Christ the King Church celebrates 2 ½ decades of ministry with members of our congregation: Nancy Boles, Joan Lund, Ray Dittmar, Linda Schoene, Ed Ackerman, and Jan Petner who have worked with Operation Sunshine Meals delivering meals to clients’ homes. After much prayer and consideration, the Christian Community Service Center (CCSC), a coalition of churches of which we are a member, is discontinuing its Operation Sunshine Meals (OSM) program. CCSC has been providing meals to homebound, health-impaired and the elderly in our community for 24 years. When the ministry began, there were few service options available. Today the service climate is different and there are other respected organizations that provide lunch delivery to people in our area. Additionally, health-related organizations have developed adult day care centers or in-home offerings, and a variety of assisted living options are attracting more residents.
Christ the King Church members have delivered meals in the West University area since 1979. They began with West University Meals on Wheels until it was absorbed by Operation Sunshine Meals around 1990. This faithful group includes a number of members who have died: John and Ingrid Werler, Bette Hanson, Ray Anderson, and John and Opal McCall. Members Nancy Boles, Joan Lund, Ed Ackerman, and Ray Dittmar have all volunteered 20+ years each. CCSC is grateful to these volunteers who have contributed their time and talents to OSM. “Thank you for your part in greatly enhancing many clients’ lives. We say goodbye to OSM with some sadness, but also with overriding faith and conviction that this direction is best for our dear clients and for CCSC’s ministry as a whole.” Joan Lund recounted that there was a running joke that it never rained on “Lutheran Thursdays.” It might rain before or after delivery and it seemed to rain torrents on Wednesdays, but it never rained when the Lutherans delivered meals. In fact, at one point CCSC changed which Thursdays of the month the Lutherans were delivering and our volunteers figured that would be the end of their sunshine. But….the sunshine followed them to their new delivery days. Congratulations to all of these Christ the King Lutheran Church ministers who have brought so much sunshine into so many people’s lives and continue to do so as fellow members of our congregation.