Community News

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Islip to Hold “Seeds of Hope” Drive-By Food Drop

On Saturday, July 25, from 8 AM to 1 PM, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Islip will be holding a drive-by food drop at the church. Volunteers will be standing in front of the church entrance at the corner of Montauk Highway and St. Mark’s Lane. Drop off your donations and they’ll do the rest! All donations will go to God’s Provision, Inc., a faith-based organization that distributes food pantries in some of the hardest hit regions in Suffolk County, NY.

We’ve all seen the pictures:

Food lines so long that they wrap around entire blocks.  Some people get up as early as 3 AM to start standing so food doesn’t run out by the time they get to the head of the line. Today, 22% to 38% of American households are food insecure. According to the Hamilton Project, 14 million children went hungry just in the one-month period of June 2020. Faith-based ministries are jumping in to help the best they can. Senator Tim Scott R-SC, spoke on the television show “The View” about his outreach, specifically in regard to testing. People might be more apt to walk to their church, he said, than to get in a car to drive to a hospital or testing site. Faith-based communities are more like family, added The Very Reverend Richard E. Simpson, Rector, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. “Families are already anxious, worried and distressed. They might have lost their jobs and their homes. They want to go where they’ll feel safe, and not just be an anonymous number. He continued: I learned this at a very early age. I was only 18 when my father died, and my parish family became as important to me as my biological one. They surrounded us with love, food and made sure we were okay.”

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church “Seeds of Hope” drive-by food drive:

This will be held rain or shine.  They do ask that everyone wear a mask and social distance if they get out of their cars. The food drive is asking for donations of non-perishable items, such as pasta, rice, beans, peanut butter, jelly, cereal, mac and cheese, juice boxes, crackers, cookies, salt, pepper, cake/brownie mixes, canned tuna and chicken, stove-top stuffing, bottled fruit-flavored drinks, oil and vinegar, soup, canned gravy, tomato sauce, condensed milk, pudding (boxed, not prepared) jello, apple sauce, canned vegetables and fruit, cleaning supplies, laundry supplies, tissues, TP, paper towels.  No dairy, frozen items or anything that can spoil.

To make this even more personal and family-friendly, they ask you to:

● Include any favorite easy, inexpensive recipes or tips on making meals healthier and tastier. For instance, one adds fresh tomatoes and broccoli to mac and cheese.
● Let your kids get involved. Let them write cards, draw pictures or do what they can to show the recipient kids some love. Maybe they want to use their allowance to buy a box of animal crackers, a packet of gummy bears or some other kid-friendly treat.

Reverend Richard E. Simpson said,  “I keep thinking of John 6 where large crowds gathered to hear Jesus. While many apostles became discouraged and wanted to go home, one little boy had a tiny lunch of 2 small fishes and 5 loaves of bread. He gave it to Jesus and it fed 5,000 people. Even the tiniest act of kindness, generosity and love plant the seeds of hope.”

For more information, please call the church at 631-581-4950.

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