The e-pistle
Official electronic newsletter of Associated Churches March 12, 2013 |
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Save the Date
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 Saturday, May 11Last year, over 324,000 pounds of food were donated to our program through this annual food drive.
By putting a bag of non-perishable food items near your mailbox on this day, you help put food into the hungry belly of a child.
If you are interested in volunteering for this event, please call us at 422-3528.
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Why are the food pantries struggling?
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Warehouse shelves are mostly bare as food gets distributed before being stored.
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It's a question we're hearing more often. People are wondering what impact their food drives and dollar donations are making. Some have heard how pantries don't have as much to give, and they're wondering why. To give you an idea, here's some numbers we can share:
- 8,544 lbs. of food delivered to pantries first week of November 2012
- 4,647 lbs. of food delivered to pantries first week of March 2013
- 5,087 lbs. of food donated to warehouse since January 1, 2013
- Spend an average of $8,000-$12,000 per month on perishable items (cheese, eggs, butter, etc.)
- 9% increase from 2011 to 2012 in number of families being served in our Neighborhood Food Network
- 20% decrease in food drive donations in Fall 2012
Chris Alvarez, our warehouse manager, summarizes the situation well when he says, "The food trickles in and pours out."  We really appreciate the donations, but due to the numbers, the food just isn't stretching as far as it did. We continue to be the best stewards we can with all that God gifts to us. Please know that whether you are a donor or a volunteer, your effort in helping the hungry of Allen County through the Neighborhood Food Network is GREATLY appreciated!
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Good Friday Service
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Women at the Cross
Friday, March 29, Noon
Mt. Ararat Baptist Church
2111 Edsall Ave.
All are welcome to join in this community service as we remember Christ crucified for our sake. Speakers:
- Pastor Glenday Griffen, Co-Pastor of Changing Lives Outreach Ministries in Fort Wayne
- Evangelist Sylvarena Funderburke, Co-Founder and Co-Pastor of Repairers of the Breach Christian Center of Kansas City, Missouri
Worship Leader: - Joy Elliot of Louisville, Kentucky
This service is co-sponsored by New Beginnings Church, Associated Churches of Fort Wayne and Allen County and the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance. For more information regarding the speakers, click here.
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 Associated Churches Annual Celebration
Thursday, April 18
5:30 PM - 6:45 PM
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A Reminder
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Comcast Business Class understands the needs of churches and non-profits and the value of having the right communications tools - Internet, Phone and Video - to thrive in today's environment. It's critical to have a website, to get information to your members quickly and to deal in real-time with your ministry partners.
As we shared a few weeks ago, you now have the opportunity to take advantage of these services at a special rate. On the average, the telecommunications savings is 30% to 50% and a portion of the proceeds is received by Associated Churches for the purposes of helping those in need in our community.
For complete details, contact Kevin by email at Kevin_Toerne@cable.comcast.com
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| Please know that we give permission for all the material contained in this email to be reprinted in church newsletters.
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| Thanks to our Care Level Sponsors: | |
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