Did You Know? COS hosts a Mobile Food Pantry Truck through FeedWM monthly?
For over 25 years, members of the Church of the Servant have faithfully gathered in all types of weather on the first Saturday of the month to distribute food to the people in our community who need it the most. Originally, the Mobile Food Pantry was operated in the parking lot of the Camelot Woods apartments community building on the other side of Burton. From a repurposed beverage truck, volunteers would pass out food to people who walked past to receive produce, baked goods, and other groceries.
History To Today
Starting in the spring of 2020, COVID forced some changes to our distribution methods. Today, food is distributed from the parking lot of COS, right outside the cafe windows. Cars line up all the way around the church as a dozen volunteers pre-pack boxes of food to put into the cars as they drive up. On an average Saturday of distribution, nearly 200 families receive over 7,500 lbs. of free food which the church purchases each month from Feeding America: West Michigan.
MFP Needs You
Two things are necessary to keep this ministry going: continued financial support from the church and a steady stream of volunteers. The Mobile Food Pantry ministry is unique in that people from the age of 8 to 80 can participate. MFP is an extremely family-friendly ministry, and it’s a great way to help young people learn the joy of serving God’s people. Volunteers tape together boxes, sign in food recipients, bag food, fill boxes, and pass those boxes out to the people who need them, all while getting to know new people from the COS church family.
If you are interested in volunteering, reserve the first Saturday of every month on your calendar and sign up by emailing the church office office@coscrc.org to receive a link to sign up in Ministry Scheduler Pro (MSP) or show up.
Dan Voetberg, MFP Volunteer Co-Leader