Outreach
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Lexington Food Pantry at First Christian Church
3,535 CANS! HOW IT ALL BEGAN Rick Spencer
How It All Began? Wanda Finch came to me after a service in September of 2024 and stated with a soft voice, “I think God wants me to start a Food Pantry.” That soft voice now has echoed loudly across our community and several towns nearby. I had been involved with a half a dozen pantrys so I was a help, but she didn’t need much.
The Confirmation-The next week, we went to Lexington Elementary and visited with the Principal Kendra Wolf about organizing a food drive. She enthusiastically said they would do a 5 day contest between the 18 classrooms. Wanda knew she heard God when those 18 classes accumulated 3,535 cans!
Small Church/Big Heart-With Doug and Wanda’s leadership, we are approaching a year of serving our community and 1st Christian is making quite a reputation of visible, unconditional love. 24 families were served that first October in 2024. Now that number has more than doubled and increases every month.
Time And Place-The Food Pantry serves the community the 3rd Tuesday of every month at 10 AM. We chose that day to separate from the Capital Area Food Bank that serves the community at the city park on the 1st Tuesday each month.
The Works-Of all the Food Pantries I have been involved in, this one is like no other. Wanda has a menu of 100+ items of cans and non-perishables to choose from. The families select 25 items. At most pantries, you just get whatever they have. Not so with Wanda. She also prepares cookies and sweets for the children as well as a Bible story coloring book. Families gather at the Fellowship Hall to pick up their order that is already prepared on their arrival.
Lexington Churches Gather As One-The “Unity” has been awesome. Ladies from all denominations gather a week in advance to put the grocery crates together. It’s quite an endeavor to personalize each crate for each family. They come back the following Tuesday to make the deliveries to the cars. There are six different pastors that have come and ministered at the cars. The families are very sincere in giving prayer requests to the ministers.
A Big Thank You-YES! Doug and Wanda say “A Big Thank You” to the churches in Lexington and other fellowships nearby. Every six months, the churches do a food drive for a whole month. We had as many as a 1,000 cans donated by a single church in one month. Also, Lexington Elementary and Middle Schools as well as clubs in the High School have been great contributors. Even service organizations are contributors and individuals passionate to bless the needy also have been very generous.
We Need You! The Lord rejoices when his Spiritual Body comes together to serve. Each month we wonder if it's going to all come together. Every Time It Does! If you want to come to serve, We Need You. Your contacts are Rick Spencer, 979-540-9900 or Doug and Wanda Finch, Food Pantry Coordinators 979-204-9488.
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Jesus said, “When you have done it unto the least, you have done it unto Me.” Matthew 25:40
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Backpack Buddies
FCC contributes monthly to Lexington Elementary & Middle Schools Backpack Buddies. Started by Lexington United Methodist Church, It is a collaborative church and community partnership that seeks to increase student academic achievement by ensuring that all children have enough to eat over the weekend when free and reduced breakfasts and lunches are not available. Backpack Buddies typically feed around 60 kids each week during the school year. They provide 60 kids with three dinners, two breakfasts, two lunches, and snacks each weekend during the school year.
Central Texas Food
Bank
When the Central Texas Food Bank was established in 1982, it was with a goal in mind to help the hungry in the community. Over the years, the weak economy has increased challenges for clients who have turned to food pantries for food assistance. The Central Texas Food Bank has been at the front line of hunger relief with the help of Partner Agencies in 21 counties across Central Texas. Last year we provided more than nearly 54 million meals on the tables of our neighbors facing hunger—up from 42.5 million meals the previous year.
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Southwest Good Samaritan Ministries Mission Statement
We are driven by the Gospel of Jesus Christ to safeguard, honor, and advocate for the dignity of all human life. We are committed to fostering justice and embodying the teachings of Jesus as we respond to the call of serving our most vulnerable and marginalized communities. As part of the global mission of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), we welcome the stranger and we feed the hungry. We are dedicated to work with our border communities and across ecumenical lines both locally and nationally, as well as other organizations and institutions.
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The Southwest Good Samaritan Ministries are a 501(c)(3) non-profit refugee ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The political refugee, as defined by the US Foreign Assistance Acts of 1961 and 1975, is a person who seeks legal entry into the United States in search of freedom from torture, arbitrary imprisonment, and arrest. This class of aliens predominantly applies for refugee status upon arrival. El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Cuba are the primary countries of origin. Secondary are other countries in political turmoil, be them in South America, Africa, or Southeast Asia.
Disciples Mission Fund (DMF) brings the whole Church together, connecting us to the life-giving and life-saving work we have been called to do. It also simplifies giving for congregations and individuals, providing a way to support the entire Church at once. DMF-funded regional and general ministries offer opportunities for Disciples to serve as missionaries, attend college or seminary, advocate for the least of these, and so much more.
When you make a gift to Disciples Mission Fund, you share God’s love from your doorsteps to the ends of the Earth.
Week of Compassion is more than a week. It is a ministry of the whole Church, reaching those in need "around the world, around the year.” Any time we respond to a need in the world, we bear witness to the unity of our table, faithfully sharing the gifts that we have as an expression of Christ's love. In working together with partners, we represent the Disciples of Christ commitment to unity, making our resources reach farther and growing our impact on a global scale.
