St. Paul UMC Feeds Hundreds in Thanksgiving Day Community Feast

Thanksgiving Day was one filled with abundance and thanks as families in need gathered at St. Paul's United Methodist Church on Nov. 28 - Thanksgiving Day - for the third annual free Thanksgiving Community Feast, providing a variety of goods from baked and fried turkeys, to baked items, clothes, shoes, blankets, and medical kits for those in need. After an opening prayer led by Pastor David McGlocklin to bless the food, McGlocklin shared, “This truly blesses my heart as the pastor of this church, that we are able to be of service to the community. It is time to share the thankfulness within our hearts.” Giving his helping hand while in the kitchen, along with many other church members and volunteers, John Atu, Assistant Pastor of Colton’s United Methodist Church, explained, “I am grateful. This is one of the ways we all can give back to God and to the people of God. It should be an ongoing thing, and that is where we are all trying to lead the church. I believe that we are being able to be filled with the spirit of God with gratitude and thankfulness.” With her husband Bert Roark by her side, Liz Roark said, “It is such an awesome thing! Every year we have asked for volunteers and food, and God provides. It is a wonderful way of showing that God is alive and working among us.” Assisting in the room filled with canned goods donated by many volunteers, husband and wife John and Patricia Richardson both agreed that helping with St. Paul's Community Feast was "the most rewarding experience.” Volunteer Cynthia Vitto said, “My family has always served on Thanksgiving. It is our family’s belief that if you have enough, then you have enough to give. So we are here every year to make sure we are giving to others, and to make sure that everybody has clothes to wear and food to eat.” The Thanksgiving Community Feast continued throughout the day until 3 p.m., where many in attendance were provided with to-go grocery bags to take additional food with them. [END] St. Paul's UMC Thanksgiving Community Feast Date: Thursday, November 28, 2013 Time: 11:00 a.m. Google Map Event Location: St. Paul's United Methodist Church Address: 785 N Arrowhead Ave. Colton CA 92401 Description: Thru 3 p.m. A full, free Thanksgiving Day feast is provided for anyone who comes by the church. Here's the email he sent us: Dear friends in the I.E. media ... It's that time again. San Bernardino's St. Paul's United Methodist Church is doing it's THIRD ANNUAL THANKSGIVING DAY COMMUNITY FEAST. As always, it's free to all ... but ... we need volunteers to help. I've written the press release below and attached pix from last year. We're counting on you all to help us help the community. Weeklies ... please put ASAP so we've got some lead time for possible volunteers. Blessings, Don Leiffer (PI for St. Paul's for a used-to-be at KVCR-TV) 909-862-4688 PRESS RELEASE FOR RELEASE: AT ONCE CONTACT: DON LEIFFER 909-862-4688/burgoyne24@sbcglobal.net FREE T'DAY COMMUNITY FEAST IN SAN BERNARDINO - VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Thanksgiving Day finds San Bernardino's St. Paul's United Methodist Church at 8th and Arrowhead offering a free feast to the community for the third year. From 11am-3pm, a full-T'Day feast is provided for anyone who comes by the church. Last year, nearly 500 people received the full-course feast that church members and volunteers from around the area provided. Right now, there is a critical need for volunteers to come forward and spend an hour or all day at the church to support this effort. Last year, soccer teams, clubs and social groups and high school students needing community service hours joined in with church people. That response is needed again to make this year's feast possible. Parents brought their kids so they would see not everybody in their community lived as well as they ... a lesson in humility for us all. Last year, 170 volunteers helped. Anyone who would give part of their Thanksgiving Day in service is invited to call the church office at 909-889-3609 and leave a message. You will be called back to setup specific times so the day is covered between 8am and 4pm. Along with the food, their will be a free clothes closet for the needy and the church's parish nurse will be handing out health kits. St. Paul's is being assisted by members from other area Methodist churches. St. Paul's has been at 8th and Arrowhead since the early 1950s and traces it's history back to 1858 in San Bernardino. The church recently adopted the mission phrase of "The Church of The Acts" ... Aspiring to be like Christ, Changing our Community, Transforming One Life at a Time, Sharing the Hope of God's Grace. This annual community feast aims to address all of these four areas of mission. -30- ORIGINAL ARTICLE: It was a day filled with the abundance of thanks and the abundance of giving on the Thanksgiving Day holiday November 28th, at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church located in San Bernardino. The 3rd annual Thanksgiving Community Feast was held by the St. Paul’s UMC members, other UMC families, and volunteers to give service to the entire community. Providing a sundry of tasty foods from baked and fried turkeys, baked goods, clothes, shoes, blankets, and medical kits for anyone who were in need, many who had attended to become part of the community feast, had left with more than having full stomachs and a thankful heart. After an opening prayer to bless the food given by Pastor David McGlocklin he shared, “This truly blesses my heart as the pastor of this church that we are able to be of service to the community. It is time to share the thankfulness within our hearts.” Giving his helping hand while in the kitchen, along with many other church members and volunteers, John Atu, Assistant Pastor of Colton’s United Methodist Church explains, “I am grateful! This is one of the ways we all can give back to God and to the people of God. It should be an ongoing thing, and that is where we are all trying to lead the church. I believe that we are being able to be filled with the spirit of God with gratitude and thankfulness.” With husband Bert Roark, by her side, Liz Roark passionately states, “It is such an awesome thing! Every year we have asked for volunteers and food, and God provides. It is a wonderful way of showing that God is alive and working among us.” Controlling the room filled with canned goods donated by many volunteers, husband and wife, John and Patricia Richardson both had agreed that helping with St. Pauls 3rd annual community feast, “It is the most rewarding experience!” Volunteer Cynthia Vitto describes, “My family has always served on Thanksgiving. It is our family’s belief that if you have enough, then you have enough to give. So we are here every year to make sure we are giving to others, and to make sure that everybody has clothes to wear and food to eat.” The 3rd annual Thanksgiving Community Feast had continued throughout the day until 3 P.M., where many in attendance were provided with to go grocery bags to take with them.