1 Corinthians – A Puzzle I’m Trying to Solve
“I sometimes listen to politicians talk about the poor people, welfare and food stamps and notice no one ever talks about the enormous fear that comes with poverty and with the constant state of high anxiety. You feel as though there is a giant boulder gradually sliding down a mountainside towards you. Any disruption, any time day or night it could hurtle down and crush you.” – Sheila Moore
The first time I met the Pastor of Woodstock’s Christ Lutheran Church, she used a phrase I had never heard before: feeding the “unworthy hungry” as she lobbied against the new pantry guidelines set down by the Hunger Prevention Nutrition Assistance Program. I was mystified. What did this term mean? Where did it originate? I heard it again, off and on, at pantry meetings and occasionally in the hallway.
Because this term came from a Lutheran Minister, I did some research. I went to my computer and googled “unworthy hungry”. Up came a list of websites, all of which referred to the text in 1 Corinthians.
1 Corinthians, a book in the New Testament of the Bible, was written by Paul of Tarsus to followers in Corinth according to BibleStudyTools.com: “All believers are indispensable to the church.” The “unworthy hungry” I heard the Pastor refer to didn’t seem to match what I read at yearinthebible.com which spoke a lot about love: “Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong. Do everything in love.” Mark Mattison in auburn.edu, concluded “The next time your church celebrates communion, take a look around the room and consider the brothers and sisters with whom you are communing…Drink deeply of the cup of forgiveness and thank God that Christ is coming soon to usher us in to the banquet hall where we shall celebrate with the saints in the body.”
Everything here I read was confusing because I didn’t read “unworthy hungry” in any of the quotes. What was the connection?
If what I read in 1 Corinthians was correct, the people who came to the pantry are not the “unworthy hungry”. They are, instead, coming to receive communion in the most basic sense. Instead of a sip of wine and a bit of communion wafer, they receive the food they need to sustain themselves in the coming week.
1 Corinthians seems, to me, to be more about how to conduct the sacrament not how to feed the poor.
This confirms my theory that pantries are, indeed, religious services, churches if you will. The pantry service offers neither theology nor creed nor rituals. The pantry service works through love. Feeding the hungry is a sacrament.
The “unworthy hungry” term relates to the way people abused the Lord’s Supper. I never saw anybody in the line at the Good Neighbor Food Pantry abusing anything except maybe their feet as they stood for extended periods of time. These people were, for the most part, respectful, grateful, hopeful. They were trying to make their way through life with insufficient money, food, healthcare, transportation, education, spiritual support.
“Thurman, how can you serve food to her? Her son works and she has a car. She shouldn’t get food.”
“Thurman, that woman lives in Kingston. You gave food to a family from Shandaken last week. Our pantry should be for Woodstockers only.”
“Thurman, that person’s car is too nice. How can you give food to a person with a car like that?”
“Thurman, the cardboard boxes from the Food Bank create an eyesore when the church people are entering and leaving the building on pantry day. Please keep the cardboard out of sight.”
“Thurman, you are serving entirely too much food to these people. You can’t do this.”
“Thurman, why are you serving fresh fruits and vegetables in the pantry? You shouldn’t do this.”
“Thurman, you’ve begun to open the pantry in the afternoons. Our pantry should not be open in the afternoons.”
“Thurman, you’re serving entirely too many people.”
“Thurman, you’re serving all the wrong people here.”
“Thurman, you’re filling this building with vagrants and riffraff. You need to keep the riffraff out.”
“Thurman, you don’t serve this kind of food to these people. They’re going out of here with $70-80 worth of fresh produce. This is wrong. I’m going to tell Pastor Sonja, Ed Jabbs, and Pastor Bode about this. I’m very close to Pastor Sonja and she’s not going to be happy. You’re feeding the unworthy hungry.”
“Thurman, why is the pantry open two days each week?”
“Thurman, you shouldn’t feed this food to these people. If they’re hungry enough, they’ll eat anything.
The term “unworthy hungry” was a popular phrase used as the amount and quality of food was discussed. The HPNAP guideline that the pantry serve a three-day-supply of food to include fresh produce, whole grain breads, and 1% milk was extremely unpopular to some people.
The subtext of this dialogue was that if the pantry didn’t give them the right kind of food or enough food, they would leave town…go to Kingston.
In order to understand the situation, a person needs to look at the whole picture.
Pantries are our tax dollars at work.
A popular refrain was that no one who lived outside of Woodstock should receive food from the pantry. Kingston had many pantries, soup kitchens, shelters. Saugerties had four pantries. Woodstock had two pantries. Bearsville had a pantry, Phoenicia had a pantry. Olivebridge had a pantry. Then there was a long dry spell until Margaretville. There were many poor and hungry people living along the Route 28 corridor from Woodstock to Margaretville. Where were these people to go for food?
They hitch hiked in. They rode the bus. They piled in cars. They came to the pantry in any and all kinds of weather.
They were hungry.
The struggle to get food to where it’s needed is never ending. The needs of the hungry were great. All we did, as a pantry, was open the door and let the hundreds of hungry people walk in…in groups of five.
But, that was only part of the story. At the lowest rung of the poverty ladder, it’s not what pantry the household is nearest. It’s where they can get to. If a person lives in Saugerties, for example, and the nearest pantry is open on Monday, it will be of no use to the person who can’t get to the pantry on Monday. However, if the pantry in Woodstock is open on Wednesday and the person can get a ride on Wednesday to the pantry, then that’s the pantry which will be used.
Pantry deniers concerned with feeding the “unworthy hungry” need to consider the source of both the food and the money. The Good Neighbor Food Pantry, a tax exempt 501(c)3 corporation, received funding from many sources outside Woodstock. The majority of the food came from Food Banks located in Latham and Cornwall.
Sponsors are very important to a pantry. Good Neighbor Food Pantry sponsors came from many locations. The Boy Scout Food Drive originated in Kingston at the Boy Scout Headquarters. The food itself came each year from a troop in Glenford. The annual United States Postal Service Food Drive included food from all over Ulster County. Shoprite in Kingston donated money annually. Wakefern Corporation donated funds annually to our pantry from their office in New Jersey. Walmart and Sam’s Club stores in Kingston and Catskill donated money. Hannaford’s in Kingston donated food boxes in December. One Saugerties family donated over $3000 annually. Markertek in Saugerties donated funds to the pantry. The ancient Order of Hibernians in Kingston donated money.
The list of individual donors located outside Woodstock is pages long. People throughout the country feel a connection to Woodstock and want to share.
Ethically, in order for the Good Neighbor Food Pantry to refuse to serve households outside of Woodstock, the pantry would also have to refuse donations from businesses, foundations, and individuals outside Woodstock. The pantry would have to stop getting food from the Food Banks.
Funding the pantry received from out-of-the-area donors far outweighed the shoppers who lived beyond the 12498 zip code.
I felt compelled to refer to Jesus. When Jesus fed people, he never asked who they were, where they lived, why they needed food. He simply fed the people. He made no mention of requiring people to show proper ID or live in a particular zip code. Additionally, He never preoccupied Himself with their character. He cared not whether they were ill, wealthy, thieves, criminals, etc. If they were hungry, they were fed.
In any event, both the argument I heard about feeding the “unworthy hungry” and my rebuttal never really amounted to more than so much hot air and anger being spread around the room.
The State of New York, through the management policies and guidelines of the Hunger Prevention Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP) determines who gets fed and who doesn’t get fed in a pantry. They are crystal clear. In 2012, a directive entitled “Open to the Public” was handed down to agencies. The “Open to the Public” feeding program policy includes all populations without regard to gender, race, color, ethnicity, age, nationality, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, income, disability, or health status. We do not exclude any population group from receiving services upon first request or repeat visits to our pantry.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
7 Things to Consider When Searching for a Food Pantry
All food pantries are different. You need to shop for a food pantry as you would for a car, a major appliance, or any other big ticket item.
THE FIRST THING to look for in a pantry is the location. Where is the nearest food pantry? Will you be comfortable shopping at a pantry in your neighborhood? There are some real pros and cons to this decision. If you shop at your neighborhood food pantry, it’s inevitable that you’ll be seen by people who know you. For some, this is going to be the worst moment of your life. For others, not so.
One nice thing about choosing a pantry near where you live or work is that you’ll save on transportation costs. Also, pantries usually take a while to visit so the less time you spend traveling to and fro, the easier the whole event will be.
THE SECOND DECISION to make is about the hours the pantry is open. It does absolutely no good to know all about the pantry nearest you if it’s open on Tuesday and you can’t get there on Tuesday. So, know right from the beginning of your search when you have time and transportation to get to a pantry.
THE THIRD DECISION to make is about the food itself. The Reservoir Food Pantry, for example, is a vegetarian pantry. So, at our pantry, you’ll be hard pressed to find meat, fish, etc. You will, however, find yogurt. We’re currently offering 9 cups of yogurt per person in the household. I’m sure that luxury won’t go on forever but, for now, life is good.
Because we’re a vegetarian pantry, we offer a large variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and many items are organic.
We also have a freezer and refrigerator which further expand what we can offer on pantry day.
Of course, you can’t really ask pantry volunteers questions like “Are you vegetarian?” and “How many freezers and refrigerators do you have?” However, when you finally get to the pantry for your first visit, you can certainly use your eyes to decide about these things.
A FOURTH DECISION to make about a pantry is whether you’re going to try to find one that’s open weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly. Reservoir Food Pantry opens weekly. Most pantries in our area serve a three-day supply of food. So, if you choose a pantry that’s only open one day a month, it’s for sure you’re going to need to connect up to at least two or three pantries.
For some, this is a good thing because it offers more variety in the foods you’ll find.
A FIFTH DECISION to make is whether or not you want a client choice pantry or not. Some pantries pass out bags of food. You take home what is given to you. Other pantries, like the Reservoir Food Pantry offer client choice. What this means is that you choose the foods you take home. Personally, I think the client choice pantries take more time to visit because the shoppers are actually choosing food. So, it’s a trade off. You spend more time in the pantry but you take home food you personally chose, food that you and your household members can eat.
A SIXTH DECISION involves the paperwork. Just how much paperwork do you want to fill out? You are only, really, required to sign your name for the food. However, some pantries want much more information. Some pantries want to see a lot of identification. Others never ask. One thing they can’t do though: they can’t ask to see your Social Security Card. And, they can’t ask for the number.
Frankly, if the pantry is client choice, if it’s open when you need it, if the volunteers are nice and treat you with dignity, fill out the paperwork and get the food.
A SEVENTH DECISION is all about you…and your attitude. Keep in mind as you travel down this path that you are a trailblazer. You’re moving into a part of our culture known only to those who use the service. You can be embarrassed, ashamed, depressed, angry. Or, you can realize that you are a forward thinking person who is adapting to life in the 21st century and embracing a new habits which many of us are already using.
I like the second way best. Life is easier with a coping attitude.
Pantry shoppers understand that pantry food is our tax dollars at work.
Pantry shoppers understand that money not spent for the food at the pantry store means there are a few more dollars that can be spent on other necessities like toilet paper and tooth paste.
Pantry shoppers understand that pantries offer foods which we can, in many instances no longer afford.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Reservoir Food Pantry Launches May Food Drive
The Reservoir Food Pantry in Boiceville, NY is launching an early summer food drive beginning today and running through the end of May.
All food and items of dignity you donate go directly to the needy who visit the pantry or to the needy who receive food packages delivered to their homes.
Funds donated are used to purchase food, items of dignity, and gasoline to go to Latham, NY to pick up food.
The Reservoir Food Pantry opened its doors last September 9th. Volunteers began by delivering food to homebound individuals and households in the area of the Ashokan Reservoir in Ulster County, New York. The numbers of people asking to use the Reservoir Food Pantry services has steadily increased since that time…so much so that the pantry is now distributing food three days weekly. People visiting the pantry or receiving food receive a three-day-supply of food.
People using the Reservoir Food Pantry are making hard choices. They’re choosing between food and medicine, or food and transportation, or food and rent.
Many are food insecure. They are struggling to have enough food to eat. And, they are going hungry.
Children are not exempt from this situation. Volunteers at the pantry work hard to see that the children of families using the pantry have enough to eat.
To donate food or items of dignity, please drop them off at the Community Bank in Boiceville, and the Olive Town offices.
If you prefer to send a check, please make it out to the Reservoir Food Pantry, P. O. Box 245, Boiceville, New York, 12412.
It’s easy to include the Reservoir Food Pantry in your gift giving plans. Simply send a check to the Reservoir Food Pantry and include the name and address of the person receiving the gift. We’ll send them a lovely card telling them that a gift was sent in their name.
Traditionally, donations of food and/or money to food pantries decline in the summer. Often, by August, pantries are dangerously low on food. Their supplies are depleted. We are determined to avoid this situation in the Reservoir Food Pantry if we possibly can. We are working to have enough food on hand to meet the increased need throughout the coming summer months…and beyond.
We thank you for your generosity. We thank you for supporting a local charity. We thank you for thinking of those around you who are in need at this time.
For more information, please call 845-399-3967.
Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Walmart Saves the Day – Again and Again and Again
We found Walmart by accident. We certainly didn’t start out with Walmart on the list that day.
It was early October. We’d opened the Reservoir Food Pantry just three weeks before and were already realizing how much food and money we were going to need. So…it was time for a food drive.
We needed to bring out the “big guns” as they say in Texas.
Bonnie and Prasida drove over to Kingston to the mall and began the hunt.
First stop: Hannaford’s
“We’re voluntering at a brand new pantry in the area, the Reservoir Food Pantry, and
we want to hold a food drive. Can we schedule a food drive in front of your store?”
“Sorry, it’s against our corporate policy.”
(I do need to relate that Hannaford’s donates food to the Food Banks.)
Second stop: Target Stores
“Sorry, it’s against our corporate policy.”
(Again, Target donates to the Food Banks.)
Third stop: Lowe’s
“Sorry, it’s against our corporate policy.”
So much for the mall and the big box stores. What now?
Prasida and Bonnie called: “Where are we going to go now Thurman? Maybe it’s time to go home and think of another plan.”
“Wait, there’s one more place left.”
WALMART!
“We’re from a brand new pantry in the area, the Reservoir Food Pantry, and we want to hold a food drive. Can we schedule a food drive in front of your store?”
“Sure, let me get my store calendar. When do you want to come?”
What a lifeline! We’ve been soliciting outside the Kingston Walmart for three days in every month since October. Two months we didn’t come (November and December) because the Salvation Army is stationed outside their doors for Christmas.
We stand outside the door with the 21st century version of a tin cup (a large clear plastic jar) and ask everyone who comes into the store for a donation of either food or money.
I have to admit, this is such a positive experience. Little children drop coins in the jar, gruff adults soften up their postures for a moment and share for the hungry. We ask for $1. We are sooo grateful when someone drops in change.
We are sooo grateful when someone drops in $2 or $5 or $20.
The generosity of the Walmart customers and the Walmart management are sustaining our pantry. The Reservoir Food Pantry is thriving because of their trust in us and our pantry. When we make decisions in our board meetings, we are not only making decisions for our shoppers and sponsors, we are making decisions about our pantry knowing that a very large group of people counting on us to feed the most people needy people possible.
This offers an added layer of integrity to the mix.
The donations of the people walking into Walmart to shop have paid for our gasoline to travel back and forth from Latham weekly.
The donations of the people walking into Walmart to shop have paid for our 501(c)3 fees.
The donations of the people walking into Walmart to shop have paid for our office expenses.
The donations of the people walking into Walmart to shop will pay our utilities.
Last Wednesday, I was standing at a table in front of the Walmart alone and for a moment no one was around. Just this huge box store behind me and the gorgeous mountains in front. Quietly, a woman walked up to the donation jar, placed her hands around it and prayed.
Thank you for reading this blog/book.
Please send a comment.
Please share this article on your preferred social network.
Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
