After reaching a high number served of 153 in April and dropping in May to 112, we have been steadily increasing the numbers served over the last quarter. June fed 100, July 119 and this month in August rose to 140. We have served 860 people this year which is below 2017 (1,039) but above 2016 (763). See the entire article
Village Harvest
Village Harvest, July 18, 2018
The weather was temperate with temperatures in the mid 80’s under brilliant sunshine. We had a variety of help transporting and organizing the food including visiting priest Luis Garcia and his family from the Dominican Republic. He is our celebrant this Sunday
1,490 pounds of food were distributed which included a wide variety – 588 pounds of fresh produce, 463 pound of grocery items, 322 pounds of meat and 40 pounds of bakery items. While a significant number, it is under average this year’s average of 1,617 pounds. Still it is 121% greater than the same period a year ago. Parishioners are contributing school supplies this month and next.
Food went to 119 families, the largest number since April. The average food received was 12.52 pounds of food with a value of $75
Thanks to Andrea Pogue for the photos.
Now we are 3! The Village Harvest, Nov. 15, 2017
We celebrated our 3 year anniversary of our food ministry, the Village Harvest in a big way by serving 191 people on Nov. 15. What a birthday! This is a new monthly record and up from 170 the month before. This provides even more focus on building financial support, particularly on #Giving Tuesday. We gave out all 1,600+ pounds of food including chicken, peanut butter, tuna. potatoes squash, cabbage and cereal. canned vegetables and grapes.
Through Nov, 2017 after 3 years we have served 4,187 people, 33,934 pounds of food. That’s 8 pounds a person or market value of $48 each month a client comes. FREE!
Link to the article is here.
Village Harvest, July 15, 2015 with the rainbow beans
Rainbow soup made its way from your donation of individual beans to Vacation Bible School’s creation of the mix of beans to the Village Harvest Distribution on July 15. We distributed about 500 pounds of food at the July Village Harvest on July 15 to 81 people. Three families that were expected did not show up. Thanks to Johnny Davis for his work in procuring the fresh produce which included onions, cucumbers, potatoes, and egg plant
Village Harvest, April 15, 2015
We had 77 people to serve , one more than last month. Pounds of produce 500 (sweet potatoes, baking potatoes, and kale), less than last month but we added crackers, peanut butter, ham and eggs for each family.||Comments from those who received 1. “This is a real blessing. Thank you for doing this, it really helps us out.” 2. “Having this food means that I can buy something else I really need.”|||Comments from those working to make this distribution possible 1. “Doing this work is a privilege” 2. “I see this food distribution as a way to bring our community closer together.”
Village Harvest food distribution, March 18, 2015
Village Harvest Food distribution serving 76 people. A beautiful March day at St. Peter’s and along the Rappahannnock
Village Harvest distribution November 19, 2014
In our first food distribution, we gave out food to twenty families for a total of sixty people, 3:30pm to 5pm. We gave out 80 cans of soup, and 300 pounds of fresh produce. (We did 700 pounds in Dec. ) The produce included white potatoes, sweet potatoes, collards, carrots. We also distributed kleenix. Some received chickens (16) and some recipes for collards and carrots. Thanks to all who contributed and worked to create this new ministry. The ECW was instrumental in getting the bags together for the event and working to distribute.
Village Harvest – 6 months 2024
2nd Quarter 2024 was positive for the Village Harvest in almost every category which boosted year to date trends for six months.
For the year St. Peter’s served 575 clients the best in the 4 years, 2021-2024 (compared to 480, 543, and 535 in earlier years. Growth for 6 months in 2024 was 20% compared to (12%) a year ago. Second Quarter 2024, client growth only was 8% (compared to 6% and 3%, previous 2 years.)
Pounds provided grew significantly in the 2nd Quarter. For the year, St. Peter’s has provided 7,539 in 2024 compared to 6,370 in 2023. It is slightly below 2022 and 2021 at 7,590 and 7,664.
2024 growth was 18% compared to a decrease of (16%) in 2023 and (1%) in 2022. If the 2nd quarter only is considered, then 2024 is the best 2nd quarter in pounds provided in the 2021-2024 period.
Pounds per client in 2024 still lags in earlier years. For the 6 month period 2024 pounds per client was 13.1 under last year at 13.3 and the previous 2 years over 14 pounds. If the 2nd quarter only is considered pounds was client 14.4 and the best in the 2021-2024 time period.
Looking at the composition of foods, there is another favorable trend. If we combine produce and grocery, it is up from 79% to 83% from 2023 to 2024 and 65% in 2022. These are basic staples and sustainable foods and exclude meat and drinks.
Costs were the highest over the period at $566 for the 2nd quarter compared to $500 last year. For the year they total to $1,077 compared to $1,004 in 2023. Cost growth was 7%, highter than the previous two years at (4%) 2023, 1% in 2022.
Clients and food relate directly to those receiving food. The issue of costs is significant to an operation like the Village Harvest which runs not off parishioner pledges but restricted or special giving.
Costs are directly related to pounds of food purchased. The actual costs per pound have decreased in 2024. Costs per pound for half year 2024 were $0.14 and lower than $0.16 for 2023. $0.14 is the same for 2022 but above $0.13 in 2021.
Thus, at half year June, 2024, the higher cost relate more to the volume of food purchased and not increasing cost per per pounds.
Village Harvest, June 19, 2024- Food
Tuesday, June 18, 2024, Food brought in from the Healthy Harvest Food Bank, was sorted and bagged and vegetables refrigerated.
Newsletter, June, 2024
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Sunday’s Thoughts, June 2, 2024
A lovely collect this Sunday was a good start – “On this day of rest and gladness, we praise you, God of creation, for the dignity of work and the joy of play, for the challenge of witness and the invitation to delight at your table. Renew our hearts through your sabbath rest, that we might be refreshed to continue in your work of restoring the world to wholeness. Amen”
It is all about energy – work, play, witness, renewal and restoration.
This sense of energy carried through to the blessing-
“May the light of God illumine the heart of our souls.
May the flame of Christ kindle us to love.
May the fire of the Spirit free us to live.
This day, and forever more.”
We had the Rev. Shirley Smith Graham to talk to the congregation about the transition, planning and next steps. Johnny and the Vestry are handling this.
The sermon use the clay pots metaphor to illustrate Paul’s reading from Corinthians – “We have this treasure in clay jars.” In one case light can shine through and another it cannot. This was acted out by three children helpers. It provided examples of how St. Peter’s lets light shine through – the Village Harvest distributing food, the Jamaica project providing educational materials, the work with other organizations in the area including the schools, Sacred Ground providing scholarships.
We had another one coming up this month in June. Some of the best ministries are home grown and we have Shred-It that is a combination of fellowship, ecological goodness and outreach. On June 12, 1:30pm bring your documents to the church to be securely shred. Enjoy the fellowship with neighbors. Make a monetary contribution to St. Peter’s outreach for keeping your documents safe, secure and out of the landfill.
“Only God could give this small church the power to accomplish these things. God’s power works in us so that God’s glory can shine out through us.”
A nod to the transition – We are going to get broken in this life and suffer “big and and little deaths”. But these can be beneficial ” Change cracks us open so that new light and life can flow in and then back out into the world. Churches in transition are in the process of dying to what has been so that they can be open to the new life that will be, new life and light that they can then pour out into the world.”
Paul had the last word in the sermon – “Paul was right. We do have this treasure of God’s light in clay jars. So may we welcome the breaking, the spilling, the hardships, and the changes that life brings to each one of us and to our church. For through us, Jesus is already coming again in glory every time we get broken apart and his light shines and pours out through our brokenness into the world”
A Very Productive Village Harvest, May 15, 2024
Below are some of the foods and workers on Tuesday, May 14 unboxing, sorting and bagging the distribution. Thanks to Cookie and Johnny for obtaining the food from the Healthy Harvest Food Bank as well as working with the food, assisted by Elizabeth, Andrea, Lin, Dave, and Catherine and Ben.
May was an explosion in both food provided and clients receiving! (A nice 188th birthday present for St. Peter’s, consecrated on this day in 1836.)The weather was drizzly but thankfully that didn’t affect the turnout. May featured the largest number of clients, 119 since Nov. 2020 when it was 135. (A year ago the number was 93). Elizabeth reports that “The 119 includes the people Catherine and Jan and Lin pick up for. This may have been more than usual, and we also seemed to have more people from Essex and from Port Royal itself than before.”
The pounds available in May was 1,400 the largest since Dec. 2022 at 1,468 (A year ago in May, 2023 1,143)
Year to date we have served 487 people compared to 415 last year representing a 17.3% increase. The client total also exceeds both 2022, 447 and 2021, 465. However, it would be under the pre-pandemic years of 2019, 593, and 2018, 501 (with one month cancelled). Still, it represents an important improvement over the last few years.
Update on Snacks for Caroline County Public Schools
Based on information discussed at the February CERVE meeting regarding the need for snacks at the elementary schools in Caroline County, St Peter’s Vestry made a donation, along with many other churches, to raise $1268 to be spent on snacks for the three schools. Teachers at these schools have been individually providing snacks for their classrooms since many of the children cannot afford to bring a daily snack to school.
One of the CERVE members coordinated with personnel at the three county elementary schools, getting input about what snacks would be wanted. She then purchased juice boxes, fruit cups, apple sought and other healthy snacks and delivered snacks to the three schools. With the donations received, the schools will receive snacks through the rest of this school year. Needless to say, everyone is extremely grateful for this direct help for our Caroline County children.
Village Harvest, April 2024 – “Low numbers, however they got a lot of nice stuff.”
April, 2024 brought 77 people to the Village Harvest. it was the 3rd lowest total over the year and is below March’s 90. 77 is also below the 6th-month average of 98. Our range over the 6 months has extended from 77 to 112 in December 2023. A year ago in April, the total was 104.
Food sources were also lower at 1,242 pounds in April compared to 1,322 pounds last month. Like the client totals food was the 3rd lowest in a year. However, unlike with clients, April’s total was above the 12-month average. 1,242 pounds was above the 6th month average of 1,217. A year ago in April 2023 pounds were higher at 1,365.
The composition of food in April, 2024 was closer to other Aprils (except for April 2023) at 38% produce, 45%, and 17% meat. (Last year, April 2023, produce was significantly higher at 51% ). Generally, grocery has been higher than produce by 10 percentage points at this time of the year
Pounds per person is a measure that tries to relate client and food trends. How much food did the typical client receive? Despite the totals being lower in both clients and pounds this month, pounds per person were at a 12-month high at 16.1. The 6 months average is 13 as was a year ago in April, 2023. Pounds per person was at the highest level since July 2023 at 16.75. As Elizabeth remarked “Low numbers, however they got a lot of nice stuff.”
Newsletter, April, 2024
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Village Harvest, March 20, 2024
First quarter review follows:
| CLIENTS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| Jan | 91 | 60 | 115 | 116 |
| Feb | 110 | 77 | 90 | 84 |
| Mar | 90 | 81 | 91 | 95 |
| Total | 291 | 218 | 296 | 295 |
| POUNDS | ||||
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| Jan | 1,110 | 1,137 | 1,081 | 1,147 |
| Feb | 1,014 | 806 | 1,635 | 1,304 |
| Mar | 1,321 | 970 | 1,480 | 1,891 |
| Total | 3,445 | 2,913 | 4,196 | 4,342 |
| Pounds | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.2 | 14.7 |
| Per Client |
The first quarter, 2024 recovered from 2023 levels in both clients and food. 2024 clients levels are comparable to clients in 2022 and 2021 at just 300 for the quarter. 2023 significant descrease could be considered as an aberration. Food is up from 2,913 pounds to 3,445 in 2024. Overall clients are up by 33% and food 18% from first quarter 2023 to the same period in 2024.
Village Harvest – Feb., 2024 – a positive month
We served 110 at the Feb. 21, 2024 Village Harvest. After a slowdown to 91 last month, we were back at the plateau of 110-112 from achieved fron Nov and Dec. last year. This was 10 people above the earlier period Aug to Oct. which served between 90 and 100.
Totals for the first two months show some consistency from 2021-2024. The total is between 200 and 205 except for 2023 which was substantially lower at 137. We are not sure what happened but weather was not an issue.
Souper Bowl Sunday – Food and card donations
1. Prayer at Announcements
We collected food cans from parishioners today plus cards addressed to the recipients to provide additional connections to our Village Harvest food distribution, happening Wed Feb. 21, 3pm-5pm.
2. Results. We collected 41 cans of food and 33 cards donated plus $75 in monetary donations.
The goal was thirty cans and thirty cards for those who come to the distribution so we exceeded our goal. It was also above last year with 25 cans Thanks to all!
It was not just the donation that was important but also the symbolic bringing of the donation to the altar which we did today. This practice goes back to at least Exodus in the Old Testament when Moses encourages bringing donations forward to the Lord.
SouperBowl! Feb 11, 2024
Bring a can, or cans, of soup to church on the 11th, along with a Valentine’s Day card wishing the recipient love from St Peter’s to be included in a Village Harvest bag on Wed, February 21st. The goal—thirty cans of soup and thirty cards for those who come to the distribution. Monetary donations to the Village Harvest are always welcome. Write a check to St Peter’s with Village Harvest in the memo line if you wish to donate.