Food for Thought
Dear Friends,
In just a few days’ time we will be celebrating Christmas and giving thanks for a baby born in Bethlehem. As the angel proclaimed to the shepherds, “This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:12)
The Nativity story reminds us that God is with us and appears in the most humble places. God decided that the very first people to hear the good news of the Messiah were shepherds; lowly folks who were viewed as vagrants in their culture. The Christ child was born to parents who were forced to find shelter among animals and placed our Savior in a manger where animals would feed. Were Mary and Joseph food insecure that holy night when Christ was born?
Here at The New Love Center, we see God with us on a daily basis. We see it in every face who is treated with dignity, every mouth that is filled with good things, and every hand that is lent by helpers and volunteers.
This year has been an incredible year, and as you know a bit of a challenging one, too. Food prices have increased and the number of clients who seek our help have increased as well. And so as we begin to say goodbye to this year and welcome the next, may we simply give thanks.
Thank you for sharing resources with the food insecure in our community.
Thank you for helping the Marys and Josephs out there who simply want to feed their family.
Thank you for being a presence of welcome to the shepherds of our day.
Thank you for being like the wisemen and honoring the Lord through gifts given.
On behalf of The New Love Center, thank you for supporting TNLC’s mission “where the love of Christ provides for all” and may God bless us as we enter into the New Year!
Blessings,
Alice Fox Cline
Board President
Making a Difference
November Program Impact
To learn more about each of our programs, including days and hours, click HERE.
1370 Clients
227 New Clients
196 Volunteers
616 Volunteer Hrs
10,488 lbs of Food Donated
907 Meals
Weis Donated 1073.48 lbs of Food
Individuals Donated 517.11 lbs of Food
53 Volunteers
233.50 Volunteer Hours
Calling Volunteers!
Lend a hand this holiday season! We urgently need volunteers to serve in the Café kitchen. Please reach out if you are able to volunteer your time.
247 Households Served
555 Individuals Served
Fresh Food Farmacy
412 Individuals Served
142 Households
Elder Share
81 Boxes Distributed
149 Households Impacted
Backpack Program
197 Students (Elementary and Middle Schools)
207 Bulldog Baskets (High School Distribution)
PB&J
2 People Picked Up
Please come in and see what we do, with a first hand look at how you can make a difference, and get your questions answered.
To set up a time to visit, call the office at 570-244-8838 or click HERE.
Donations Needed
Currently: Egg Noodles
For January: Small Jars of Grape Jelly
Volunteer Spotlight
We want to shine a light on Karon Fredrikson and what she does at our Drive-Thru Distribution, preparing and serving our volunteer’s lunch as well as counting up the volunteer hours which are much needed for our monthly reporting. Thank you Karon for all you do, we appreciate you!
Tis the season to give thanks for all of God’s gifts!
At TNLC we are so grateful to the ways volunteers share their gifts to make the mission of TNLC possible. It is because of our volunteers that thousands of people in our community have been helped. Blessings this Christmas and may God’s abundant grace guide us all into the New Year!
Devotion
But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,…
(Galatians 4:4)
When was Jesus born?
We don’t really know, but the indication from Luke’s account points to spring!
Where was Jesus born?
We don’t know except in Bethlehem in a very crude setting. Scholars debate the type of setting! We do know that He was not of the tribe of Levi, although He is Prophet, Priest, and King. He is of the order of
Melchizedek – without beginning and ending (Hebrews 5).
Although we acknowledge Him Lord and Savior, we do so no longer after the flesh. (Read 2 Corinthians 5:15). Likewise we serve the needs of people no longer after the flesh ( without knowing their origin or specific circumstances), but in compassion as Jesus, our High Priest, had compassion on us.
We serve the needs of people in honor of what Jesus, our King, did for us in the flesh.
