Feed the Need helps nourish the community

The Lighthouse Church of God in Plainfield, lead by Pastor Lane Lavendar, serves a large congregation.

The church offers a number of ministries from which congregants can choose, including Feed the Need, overseen by church member Peggy Ross.

“It is a warm, and welcoming church,” said Ross.

Feed the Need was formed nine years ago, during the winter of 2013.

“Previous to the formation of the Feed the Need Ministry, Lighthouse Church distributed turkey dinner baskets at Christmas,” said Ross.

To prepare for this activity, various fundraising events were held by the church. The funds collected from these events, along with the generous donations of non-perishable food items by church members, provided for both the creation of the Christmas baskets, and the ability to advertise their availability to families in need of a holiday meal throughout the surrounding communities.

The church member who last led the Christmas Turkey Dinner ministry was Linda Burnett.

“As volunteers planned, and worked to provide the 2013 holiday meal, discussions about providing meals more than once a year evolved into Feed the Need, and Linda continued to lead our ministry through the summer of 2018, at which time I was blessed to begin leading the ministry,” said Ross.

According to Ross, under Burnett’s leadership, Feed the Need volunteers began to serve at nearby soup kitchens, assisting with the distribution of hot meals, or preparing and distributing bagged meals, clothing, footwear, literature, and Bibles, as requested by patrons.

“In prayer for an ongoing location in which we could serve, St. Alban’s Church in Killingly asked Linda if we could provide a soup kitchen there,” said Ross.

The group accepted the challenge, and served a monthly meal from the fall of 2014 through the summer of 2017.

“We were blessed to conduct a food pantry at St. Albans, as well, and through our food drives and church members’ donations, served the community monthly from mid-2015 through spring 2019, at which time the church closed,” said Ross.

As a greater need for services was found in the surrounding communities during 2017, the ministry strove to meet that need through the purchase of a van.

“We were quickly blessed with a well-maintained vehicle, and have served communities from Windham to New London County since the fall of 2017 as a result of this purchase,” said Ross.

Currently, Feed the Need volunteers continue to raise ministerial funds through the sale of merchandise, food, and refreshments at church events, through community activities, and through the generous donations of church members.

The group strives to serve the homeless, and those in need, one to three times a month through a mobile ministry. The mobile ministry offers warm and cold drinks, a nutritious bagged lunch, and soup (during cold weather months), as well as providing a food pantry, with the addition of pet food and personal care items. Seasonal clothing, outerwear, and footwear for men and women are also on board, along with new socks, underclothes, and literature.

“Our ministry maintains a non-perishable food pantry at Lighthouse Church,” added Ross. “We assist both church and community members in need.”

Feed the Need is fortunate to receive day-old baked goods from the Big-Y supermarket once weekly, and volunteers have distributed these goods for nearly three years to community members living in an area stretching from Danielson to Norwich.

“[In addition], our ministry has once again been provided with a soup kitchen opportunity,” said Ross.

Since the fall of 2020, Feed the Need has served through the Community Kitchens of Northeastern CT Program, on the fifth Tuesday of the month, at the Congregational Church in Central Village. As many as 180 meals are served at this location.

“The lack of work, homelessness, and/or illness due to COVID, and other community or worldly concerns, have created an increased need for food,” said Ross. “Pantries throughout the state, and their volunteers, are actively working to meet those needs.”

Those in need of assistance can email feedtheneed-lcog@outlook.com, or call Lighthouse Church at 860-564-0445.

Anyone interested in supporting Feed the Need can make a donation by selecting the “Online Giving” site on the Lighthouse Church website, at lighthousechurchct.com, then entering their donation, and selecting “Feed the Need” in the drop-down menu. Donations can also be mailed to: The Lighthouse Church of God, Attn: Feed the Need Ministry, 33 Plainfield Pike, Plainfield, CT 06374.

“Our mission is to serve those in need in our surrounding communities by sharing the love of God, and providing food and other needed resources,” said Ross. “Our wonderful team fulfills that mission each and every time they are blessed to serve.”