry on Good Friday forming a convoy from the tractor-trailer to the pantry’s storage room.
“It was a bucket brigade,” said Sally Dayger, the BCFP volunteer coordinator. “It was really quite impressive. I didn’t realize what 480 bags of food looked like.”
As of last week, the pantry had distributed about 100 bags of the donated food. Dayger said the supply should help the pantry provide the needs of the community through the end of June.
The youth delivered two different types of bags – one contained a pound of spaghetti, tomato sauce, macaroni and cheese, pancake mix, pork and beans and a dessert; the other bag contained two pounds of spaghetti, pudding, green beans, pancake mix, spaghetti sauce, cereal and macaroni and cheese.
“Baldwinsville is our community, our home,” Poulson said. “We want to lock arms together and support each other as we feed the hungry, spread hope and make the name of Jesus Christ famous.”
The pantry, located within the First United Methodist Church at the corner of Charlotte and West Genesee streets in Baldwinsville, provides emergency food to individuals and families residing within the Baldwinsville Central School District. The pantry is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. To make a food or monetary donation, drop it off (use the main entrance off the parking lot behind the church) during the pantry’s hours of operation or mail to 17 W. Genesee St., Baldwinsville, NY 13027.
