When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep John 21: 15-17
OPERATIONS RUN THROUGH ALLEY DOOR
at the North-East corner of the city block.
2216 17th Street, Bakersfield, CA 93301
Sundays, 12:00 – 2:00 pm
Food Co-op Shopping ListSupporting our
Food Co-op Shopping Our food co-op ministry is serving between 30-40 of our low income and homeless downtown Bakersfield neighbors every Sunday from 12 to 2 pm. We depend on you to help us keep our shelves stocked. Please put us on your shopping list. We can fill our shelves if each of us commits to purchase 1 or 2 of the items from this list of items we need to restock every week. Thanks for your support for this vital ministry! Peanut butter Boxed Cereal Instant Oatmeal Soup Chili Canned Fruit Vienna Sausages Tuna Snack Bars Top Ramen Cup of Soup Rice Dry Pinto Beans Toilet Paper Soap Shampoo Razors |
Our goal is to empower our customers based on shared responsibility, mutual support, and accountability through the process of exchange rather than simply offering one way giving. Customers have two options to participate in either our Buying Club or Work Program. We offer groceries, fresh produce grown from local farmers, socks, shoes, underwear, dog food, cat food, baby food, diapers, and toiletries every Sunday. Dues are $5.00, $3.00, and $1.00 or 90, 60, or 30 minutes of your time for each total transaction. Members may receive produce, groceries, and clothing once a week. Every dollar earned from the Buying Club Dues is directly turned around into buying more items for the CO-OP distribution. The Work Program allows the opportunity to earn groceries and produce through any type of work accomplished through physical needs of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and The St. Paul's CO-OP. The Work Program participants will tend to duties such as distribution in both the Thrift Shop and the Food Pantry, collection of produce, sorting through donations, accounting, recipe writing and distribution, sweeping the grounds or parking lots, tending to the flower beds, and assisting in P.R. efforts. foodpantrycoop@stpaulsepiscopalbakersfield.org |
WHY WE OPERATE
|
Dear Friends,
John 21: 15-17, Jesus tells Simon Peter three times to feed his lambs. That is our intention and why your involvement is being requested. Although Bakersfield is primarily a farm town that boasts the title of the second largest agricultural producer in the United States, Kern County is hungry. Bakersfield holds another title; the leading metropolitan area of residential food insecurity in the United States. 26.7% of our citizens experience food hardship and hunger. Think about those numbers. More than 1 in 4 families do not have enough food to put on the table. Around 65,000 children in Kern County experience low food access and nearly 90,000 children in Kern County live in households with incomes below the federal poverty line. This is also not just the case of our own city. In the United States as a whole, 4 out of 5 adults struggle with joblessness, near-poverty, or reliance on welfare for at least parts of their lives. This individual poverty bleeds over into the family structure as bills and finances are budgeted and food is put to the wayside for survival, power and rent. As we all know, schools are near financial collapse all over the country and healthy, fresh food that students deserve is just not on the budget. The main source of nutrition that these children receive for the majority of their formative years are packaged, fatty, chemical filled and just not that tasty. Then they go home to little or nothing. This is not the story of every child, but it is the story of an overwhelming number of children in this city. Robert Egger, founder of D.C. Central Kitchen and the new L.A. Kitchen has said “A kid who is hungry cannot learn. A kid who can’t learn drops out of school. A kid without an education can’t get a job and help America compete in the global economy. A kid without a job may turn to crime, get arrested and cost taxpayers $40,000 a year to sit in prison. ”Nutrition is more than an empty belly. Good nutrition, particularly in the first three years of life, is important in establishing a good foundation that has implications for a child’s future physical and mental health, academic achievement, and economic productivity. Nutrition provides the energy for work to be accomplished. Nutrition allows the brain to function properly so that better decisions can be made against crime and reckless behavior. |
The situation is dire. America is quickly moving from a situation that is less about the 99%ers verses the 1%ers and more about 3rd world living conditions for more and more families each year in the world’s richest nation. The St. Paul’s Food Pantry CO-OP will not be able to service all who are hungry in the world, let alone America and not even our own community. The problem is too great. What we are setting out to do is to make a small footprint. The mission we are to undertake is a holy mission and we are setting out to feed those who experience food insecurity in our surrounding downtown area. The first step is to help those who need it to make it through the month.
Our goal is to empower our customers based on shared responsibility, mutual support, and accountability through the process of exchange rather than simply offering one way giving so that the recipients will be able to earn their food and hopefully fuel dignity as well. We want people to feel good about coming to St. Paul’s and to feel comfortable with coming here. Not to take a walk of shame that sheds dignity and adds another weight on the already heavy load that those in poverty carry. Customers have two options and will sign a contract to participate in either our Buying Club or Work Program. Buying Club Dues are weekly $3.00 for housed members/families and $1.00 for homeless individuals.The Work Program allows the opportunity to earn groceries and produce through any type of work accomplished through physical needs of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and The Food Pantry CO-OP. The Work Program participants will tend to duties such as distribution, sweeping the grounds or parking lots, tending to the flower beds, and assisting in P.R. efforts. Your help is needed. Already so many of you give and help so much. But we need food, monetary, and man power contributions to help start and sustain this mission. The Food Pantry CO-OP aims to be self-sufficient through grants and corporate and small business donations but help is needed until those goals are obtained. We have made a small step toward that but the involvement of our community is vital. Jesus once fed the 5,000 and the 3,000. The narrative in the biblical story ends there. I will ask you this. If Jesus personally took a piece of bread and a piece of fish, gave it to you to eat and it filled your belly and nourished you. Would it end for you there? The narrative never says what happens to those after they are fed, but I can with assurance tell you they were never the same. No one can be a part of a great and holy thing and not be changed by it. It was more than the food. St. Pauls’ is going to try and follow in the footsteps of the great teacher and feed the hungry. If we pitch in and do it right, it will be about more than just the food. It is time to help feed his lambs. Please join us. |
|
|
|
