Outreach
We’re more than a congregation. We are a community.
Community Kitchen
MORE THAN 10,000
MEALS SERVED!
Volunteer Information:
In compliance with safety regulations we will keep volunteers to under 10, so please only come to volunteer if you have spoken with Pastor Shawn. There are other opportunities to volunteer if you would like to. Just let us know, the need is great and there are many safe ways to help.
When we started the Bloomfield Congregational Community Kitchen we honestly had no idea how it was going to go. But we had a vision. And that vision was to Build Community. It wasn’t just to feed people – not that feeding people isn’t an important and worthy task – but it was more than that. In a time when so many forces are trying to tear us apart, we wanted to build something. We wanted to be building relationships and building community.
We didn’t know where the money would come from. We didn’t know where the food would all come from. We didn’t know where all of the volunteers would come from. We did it anyway. We knew there would be challenges. We knew it would be hard. We did it anyway. Why? Because we had faith in what we were doing. We had faith that if we did this, that things would start to fall into place.
Here is what has taken place so far, we…
- Celebrated our FIFTH anniversary with the program
- Served over 10,000 meals
- Developed partnerships with Foodshare, Price Rite, Price Chopper, Geissler’s Supermarket, Stop & Shop, & Tops Supermarket!
Those concerns we had – about money? About food? About volunteers? It wasn’t without effort, but people came, funds came, food just started showing up — for free! That’s how it works when you trust the wild ride of the Holy Spirit. More than all of that though we are achieving the vision of building community. People who had nobody, now have friends here. People who didn’t have anyone looking out for them now have people who notice when they are missing and have people asking about them and how they are and what’s going on. People look forward to seeing each other. As one
person put it recently, “It’s like one big, great family.”
Wow. That’s real. That’s important. That’s making a difference. Have there been challenges and lessons learned? Yep. Will there be more? Absolutely. What’s next? Who knows…but we’ll follow the Spirit where it leads
Bloomfield Backpack Program
Helping the community one bag at a time.
The Bloomfield Backpack Program is an all volunteer interfaith community partnership that provides weekend meal supplies to food insecure Bloomfield children and their families. Backpacks and roller bags are filled each week by volunteers with non perishable meal supplies and delivered to our local schools for children on the school lunch program to bring home for the weekend.
Each roller bag provides enough food for about 12 meals. That’s a LOT of food. Fortunately, after a thorough process, the Backpack Program was approved and certified by Foodshare! That takes care of a lot of the food needs, but Foodshare doesn’t have everything we need. That’s where each of the churches in the partnership come in. Which means – that’s where YOU come in again…:-).
We need food donations. Non perishable high protien foods like Peanut Butter, Mac and Cheese and humanely captured cans of Tuna as well as cereal, bread and canned fruits and veges. Together we have built a “Mountain of Mac” a “Tower of Tuna,” a “Pillar of Peanut Butter,” and a “Citadel of Cereal”. You can bring these items in any Sunday or to the office on any other day, or if you prefer, you can write a check to the church with Bloomfield Backpack Program noted and we’ll buy it for you! You are making a difference. Together, we are making difference. That’s the Power of Partnership.
If you would like to volunteer or contribute you can contact koleyjane@sbcglobal.net
Thank you to some of our Community Partners
- Food Share
- First Cathedral of Bloomfield
- Rehobeth Church of God
- Geisslers Supermarket
- Old St. Andrews Church
- Seabury
- The Town of Bloomfield
To make a financial donation to the Bloomfield Backpack Program click on the Donate Button below and select “Backpack Program” from the drop down menu box.
Want to help?
We need donations of food, especially non perishable, high quality foods like Peanut Butter, Mac and Cheese and humanely caught Tuna! Together we have built a “Mountain of Mac” a “Tower of Tuna,” a “Pillar of Peanut Butter,” and a “Citadel of Cereal” for the Bloomfield Backpack program! Financial donations are also welcome. See Donate button below.
Loaves & Fishes
Loaves & Fishes Ministries is a non-profit organization that provides human services and is dedicated to revitalizing the Asylum Hill neighborhood of Hartford, CT. They serve low-income and poverty level individuals and families and provide education, food, counseling, and economic development programs. Members of FCC prepare and serve nutritious meals for the Loaves and Fishes soup kitchen at Immanuel Church in Hartford.
Meals are served once a month on the second Tuesday with these meals cooked at First Congregational Church the day before. FCC also supports many fund raising efforts to benefit this organization throughout the year. For more information or to volunteer or contribute to Loaves and Fishes contact Karen Blanchard or visit the website.
