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We are blessed to have Jeff Young serve as our liaison to East Mountain Food Pantry. They are currently serving about 650 families a month, out of the facility between Sedillo and Edgewood.  If you are interested in assisting families, serving as a driver for clients to get on site, helping in the office, or coming alongside through groceries or gifts, please contact Jeff Young. Our own MCC Food Pantry, is going to focus on keeping a small supply of staples and grocery cards.  These will be used as needed for those connected with our own body, and for the drop-in's that we get from-time-to-time.  We want to have something on-hand to help with tangible needs, as we listen, serve and minister.  If you would like to donate to our Food Pantry, beyond your regular giving, you can designate that at any time.

The state of New Mexico ranks #1 in childhood hunger with 24% of all children under the age of 18 at risk of food insecurity and hunger. Even here in the East Mountains, over 600 families request help each year with food assistance from the East Mountain Food Pantry.

According to the Christian humanitarian group World Vision, some 811 million people go to bed hungry every night, and nearly 1 million children die each year of severe wasting or in other words - hunger.

Obviously, the affluence we live in is not played out throughout much of New Mexico, the United States or the world. As we go along with our daily lives, concerned with our 401k's, our kid's activities or who will win this weekend's football game, some 25,000 children will die today of hunger. While most of us are having to worry about our weight from too much to eat, millions are going to bed hungry tonight.

So what does God's word say about caring for the poor? Well, as it turns out a lot.

Perhaps the most known verse comes to us from Matthew 25:35-36, 40. “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me … Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me”

But scripture speaks loudly and often about our responsibilities as followers of Christ to care for the poor. Consider these. 

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”  Proverbs 31:8-9

“Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  Luke 12:33-34

“Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.”  1 Timothy 6:18

“But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” 1 John 3:17-18

“Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him” Proverbs 14:31

Jeff Young

East Mountain Food Pantry - https://eastmountainfoodpantry.org/donate-now/

MCC Food Pantry Giving https://www.mountainchristianchurch.org/giving