FEEDING THE HUNGRY IN MARION COUNTY
Marion Christian Center (MCC) partners with Mid-Ohio Foodbank to provide a free produce market to Marion and surrounding counties. The partnership between Marion Christian Center and the Mid-Ohio Foodbank not only provides quality produce such as blueberries, citrus fruit, potatoes, squash, onions, eggs, bread, and more to the Marion community, but it provides hope. Many of the recipients have been out of work for some time due to disability or sickness.
“The gratitude and support from the recipients and community members was overwhelming,” said Lisa Mendoza, outreach coordinator. Several from the community with no connection to MCC have already volunteered and more are expected.
The first produce market on Jan. 21 served 161 families on site, which equates to roughly 400 people. Multiple bags of food were also delivered to local shelters and low-income residential areas.
In the coming months, outreach coordinators Jose and Lisa Mendoza plan to make it a multiple service outreach. This would include cooking demonstrations, recipe cards, health and wellness checks by local nursing students and medical staff, and eventually financial education to encourage a healthy and competent lifestyle that will set one up for success. Marion Christian Center wants to be a part of the equipping and empowering of those within the community and their desire is “to see ones come and be fed, go and encourage others, and grow personally and spiritually by the grace of God, knowing that He genuinely cares for each one of us no matter what stage of life we find ourselves in.”
