We are a small Episcopal Church on the banks of the Rappahannock in Port Royal, Virginia. We acknowledge that we gather on the traditional land of the first people of Port Royal, the Nandtaughtacund, and we respect and honor with gratitude the land itself, the legacy of the ancestors, and the life of the Rappahannock Tribe. Our mission statement is to do God’s Will in all that we do.

Village Harvest

Honoring Women’s leadership on International Women’s Day

March 8 is International Women’s Day/ https://www.internationalwomensday.com “Celebrating women’s achievements and increasing visibility, while calling out inequality, is key.” “Collective action and shared ownership for driving gender parity is what makes International Women’s Day impactful.”

Let’s call out the achievements of women at St. Peter’s:

At St. Peter’s our key ministries are led by women. Andrea Pogue (Village Dinner, Village Harvest, Shred It, Sacred Ground, Jamaica mission), Cookie Davis (Buildings and Grounds, Sacred Ground as well as her work with historic Port Royal), Susan Linne von Berg (Village Dinner), Elizabeth Heimbach (ECW). BJ Anderson (Altar – Communion Bread), Jan Saylor (the above and anything creative), Denise Gregory (music) and Mary Peterman(music,art). One other lady to cite – Eunice Key who has moved to SC but who worked in most of the above ministries and named the Village Harvest and is in the collage. Diligent, hard working with abundant initiative to go along with it. Without them there would be a big gap.

Village Harvest, Feb. 2023

The pace has been slower in the first 2 months of 2023. The chart illustrates this summary over 3 years with fewer clients combined with a smaller food distribution:

Feb’s total clients were 77 above Jan 60. Food distributed was also lower at 836 pounds vs. 1,137 for Jan. Feb’s total represented the lowest pounds distributed since Sept. 2021

Village Harvest Anniversary

Village Harvest. concluded our 8th year, Nov. 16~

Psalm 107:37 “And sow fields and plant vineyards, And gather a fruitful harvest.”

The Village Harvest ends its 8th year in November. The October, 2014 newsletter read as follows ” In an effort to make fresh food more available to those in our area in need of food, the ECW is going to head up a new project. Credit goes to Eunice for conceiving the name “Village Harvest.”

St Peter’s provides an opportunity for people in the area to come get fresh produce, meat, and assorted non-perishable items on the third Wednesday of each month.   The offerings change from month to month, depending on what’s available at the food bank. 

Thanks to the generosity of St Peter’s, not only are we able to provide food, but Catherine has also been able to use her discretionary fund to help these people in other ways.  

During the first  11 months of 2022, we have fed 970 people compared to 898 in the previous year during the same period.  The amount of food provided is about the same – 13,834 pounds for 2022 and 13,292 for 2021. Pounds per person, however, were higher in 2021 at 14.80 compared with 14.26 in the current year

Over the past 8 years we have distributed 107,822 pounds of food  for 9,978 people  or 10.8 pounds per person.

Village Harvest, 9 months 2022 boosts totals over 2021

Through, Sept 2022, St. Peter’s has fed 794 people exceeding the 9 month period in 2021 which saw 723 come to the Harvest. Food distributed has been less, however, at 10,848 vs. 10,976 pounds, a 1.1% decline.  Pounds per person fell in the last year from 15.2 to 13.7.  However, 13.7 is still ahead of the years before 2020.

The  selections of food was concentrated in produce 35%, grocery 31% and meat 34%. The produce percentage was the largest since May at 43% 1,089 pounds were distributed in Sept.  compared to 915 in August, the low for 2022.  1,089 pounds is still under the 12 month average of 1,181.

Village Harvest – Behind the scenes, June 2022

We sometimes forget there is more than one team that makes the Village Harvest happen. These pictures were taken at the Healthy Harvest Food Bank in Montross on June 14, 2022, one day before the Harvest on June 15, 3pm to 5pm

Healthy Harvest’s mission is “To provide hope in the communities we serve through the right food and education . ” Serving six counties in Virginia’s Northern Neck and Upper Middle Peninsula as the only organization of its kind in the region, the food bank is committed to increasing its capacity to meet future demand, offer educational programs to children as well as clients with health-related dietary issues and increase the nutritional value of food provided locally and across the state of Virginia.”  One in eight neighbors in need struggle with food insecurity, making the services offered at the food bank critical for every struggling family, child and senior who deserves access to healthy, nutritious food.

The facility is modern. The picture shows the facility powered by solar panel. The food is gathered and this month placed in Helmut’s truck. (Cookie and Johnny who usually do this leg were away Wisconsin).

Thanks to Denise, Catherine, Andrea and Helmut who helped to gather the food in June.

The Village Harvest at June– increase in numbers

For the first six months of 2022, the Village Harvest served 543 people compared to 535 in 2021. Most of the shoppers came during first quarter through the 2nd quarter showed most of the increase. This is the first increase since 2019 during the first six months of the year

The actual pounds were down from 7,664 to 7,590. Pounds per person were also down from 14.33 to 13.98. However, we are above the level of the pre-pandemic period with the best figure then at 11.67. At $6 a pound, the 2022 figure is just under $84 in value.