The shared meal was a thread that ran through the ministry of Jesus, and is reflected in the Lord's meal, celebrated in our weekly Eucharist.  The abundance that God has provided for us stands in sharp contrast to the poverty and hunger that afflicts millions in this country and around the world.  The congregation at Redeemer is committed to helping address these problems. Every March, the church participates in the annual Minnesota Food Share campaign, collecting both food and monetary donations to help feed hungry families in Minnesota.  We also support the ELCA's World Hunger Appeal and Stand With Africa campaigns, which provide hunger relief and support communities working to banish hunger around the world.  For more information, contact Ginny Yingling at 651-731-4420 or visit these web links:  www.gmcc.org/foodshare, www.elca.org/hunger, www.standwithafrica.org Fare For All is a volunteer-driven food-buying cooperative that has three goals:

Making good food affordable for everyone,

Reducing food waste, and

Promoting volunteerism.

The Fare For All buyers work with local wholesalers to purchase great food at close to half grocery store prices, and then pass the savings along to participants in monthly "food packs".  A typical "regular" pack contains three or four different kinds of fresh fruit, four to seven different kinds of fresh vegetables, staples like rice or pasta, and four or five different frozen meat items, all for just $15.50.  There are "light" packs for smaller households, meat only packs, and monthly and holiday specials.  Participants simply pay for their orders one month in advance and agree to volunteer two hours (this can be with an organization, or simply helping others in your community). Fare For All is not a charity program and you don't have to "qualify" - if you eat, you can participate.  Redeemer serves as a distribution site for Fare For All as a service to our members and our neighbors.  For more information, contact Ginny Yingling at 651-731-4420 or visit the Fare For All website at:  http://www.fareforall.org