Greetings from Resurrection Food Pantry. It is time to consider how thankful we are for the grace of God and the love of our neighbors.

I am thankful for this year that is too quickly coming to a close. Yes there were many challenges.
But we have, with God’s help overcome them. The garden output was much less than half of
what it was last year. The hail storm at the end of June flattened much of the garden and there
was too little time to start over. But we were blessed with a grant from the state to purchase
Wisconsin produce for the pantry. That grant was approved before the storm and our harvest
problems were known. The grant provided our pantry clients with all the fresh produce they
could use. We are thankful to God for preparing us with a solution before we knew we had a
problem.

The Walk-In refrigerator has been a fantastic blessing. We are receiving significant quantities of
fresh milk and fruit to distribute and the extra capacity has removed the stress associated with
making sure we can store it safely. Again this was a gift which we received from a pantry on the
western side of Wisconsin that didn’t need the unit anymore. There was some work involved to
get it installed but our volunteers made it all possible. It is another significant blessing that
showed up unexpectedly.

Food Drives this year have been amazing. Volunteers have been signing up to help at the pantry
in all the right times.

I am thankful that the times of frustration are easier to forget than the times of joy. There have
been many times of joy this past year.

Here is a story you may enjoy and consider:
One of our clients asked if she could post on our bulletin board a request for someone to
donate a kidney for a little girl in her family. Her family had been tested and there was no one
who could be a donor due to medical issues. She was desperate and the child would need to
begin dialysis soon. The doctor was trying to get her on the transplant list as soon as possible.
We added them to the prayer list at the pantry and our church.

The lady and child were at the pantry in October. She said the little girl was on the transplant
list for 3 days and blessed with a new kidney. The child seemed to be in really great condition.

My joy at hearing and seeing this recovery was amazing. To me it borders on a miracle.
It also made me wonder if God is as happy and joyful as the family and I are about this healing.

Yes there are troubles in the world and our lives. We can choose to dwell on the problems or
we can be thankful and focus on the blessings.

So I pray that God blesses you and brings you good memories of the past year.

Larry Peterson, Pantry Manager.

Based on the calendar it appears that the fall season has arrived. Leaves turn and fall, the gardens go dormant, and we look at all the work that needs to be done before it gets really cold. But the part I really anticipate is the apple harvest is ready to enjoy. I love the smell of apple crisp when it is fresh out of the oven.

The zoning for the property that holds the Pantry was updated by the city of Green Bay in September to make it legal for use as a pantry. I only recently discovered we were not approved by the city before but now we are. What a relief!

Our grants for fresh produce and Wisconsin meats, cheese, and eggs have all been spent and closed out. But we will still be purchasing these fresh foods to help our client friends continue to prepare nutritious meals for their families. Donations from our supporters make this possible as well as new grants that we have recently received. 

Our garden at the pantry was significantly damaged by the June hail storm and the weather this summer was a challenge for our garden team. The result was a significant reduction in the amount of produce harvested but our community stepped in and has provided more than enough to keep our distribution tables full. Through September we were able to offer those who come to the pantry for food, all the produce they wanted and we even had leftovers that we were able to pass on to the NEW Community Shelter. Again this reminds me about the story when Jesus blessed the food that someone provided (2fish, 5 loaves) and feed a multitude. We think of this as a great miracle that we tell about often. But working at the pantry, We know that our food is blessed and we can distribute it freely because God is working with us. Each month the food supply at the pantry looks like a challenge. Then opportunities materialize. Sometimes it is food that shows up unexpectedly. Sometimes it shows up as funding that comes from unexpected sources. Sometimes funding or food comes as a result of efforts by the community or other supporters. But as long as God continues to bless the food and funds that are given to the pantry, I believe we will have all we need to do the work God gives us to do. This also teaches us to trust God, even when things are difficult. We know He is with us and will help us often in ways that we may not expect.

So what is coming this month for the pantry that we already know about?

The pantry will be participating in the Resurrection Lutheran Church Trunk Or Treat event on October 10. The pantry will have a booth with games for the kids where they can all win nutritious treats like apples, juice, a can or soup and every child’s favorite raw carrots. Really Carrots are the most popular prize. They get candy from the other stations but the pantry provides more healthy options. The pantry will be inviting all our client families to come enjoy this event.

The Scouting for Food drive will be donating food to our pantry on October 17. We will be sorting food about 1 pm on that day at the pantry.

Thank you for your continued prayers, support, and willingness to help us provide food to those in need in our community. We are grateful for the many ways God continues to provide for the continued operation of Resurrection Food Pantry.

Larry Peterson, Pantry Manager.