The fifth of seven in a series about the recipients of this year's
Seeds of Hope Grants to develop and expand social justice ministries in
Southern Virginia. Learn more about Seeds of Hope grants here.
St. Matthew's,
Chesterfield, was awarded a Seeds of Hope Grant to help them make
improvements to their food pantry ministry. The grant-funded project
will allow them to weatherize and outfit an existing garage on their
property so that it can be used to store and refrigerate food for their
food pantry.
St. Matthew's has an on-going food pantry ministry. People in need of
food are referred to the church by Chesterfield Colonial Heights
Assistant Ministry (CCHASM), as well as member requests. St. Matthew's
partners with Second Branch Baptist Church and the Beach Grange, who
provide food donations. They have had no facilities for perishable food
distribution, such as fresh vegetables and frozen meats. Expanding their
pantry to provide foods other than non-perishable shelf items will
provide better nutritional choices for their guests. Also, the expanded
storage space will allow St. Matthew's to pursue additional
partnerships, which would include the Central Virginia Foodbank.