On April 12 Christ the King Church made its first trip of 2003 to the Houston Food Bank. Christ the King members Kirk and Kate Hansen, Anna Stock, Tim Traynor, Christina and Michael Yarnold spent the morning assessing and sorting boxes of donated food items.
The Food Bank occupies a 73,000-square-foot warehouse that stores food and other essentials for distribution to 500 member programs in its 18-county service area. Volunteers play a vital role in the day to day operations by providing over 75% of the warehouse workforce.
Our next trip to the Food Bank will be Saturday June 14. We will meet in the CTK parking lot at 7:40 a.m. and will return at noon. If you would like to participate, contact Mary Ayres.
The Service of the Emergency Assistance Resource Center of Houston has a constant need for hygiene items. Our congregation has been asked to donate shampoo and conditioner, toilet paper and insect repellent. Insect repellent is especially needed this time of year. You may place these items in the CTK food basket in the narthex.
Curious about what goes on "behind the scenes" at Houston Habitat for Humanity? Find out more about the seriousness of Houston's substandard housing problem while discovering the great potential that exists through the Habitat program for solving it. Join the HabiTour on Saturday, June 14. The tour starts promptly at 9:00 a.m.
This is not a fundraiser and guests will not be asked for money. However, since our space is limited, RSVPs are appreciated. Please contact 713-671-9993 ext. 24.
Plan to attend the 2003 National Gathering, June 22-24, in Washington DC. Check the website for information or call 1-800-82-BREAD.
Around the world coffee and fellowship come together where we share community. A warm pot of coffee is often the centerpiece of fellowship hour, celebrations and other gatherings. Contrast this with the plight of the small farmers who grow our coffee. They often struggle just to make a simple living in some of the poorest countries in the world. Cut off from markets, they are forced to accept low prices. Without affordable credit, they become trapped in a cycle of dept. Many lack access to adequate housing, healthcare, education or even running water and electricity. Through the Lutheran World Relief Coffee Project, your community can share fellowship with our global neighbors, making a difference in their lives while enjoying delicious fairly traded coffee. Equal Exchange pays a fair price to the farmer, offers affordable credit, and supports sustainable agriculture, helping themselves. Community stores in Colombia, reforestation programs in Costa Rica, the training of doctors and nurses in Mexico, new housing in Nicaragua, new roads in Tanzania - these are examples of initiatives that small farmer cooperatives have taken in their communities with the support of fair trade. For more information call 781-830-0303 x228 or visit www.equalexchange.com. To support this effort, coffee can be purchased after the weekend services and by contacting the church office at 713-523-2864.