September Designated Offering
Linn-Benton Food Share
Each month, we designate a particular social service organization for financial support through special collections on Sundays. This September our special offering goes to Linn-Benton Food Share (LBFS).
Linn-Benton Food Share is the central food hub for a strong network of local nonprofit agencies, including emergency food box pantries, public meal sites, at-risk population programs, and gleaning groups. LBFS receives donations of surplus food from the government, but other sources are also used.
Collecting food is one of its critical activities, and many people — including religious groups, community groups, and schools — participate in this work. The Food Basket at Good Sam fits in here. Grocery stores, Girl and Boy Scouts, and other organizations gather the food and donations that keep LBFS working year-round. LBFS also collects “prepared but not served” food from the OSU campus. This food is distributed immediately to meal-site locations in Linn and Benton counties. Home and community gardens give substantial assistance.
Gleaning (harvesting food from private and community gardens) is another activity carried out by volunteers and beneficiaries of LBFS. In fact, gleaning has been practiced since prehistoric times. Both the Old and New Testaments have many commandments for landowners to leave some grain and grapes for gleaners, or not to harvest the corners of their fields. You may remember the story of Ruth gleaning in the fields of Boaz. The prophets, Jesus, and the apostle Paul also write and speak about it. (Note, if you do any gleaning for LBFS, one request: don’t bring in summer squash or zucchini the size of baseball bats!)
There are many ways to support LBFS. However, cash donations are best, because the charities it serves can use the funds to buy, in bulk, some foods their clients like.
Make a designated offering
Please give prayerful consideration to this month’s designated offering. To participate, make out a check to Church of the Good Samaritan, write “designated offering” on the memo line, and place it in the plate during the Sunday services offertory (or mail it to our office). You can also use the “designated offering” envelope found in the back of each pew.
At the end of each month, we write a single check from Good Sam to the organization we’ve designated for our support. Thank you for helping to ensure that this valuable service can continue!