The Grand Opening Celebration for the Community Ministry Center at Mount Pleasant has been rescheduled for Dec. 10. More than 200 people will be trained to serve in various roles; receiving and processing food donations, sorting and folding clothing, ministering to the clients and helping with administrative responsibilities. While operating in separate locations, these ministries served as many as 300 families each week and now that number is expected to grow. The additional space to store food and clothing donations and the ability to supply smaller pantries with food resources means the need for volunteers has also increased.
According to veteran volunteer Cindy Jones, meeting new people is part of the blessing of volunteering with others. She and her husband Phil began serving when their son left for college. “I needed to stay busy. There’s always housework and yard work, but I felt a need to help others and meet new people. We have met volunteers of all ages from empty nesters like ourselves to students needing volunteer hours for school. We’ve made some great friends and gotten to know more of our church family and even people from other churches and groups who’ve come to help.” For Phil Jones,
the decision to volunteer was an easy one. He believes everyone has a gift or talent that can be used to help others. “Whether they are good with computers, organization, driving a fork lift, familiar with retail sales or storage, or just a desire to serve, In His Name and Living Bread are mission opportunities that for no more than a couple hours per week can change the lives of many. I think in the process, it will change your life as well.”
During food and clothing distribution hours, CMC Clients will hear a teaching from Scripture and pray together before they shop for free food and clothing. Organizers and volunteers are looking forward to the new shopping format. Several new features being added to the CMC will expand the impact that the food and clothing ministries are able to have in the local community. The addition of a loading dock, walk in cooler, walk in freezer and larger space for storage and distribution of food allows Living Bread to operate as a Super Pantry. As a Super Pantry, the CMC will not only be able to distribute food to more people each week, it also means the CMC will act as an extension of Midwest Food Bank supplying necessary food relief deeper into Johnson County through other smaller pantries. In addition, Mount Pleasant’s CMC will be called upon to offer food relief in the event of a local crisis or national disaster.
