I had a good idea! Or, you know, Spirit sparked a good idea! (This came to me on a nature walk, and usually those ideas come out of nowhere and I’m like, I don’t think that was all me…)
I work as Associate for Caring Ministries at an Episcopal Church. This is one of my part-time gigs. Let’s be clear, I work full-time for Jesus…but I have two part-time jobs at two different churches.
ANYWAY, my Caring Ministries job often includes me visiting folks at their homes after Hard Times. A death in the family, a recent job loss, sudden solo-parenting when a partner has to travel for work, an anniversary of a loss…and it’s nice to come to the persons home with an offering of care.
As I walked, these thoughts came to me – people need community. People need to work together. People need to both give and receive. People who have hard times can also care for others in hard times. Many hands make light work. Everybody eats.
And thus the Love Your Neighbor Freezer Meal Prep idea was born:
- I set up an afternoon in the church kitchen, and invite people to join me.
- They register and pay $10-20 to offset ingredients.
- I plan a freezer meal that can be upscaled (soup, casseroles…) and by ingredients based on registration – enough for 3 meals per registrant.
- We come together and prep the meals – takes about an hour – talking, laughing, checking in.
- Participants leave with two meals – one for themselves for when life is hard, and one to have on hand to give to someone else when they hear of anyone needing a little help (a neighbor having a baby, etc.)
- They leave one meal behind to go into the church chest freezer. I now have a stock of freezer meals onhand to bring with me on home pastoral care visits
I’ve done two sessions this far, and it’s been so amazing…and so easy. Making this a quarterly event seems to work well. If you like this idea and want to do it with your community – PLEASE DO!!!!!