An Early Picture of the Church and Grounds
A Short History of our Food and Friends Ministry, as reported in the pages of the Union-Finley Messenger (Online)
(All articles are reprinted here with permission)
Feeding Local Families in Need
| Sunday, 05 September 2010 08:56 |
Community Connections “Food and Friends” to Launch in September
Peters Creek United Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) has partnered with the Venetia Heritage Society, Thomas Presbyterian Church, and community members-at-large, to begin a project to provide free meals to families and individuals in local communities. Under Peters Creek’s mission program, Community Connection’s Food and Friends project will be launched Thursday, September 16, 2010. Beginning on that date, free meals will be offered in the Venetia Heritage Society’s Community Center between 5:30 and 7:00 PM the first and third Thursdays of each month. The response to a request to be involved made by Co-Coordinators, Louise Carmichael and Jackie Riebel, was overwhelming. Close to 20 individuals have been meeting since mid-April to put together the program. And, according to the coordinators, “The diversity of the group as well as the gifts each one brings to the table has made it possible to move forward and achieve our goal. It truly is a blessing.” Peters Creek United Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) will hold a commissioning service and open house on Sunday, September 12th. The church holds services at 9:30 AM on Sunday mornings in the Venetia Heritage Society building located on Venetia Road, the same location as the Community Center. The open house will be held at the same location. Community Connection’s Food and Friends project is looking for volunteers to help prepare and serve the meals as well as in-kind and financial donations. Anyone who would like to be involved in this project should call Louise Carmichael at 724-941-4088. |
Free Meals Offered by "Food and Friends" Program at Venitia Community Center
| Monday, 04 October 2010 12:54 | |||
J. R. Brower
A project to provide free meals to needy individuals and families in the area was initiated in September by a group representing Peters Creek United Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) and Thomas Presbyterian Church.
The Food and Friends project was the idea of Louise Carmichael, an elder at Peters Creek United Presbyterian, which holds regular Sunday services at 9:30 at the Venetia Community Center. Carmichael said that she was inspired by her mother, Helen Haberlin, who regularly volunteered serving free meals at the Jubilee Kitchen in the Hill District. Carmichael said that her church was looking to offer an outreach program, and after doing some research, other relief agencies agreed that there was a need for a program that offered free meals to area residents feeling the effects of the recessionary economy. Thomas Presbyterian in Nottingham agreed to participate in the Food and Friends project, and over twenty individuals from both churches and the community have been meeting since April to put the program together. Jackie Riebel of the Thomas Church has been serving as co-coordinator with Carmichael, and both agreed that the diversity of the group and the gifts each bring have made it possible to move forward with the project. The Synod of Presbyterian Church USA, which oversees both churches, approved a grant to help with the project. “We’re starting out slowly to see what the need is,” said Carmichael. She said that it is possible that the program will expand to include more days and more types of services. She feels that there is a definite need for this type of program and that “the concept is being appreciated.” She agreed wholeheartedly that the whole idea is to help individuals and families in local communities and provide them with Christian fellowship. Donations to the Food and Friends program would be greatly appreciated. Anyone who would like to volunteer to help prepare serve meals is also encouraged to do so. Co-coordinator Louise Carmichael can be reached at 724-344-5471. Food and Friends is Moving to Thomas Presbyterian Church
|
Food and Friends Brings People Together at Thomas Presbyterian Church
| Tuesday, 25 October 2011 09:56 | ||
By Alice Harris
About a year ago, two very caring individuals, Jackie Reible and Louise Carmichaels, toyed with an idea of a meal program and how to bring people with varied needs together for a good evening out.
Held at the Christian Life Center Building at the Thomas Presbyterian Church and in conjunction with Peters Creek United Presbyterian Church, dinner is served the first and third Thursdays of each month from 5-6:30 pm. Thomas Presbyterian Church is located at 1068 Linden Road in Eighty Four. Food and Friends immediately addresses the communities of Finleyville, Eighty Four, Hackett, Canonsburg and other immediate areas, and others in the community needing an evening out are welcome to attend. Volunteers run the entire event, cooking, waiting on tables, and helping in any way they can. Volunteers are appreciated and also are served dinner while there.
Although the dinner and evening out is free, a donation can is available. Those who come in have been very generous, which helps a lot to keep things going. Just about all of the food is homemade, and, over a good meal, people meet and make friends. Food and Friends does not advertise but credits its success to word-of-mouth, good cooking, friendships made, and notices in the Union-Finley Messenger. (Photos by Pastor Linda Jaberg).
|
No comments:
Post a Comment