We live on a part of the globe where we can still grow food. Sadly, the food system in this country produces excessive waste. But last July, David Collins, president of United Methodist Men (UMM) in Virginia, began dreaming about intentionally interrupting this broken food system with a little fun and collaboration with the Society of St. Andrew (SoSA).
David worked through the idea with UMM and the planners of the Virginia Annual Conference. The operations staff at SoSA arranged for 40,000 pounds — think semi-trailer load — of perfectly good surplus potatoes destined for a landfill to be delivered during the Annual Conference.
Volunteers popped out to the parking lot to divide the potatoes into 10-pound bags. After several hours and a steady flow of volunteers, 20,000 pounds were bagged for families in need. The other 20,000 pounds remained in the 50-pound boxes in which they had arrived.
All the potatoes were shared with direct service agencies in the area, including a church food pantry, Our Community Place and Gemeinschaft Home in Harrisonburg, CCAP of Winchester, SERVE in Stafford, Page One in Luray, Blue Ridge Area Food Bank and others. Young men from the Boys Home of Virginia in Covington even came to help bag potatoes and brought a couple hundred pounds back to their residential community. It was fun!
“I know that the Lord maintains the cause of the needy, and executes justice for the poor.” Psalm 140:12. If you’re dreaming of sharing fresh food with people struggling to make ends meet, consider a mission partnership with the Society of St. Andrew. For more information contact: [email protected].