The holiday season is a time for sharing with others, especially those who may need a little boost. This year, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, many more families are experiencing economic hardship. Reduced business revenue and closures have put many people out of work or reduced their income.
MCF Community Church (MCF) in Greenbelt was recently given a generous grant to help alleviate food needs during the upcoming holiday season. Their plan is to put together boxes with all the fixings needed to prepare a Thanksgiving dinner. The church hopes to provide boxes for 250 families. The food being provided will include typical Thanksgiving fare: turkey breast or ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, vegetable, rolls and pumpkin pie with whipped cream. The menu may change slightly depending on availability of particular food items.
Jeff Warner, the minister at MCF, says that the grant is use-it-or-lose-it and must be spent by the end of 2020. Also, according to Warner, the funds given in the grant can only be used for food. MCF is looking for families who need this sort of help. They need to know by November 15 how many people they will be serving so they can finalize their plans in time for Thanksgiving.
MCF is partnering with TLC (Truth, Love & Character), which is a Christian student club at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, to distribute the food.
Warner invites Greenbelt residents who would be helped by receiving a free Thanksgiving dinner to contact MCF by Sunday, November 15, at MCFcc.org/thanks. Church officials stress that this contact is a request for a meal but does not necessarily guarantee that a request for food will be fulfilled, since they do not yet know how many people will place requests. Those families receiving a meal will be notified on or near November 16. In order for MCF and TLC to be able to make this happen, enough families need to respond.
The church invites Greenbelt residents to share this information with people they know who may benefit from this opportunity. Distribution is scheduled for Saturday, November 21 with more details to follow.
Those seeking more detailed information may contact Pastor Jeff Warner at info@MCFcc.org.