If you offer your food to the hungry.
and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness.
—Isaiah 58
Trinity Cathedral’s A Place At The Table (APATT) ministry has been serving a free, hot lunch for more than 40 years. Though it has ebbed and flowed over time based on changes in need and availability of other resources, through the decades we have opened our doors every Sunday to offer hospitality and nourishment to anyone who needs it. Many of you have served on meal teams at APATT, as have many from other communities of faith who regard Trinity’s feeding ministry as part of their own call to serve the hungry.
As a result of the government shutdown, available benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly called Food Stamps, had ended before November 1st but have now been restored at a partial amount. SNAP is also not available to new enrollment, meaning those who suddenly find themselves in need cannot access this assistance.
The result for Trinity has been an immediate uptick in participation in A Place at the Table. Typically, we see fewer guests at the beginning of each month as SNAP funds are deposited in people’s accounts, but in November we started off with higher participation. We also saw far more children at lunch: it’s somewhat rare for families with children to come to APATT, but this Sunday we welcomed sixteen children.
We anticipate a continued increase in need for the coming weeks, so if you are able please consider making a cash donation to APATT through Trinity’s giving page. Additionally, we support residents of the Central Neighborhood through The Friendly Inn’s Adopt-A-Shelf program: you can help by bringing nonperishable food on Sundays (drop it in the Blue Bin) or by making a donation through Trinity’s giving page.
Our faith calls us to compassion and generosity. But if you’re feeling angry, you are not alone. This is a manufactured crisis, in which the failure of our political leadership to provide for our most needy neighbors reflects on all of us: we are the wealthiest country the world has ever known, but far too many of our neighbors still live with hunger as a daily reality.
We must help today, while working and praying for a world in which SNAP benefits are no longer needed, because all God’s children have enough for the basic necessities of life.
Faithfully,
