A Message from Father Rick...
On May 22nd we joined with our friends at St Bernards and St John on the Mountain to bless the Giving Garden at the Ross Farm. It was a stunningly beautiful day, and it’s always fun to gather with our brothers and sisters from neighboring congregations.
The mission of the Giving Garden is as necessary as it’s ever been. With rising gas prices and inflation, people have less wiggle room in their budgets. For people who had no wiggle room to begin with, this is a crisis. AND, the number of people who have been making regular donations to the Food Bank is also down significantly—for the exact same reasons.
So, demand for food is up, and the supply is down. So, for the garden to be able to produce 2,000 to 3,000 pounds of fresh produce for the local Food Bank and other local pantries can go a long way towards helping our neighbors in this time.
Another ministry that is critical is Curbing Hunger—which was founded right here at St Mark’s— and which raises food during the summer months when regular food donations are lower. Please fill the bags on your recycling cans with nonperishable food—and encourage your friends and family to do the same (if they are in Somerset County).
Please do what you can, and spread the word—and even consider coming to weed, tend, and pick at the garden—so that our neighbors won’t go hungry this summer.
Peace,
Fr Rick