The North Syracuse Christian Church intends to give back both by way of spirit and food.

The church organizes a food bank each week to help those affected by poverty. The church, located at 911 Church St., will hold one of its monthly “Fresh Food Give-a-Way” on Nov. 15 from 3:30-5 p.m. during National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week.

Volunteers from the church prepare meals and foods from the Food Bank of Central New York for North Syracuse community members. The church receives fresh food from the Food Bank of CNY as well as local grocery stores.

The Food Bank of CNY is a nonprofit organization that aims to “eliminate hunger through nutritious food distribution, education and advocacy in cooperation with the community,” according to the organization’s website.

“The food pantry is something we do every week. The pantry offers meals for anyone that wants to come in the North Syracuse community,” said Monte Smith, a pastor at the North Syracuse Christian Church.

The church’s “Fresh Food Give-a-Way” occurs the third Wednesday of every month. The giveaway offers meals to anyone, regardless of their income or where they live.

“Everything we do is run by volunteers, and we could always use more of them,” Smith said. “We get an overwhelming amount of food, so we need all the help we can get. Plus, a lot of our current volunteers have difficulty carrying the food so it’s helpful when younger volunteers come.”

Smith said churches care for the spiritual needs of the community. He added that the church can use its dedication to inspire people to help others, which in turn helps people realize they can help themselves.

Published on November 7, 2017 at 9:33 pm

Contact Leah: ltoney@syr.edu