“You can have fun and do good at the same time!”“You can have fun and do good at the same time!”from the Houston Food Bank publication Generous Helpings, Fall, 2009 (reprinted with permission)
Few members of the congregation at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Houston remember exactly when they started volunteering as a group at the Houston Food Bank. But they do know it’s been at least 20 years – one church member said she and her husband – who was her fiancé at the time – went on volunteer dates together at the Food Bank through Christ the King as long ago as 1989!
Anna Stock has been serving as the church’s volunteer group organizer for the past five years. She says the group had dwindled to just five people when she first took over, but now they have123 volunteers in their ranks. In 2007, Christ the King receivedthe Volunteer of the Year Award from the Food Bank, and in 2008 its members served a total of 369 volunteer hours.
“I just think it’s remarkable that we’ve grown so much,” says Anna. “We’re proud to do it, and we look forward to 30 years!”
Anna says Christ the King puts a strong emphasis on supportingdomestic and global hunger relief in their community, so volunteering with the Food Bank fits perfectly with its mission. In addition to serving at the Food Bank’s warehouse, they also run a ministry called “Feed the Hungry” for young single adults to pack meals for the homeless with food provided by the Food Bank.
Anna says volunteering at the Food Bank has made a big difference in her life and in the lives of her fellow church members.
“It’s given me a broader group of friends and it’s made me a happier person,” she says. “This is one of the main things that Christians are about – lifting the burdens of other people and demonstrating our capacity for compassion.”
Anna encourages others to give back to the community in any way they can.
“You can get to know a whole cross-section of people. You can have fun and do good at the same time, and make a really fine organization even better!” she says.
We are very grateful to Anna and the entire congregation of Christ the King Lutheran Church for their steadfast partnership in the fight against hunger here in our community.