Hunger Ministry strives to increase awareness and provide relief for the problem of hunger in our local community and throughout the world. These efforts are accomplished through a variety of fund-raising and hunger awareness events, including:

• Hunger Sunday is the second Sunday of each month. Loose change and dedicated Hunger offerings are collected and donated to twelve local hunger relief agencies,and also to the Haiti Hot Lunch program and Smokey Mountain UMC in the Philippines.
  
• Home Foods Table is the second Sunday of the month from October-June in Fellowship Hall. Various groups in the church sponsor the table by bringing in home-baked goods, jams, jellies and other treats. These items are sold by donation, with all money going to support hunger relief programs. Every-one is welcome to bring in baked goods for the table each month.
  
• Produce Table offers fresh vegetables and flowers for sale every Sunday morning from July through September. Your donations of cut flowers and fresh produce are purchased by our worshipers to help raise money for hunger relief.
  
• Kroger Gift Cards is our newest and highly successful fundraising program. When you pay for your groceries using the gift card, Hunger Ministry receives 5% of every dollar you add to your card. Please consider participating in this fundraiser, which is easy to do with no extra cost to you. Simply purchase a Kroger Gift Card at the Produce Table or Home Foods Table for only $5. Take the card to Kroger and add more money to it at the service desk, then use the card to pay for your groceries at the checkout.
  
• Sacks for Souls: Twice yearly, this food drive gives worshipers an opportunity to bring canned and boxed foods to the church for distribution to the food banks at Baldwin, Cass and Dort-Oak Park. The next food drive is Sunday, November 19.
  
• Baldwin Avenue Soup Kitchen: Twice a year, the Hunger Ministry coordinates volunteers to serve lunch at Baldwin Avenue’s food program in Pontiac. The next date to volunteer to serve is Sunday, November 19 from 11:30-2:30.
  
• Christmas Cookie Bake Off on Sunday, December 10. All are invited to bake their favorite cookies and donate them for the first Christmas cookie sale.
  
• Empty Bowls Soup Supper is held on Ash Wednesday each year. This church-wide events brings together the entire congregation to paint unique soup bowls for the Empty Bowls Soup Supper, a fundraising dinner. Guests donate money to attend the dinner, where they receive a delicious meal of soup and bread from some of the best restaurants and bakeries in the area, along with a unique, hand-crafted bowl to take home. Proceeds from the dinner go directly to local food banks and soup kitchens.
  
• The “Can” Film Festival is a fun family evening filled with film entertainment for all tastes, planned for March 2007.

For further information about the Hunger Ministry, Please contact Laura Dickerson or the church office.