“I wish I could get out of the car and give you a hug,” she said as the grocery bags were loaded into the back of her car. With a home full of nine foster and biological children, this local mom drove to Faith’s COVID-19 Resource Center in search of food to feed her family. Ben Patella, Faith’s College Ministry Director, was the smiling face (behind a mask and 6 feet away, of course!) who greeted her as she pulled up to Faith. “This moment reminded me of how great it is to serve out of the generosity and joy Jesus has placed in our hearts,” Ben said.
On Monday, April 6th, Faith Church officially became a Resource Center in northern Colorado, partnering with Serve 6.8 to help provide for the needs of local individuals and families during the COVID-19 crisis. The COVID-19 Resource Center provides food, hygiene products, diapers and other essential items to people in our community who are in need right now.
Teams of volunteers signed up to help sort through donations, pack bags of groceries and deliver food to people who have been impacted by the health and economic crisis that has hit our region. On the first day of opening, in the span of just two hours, 102 bags of groceries were packed as grateful families arrived to receive their bags of food. Delivery drivers from Faith also delivered food to families in Fort Collins who are unable to leave their homes during this time.
In addition to items like bottled water, cereal, canned vegetables and pasta, each resource bag also included a note of encouragement and a personal invitation to join Faith’s Sunday worship Livestream service. Meeting people’s physical and spiritual needs at the same time is a powerful way to show the love of Jesus to people in our community who are in need right now.
We would love to see you be a part of the COVID-19 Resource Center! Thinking back on his first experience with the Resource Center, Ben said, “I love the dedication of the drivers, servers, packers – all of the volunteers who wanted to keep serving above and beyond the need we faced on Monday. I pray the Lord grows this ministry because it is clear He has put it on the hearts of our members to help the Fort Collins community we love so dearly.”
If you are interested in helping serve at the COVID-19 Resource Center, there are three ways you can help:
Resource bag packers: Sign up to sort and pack bags of food and essential items to be given to families and individuals in need.
Delivery drivers: Sign up to deliver resource bags to the homes of people in Fort Collins.
Drop off donations: Bring dry goods, canned food, produce and hygiene items to Faith on Monday afternoons, 1:00-5:00pm.
Becky Young is a photographer, spiritual director and writer. She has been a member of Faith Church for 3 years and serves with Faith’s Photography Team, Care Ministry and Writing Team.
Becky enjoys writing about soul care and cultivating a deeper life with God. Becky was born and raised in Colorado and enjoys spending time with her husband, gardening and exploring God’s creation.