Here is what's happening in the coming weeks
Earthquake Relief
Earthquake Relief for Chile, Haiti, or Turkey– send checks to ELCA Disaster Response, 8765 W Higgens Road, Chicago, IL 60631. Make a notation on the check “Earthquake Relief for (the area of your choice)”.
St. John Lutheran Parsonage to be Food Pantry
St. John Lutheran Church, Summerfield, has signed a lease with Love in the Name of Christ (Love INC) to use the parsonage on their church site as a food pantry for the greater Summerfield area. The lease was signed on Monday, March 29, by St. John Lutheran council president Jean Fischer and Love INC executive director Chris Langston (see photo). Volunteers will begin painting the interior on April 6 after which shelves will be built. Donations of refrigerators and freezers have already arrived at the site.
Love INC is a network of churches that links volunteers to people in need. It is a cooperative effort between churches and service agencies to provide effective help for the disadvantaged, and it is a vehicle that helps churches fulfill their biblical mandate to reach out to the poor and needy. The local chapter of this national organization involves 27 churches in parts of three counties--Marion, Sumter, and Lake. They already have installations in Ocklawaha (Haggaai House) and Summerfield (Centsible Furnishings) in Baylee Plaza. They serve patrons in Belleview, Weirsdale, Oklawaha, Summerfield, Lady Lake, The Villages, Oxford, and parts of Wildwood. Their offices are also in Baylee Plaza, and they may be reached by telephone at (352) 245-8774.
The food pantry, which will be manned by volunteers from the churches, will open in 30-60 days. Love INC will announce the opening. Persons who wish to use the food pantry will need to call for a short telephone interview.
