Faith, Hope & Love
It's been 4 weeks since schools were closed in Maine. It's hard to believe that so much has changed for all of us in such a short amount of time.
I've been so encouraged by our teams in Portland and Lewiston. Each member of our staff continues to find creative ways to reach out and minister to our neighbors.
Both Zach Nolt in Lewiston and Kattie Hartwell in Portland have re-organized to continue to provide our FANN members with food boxes overflowing with produce, dairy, and protein. Food security has never felt more vital.
Christine Ming has been meeting via zoom with her mentee's and the Ladies Breakfast in Portland. Peggy Hinman has been in regular contact with our neighbors at Franklin Towers and although our Dental Clinic is unable to be open right now, Colleen Wood's prayers are keeping us all going.
Each morning, Alyssa Morgosh organizes new grade-appropriate school worksheets to go home with more than 150 meals. On average, more than 1000 worksheets are being completed each week by out of school neighborhood students in need of feeding their mind and body.
In Lewiston, we have extended our Emergency Food Pantry to 5 days a week and are serving an increased number of families and individuals in dire need. The COVID-19 pandemic and the stay at home orders have created new needs in our neighborhood. We have met recently laid-off parents, men released from prison seeking services, a homeless mother that cannot find any room in the local shelters and a terminally ill single mother trying to provide food for their children.
Within all of these needs, we also find something surprising - something beautiful.
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Several neighbors are picking up food and delivering it to their immune-compromised loved ones. Volunteers have joined us, offering prayer for our neighbors as we respond to their needs (from 6 feet away).
We just celebrated Easter - the resurrection of Jesus - the ultimate demonstration of God's faithfulness, hope, and love that changed everything.
God has been faithful to provide each day. He has given us hope for tomorrow and His love to sustain our team and neighborhood through whatever it brings.
He is inviting each of us to participate in that kind of faith, hope, and love for one another. It may look like checking in on a neighbor near you, calling a loved one just to pray or giving generously to someone in need.
In the midst of the uncertainty that each day seems to bring, let's continue to be the kind of people that offer that kind of transforming love to our neighbors.
"Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance...
Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13: 7,10
Grace and Peace,
Joel Furrow, Executive Director joel@therootcellar.org
Together, we can respond to these uncertain times with faith, hope and love.
Join us.
